The Organization
The mission of the Prison University Project is to provide an intellectually rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree program and college preparatory program, free of charge, to people at San Quentin State Prison; to expand access to quality higher education for incarcerated people; and to foster the values of equity, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression. The Prison University Project is a national leader in providing quality higher education opportunities to incarcerated people and in expanding access to higher education within California’s prison system and nationwide. In recognition of our work, the organization was awarded the 2015 National Humanities Medal by President Obama.
The Prison University Project is currently in a period of tremendous growth. After twenty years of operating a robust, high-quality higher education degree program at San Quentin, the organization is seeking independent accreditation. This new college will be the first of its kind, a world-class college based at San Quentin, designed solely for incarcerated students. The Prison University Project is in the early stages of a multi-year fundraising campaign that will allow the organization to grow from a budget of $2.5 million to $4.5 million as it seeks accreditation and builds out the infrastructure to operate as a college. The Development Manager will be instrumental in supporting this growth campaign.
We are seeking a strategic, results-driven development professional with a track-record of success in fundraising administration and donor stewardship.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Development and Communications Director, and as a member of a four-person Development and Communications team, the Development Manager (DM) will serve as the operational leader of the development team. This position holds responsibility for the integrity of the systems that support the development plan, including oversight of our CRM. The DM will also drive strategy for the annual fund, support an ambitious growth campaign, build a planned giving program, and steward relationships with mid-level donors.
Responsibilities
Annual Fund and Individual Giving
- Develop/oversee direct mail campaigns including goal-setting, content generation, list segmentation, communication with mail house, and coordination with designers
- Build out agency-wide stewardship plan for donors at all giving levels, including strategies for retaining and upgrading current donors at the mid-range through a well-defined moves management process; maintain yearly stewardship calendar; participate in face-to-face meetings with prospects and donors
Campaign/Major Gifts Support
- Work with and support board and Development staff to ensure all campaign prospects are cultivated, solicited, and stewarded in strategic manner
- Measure and track progress of staff and board ambassadors against goals
- Ensure that all campaign tracking charts, reports, and dashboards are up-to-date
- Follow up with staff and volunteers to ensure they are moving forward with next steps and action items
- Assist with institutional and individual donor prospect research, qualification, and solicitation
Fundraising Events
- Create and manage cultivation and stewardship events throughout the year in collaboration with other Development staff
- Actively participate in the planning of timelines, execution of logistics, and solicitation of ticket sales and sponsorships of events, including fundraising gala and smaller events
Fundraising Operations
- Oversee migration from Salesforce CRM to Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT in fall 2019
- Report monthly status of fundraising progress to Development and Communications Director and the board of directors
- Oversee accurate gift processing, categorization, reporting, and acknowledgment system in new Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT with support from Development and Communications Associate
- Serve as primary liaison with Operations staff to support working interdepartmental relationships
- Support overall database strategy, management, and create strategies for optimization of systems, including: donor experience/integration with CRM platform, moves management tools, triggered donor communications, APIs, etc.
Qualifications, Education, Skills & Abilities
- Passion for Prison University Project’s mission
- Bachelors’ degree and a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the advancement field, preferably in higher education institutions
- Demonstrated operational leadership skills, including ability to develop, implement and realize goals and objectives
- Experience with CRMs and/or customer/donor data management required
- Exceptional administrative and organizational skills and an ability to prioritize and multitask
- Strong analytical ability and aptitude for maintaining and creating systems
- Take pleasure in data integrity and ensuring data is clean, consistent, and useable
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well independently and collaboratively
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including grammar, spelling and editing
- Ability to think strategically, anticipate complexities, and plan or adjust accordingly, while communicating effectively with team and any stakeholders
- Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both the Development team and the Prison University Project staff culture as a whole
- Must be comfortable with prioritization in a fast-paced environment with close attention to detail, accuracy, and timeliness
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in advancement/development within higher education institution
- Leadership in capital campaign and major gifts fundraising
- Experience with Raiser’s’ Edge NXT
- Familiarity with planned giving vehicles and basic estate and financial planning, including the tax implications of charitable giving
- CFRE, AFP, or other extended learning and/or fundraising certifications a bonus
Statement of Non-discrimination
We seek candidates who share a commitment to PUP’s mission and proven ability to work with multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multi-gendered communities. We especially encourage applications from candidates of diverse socio-economic backgrounds; and/or who reflect the cultural, ethnic and racial diversity of our student body; as well as people directly impacted by incarceration.
In keeping with our beliefs and goals, we welcome applicants who are LGBTQ and/or gender diverse. No employee or applicant will face discrimination/ harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/ domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status.
Compensation and Benefits
The Prison University Project offers competitive compensation, flexible work policies, and a collaborative work environment. Our excellent benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, and the full cost of each plan is covered by the Prison University Project. We also offer generous vacation time and holiday pay, as well as opportunities for professional development.
How To Apply
Please send your résumé and cover letter to development@prisonuniversityproject.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.