Advancement Consultant, College of Arts and Sciences

Department:

Advancement | Development Constituency Fundraising

Position Overview

Advancement Consultants for the College of Arts and Sciences (ASC) serve as a conduit of information and strategy between college leadership and fundraisers, stewardship, and engagement staff to advance the collaborative effort of moving gifts forward. Consultants maintain a current, deep knowledge of the strategic goals and funding priorities of the college and departments and partner closely with front-line fundraisers, donor relations officers and engagement officers, to align opportunities for support with donor goals.

Reporting to the Senior Director for Stewardship, these newly created positions are ultimate bridge-builders, ensuring that information flows seamlessly between academic and administrative partners and the development team. Each consultant is assigned to a division of the college in order to deepen relationships and best understand the work of their assigned area. This deep knowledge will be shared with major gift fundraisers to help create and present individualized, compelling proposals to prospective donors. Consultants also help steward donors following a gift, track and provide data and stories for impact/stewardship reports and play an integral role in engagements and experiences on campus.

Advancement Consultants assist fundraisers throughout the donor cycle with duties such as understanding and reporting on the donor pipeline; coordinating communication amongst the various partners; assisting with messaging, packaging and creating engagement content; preparing proposals and stewarding donors following a gift. While they will not travel or carry their own portfolio, Consultants will have metrics based on overall team performance.

Natural collaborators grounded in strong verbal and written communication skills will do well in these roles. Strong listening skills with the ability to distill information and communicate it effectively to a diverse audience are a must. Advancement Consultants operate with a high degree of independence to make decisions, solve problems, and adapt to shifting priorities. These roles also require diplomacy and discretion along with a creative, strategic, and entrepreneurial mindset, persistence, and an outcomes-oriented work style.  The Advancement Consultant roles offer flexible schedules including hybrid work as agreed upon with the Senior Director. The Arts and Sciences Advancement team currently works remotely on Mondays and Fridays.

All members of Advancement are part of creating an inclusive culture that inspires an exceptionally diverse and talented team and are measured on their adherence to the following core competencies:  leadership, continuous improvement, teamwork and collaboration, and communication/interpersonal effectiveness.

This position is a term role for up to 36 months.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is Ohio State’s laboratory for discovery and creativity. By bringing together ideas and disciplines to create bold, new connections, we empower people and their potential, envision the unimagined, advance innovations and solve unrelenting problems at a scale few others can match. We have 38 academic departments and schools, 80+ majors, 17,453 undergraduate and 2,285 graduate students and 210,000 living alumni.

Duties and Responsibilities

30% Fundraising

In collaboration with the divisional deans, department chairs, faculty, and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences, identifies growth priorities for the college, develops and confirms funding priorities; and assists in development of growth plans that will facilitate fundraising and donor engagement. Shares information with the development team and assists in determining alignment with potential donors. Advances a culture of philanthropy and awareness of the development team’s function through formal and informal engagement of college leadership, faculty and staff. Working closely with major gift officers, assists with identification, cultivation, solicitation, of fundraising prospects with capacity and inclination to make gifts. Assists with and manages the process of creation of donor materials, proposals, content to engage and inspire donors.

30% Stewardship

As part of consistent communications with assigned departments, provides strategic stewardship support in the areas of funds management, gift acknowledgments, fund reporting and development officer travel needs. Monitors and reports on data, sharing monthly fund balance updates with a particular focus on student support funds, monthly gifts to department and any subsequent appreciation messaging. Provides fund spending content for stewardship reporting. Assists with stewardship events on an as needed basis and partners closely with donor experience and alumni relations colleagues. Provides prompt and effective solutions to donor relations issues when they arise.

30% Engagement

Coordinates engagement of department and center-based volunteer committees in partnership with the college engagement team. Assists with development, planning and execution of targeted events geared toward cultivation of new and existing donors and prospects, as well as donor acquisition strategies. Works in partnership with development officers, engagement and marketing/communications staff to create briefings, talking points, remarks and background materials for advancement-focused events. Curates stories and needs for annual giving appeals in collaboration with ASC Advancement Annual Giving.

10% Special Projects

Adjusts to changing priorities and completes special tasks and projects. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 4 years of fundraising or sales or program coordination or related administrative function
• Ability to use Microsoft Office suite and quickly assimilate to new technology

Desired Qualifications (We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourage you to apply even if your experience does not align perfectly)

• 2 years of experience in fundraising, donor relations or related field
• Professional experience in higher education

The Office of Advancement is committed to providing tools and resources for you to learn our business, proprietary databases, university-specific processes, and advancement practices.

Why Join Advancement Now?

The Advancement Consultants will assist the college through the conclusion of Time and Change: The Ohio State Campaign, the most ambitious, inclusive community-building and fundraising endeavor in the university’s 150 years. Time and Change has a financial goal of $4.5 billion – also the largest in Ohio State’s history – with three core areas of focus: student success; discovery; and healthy, vibrant communities. The campaign recently crossed the $3 billion dollars raised mark.

Commitment to Inclusion

The Office of Advancement is committed to active allyship in addressing and dismantling the inequities created by systemic racism and implicit, long-held bias. We pledge to act with kindness, respect, and integrity at all times, trust ourselves and our colleagues and empower their whole identities, and hear and see our colleagues’ ideas, voices, and perspectives, acknowledging that we are better together.

You Need to Know

Aside from the unparalleled benefits of working for The Ohio State University and working in the diverse, smart, enjoyable, and growing city of Columbus, Ohio, this opportunity will provide exceptional rewards that arise from working for an institution doing worldwide life-changing research and outreach. Learn more here:  https://hr.osu.edu/careers/.

Salary range: $53,800 – $71,700

To learn more and apply, please visit: https://osujoblinks.com/m9tw

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other basis under the law.