Bennett College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a nationally recognized private, historically Black liberal arts college for women. With a proud legacy of educating women of color and producing leaders in education, business, healthcare, public service, and the arts, Bennett is committed to preparing women for purposeful leadership and lifelong learning.
As we position the College for future growth and sustainability, philanthropy plays a vital role in providing scholarships, advancing academic innovation, and revitalizing campus infrastructure. The Director of Annual Giving will be at the forefront of this important work, ensuring Bennett thrives for generations to come.
General Summary Bennett College seeks a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven Director of Annual Giving to design, lead, and grow a comprehensive annual giving program that strengthens a culture of philanthropy and expands financial support for the College.
As a key member of the Institutional Advancement team, the Director will play a pivotal role in cultivating alumnae, donors, faculty, staff, parents, and community partners to support the College’s mission of providing a transformative liberal arts education to women of color. The Director will bring fresh energy and strategic vision to annual campaigns, digital engagement, giving days, and affinity-based fundraising efforts.
This role is instrumental in advancing Bennett’s institutional priorities, including student scholarships, academic excellence, campus revitalization, and long-term sustainability—in the context of today’s competitive higher education environment and the philanthropic landscape of North Carolina and beyond.
Essential Job Functions Annual Giving Leadership
Develop and implement a strategic, data-informed annual giving plan that increases participation, donor retention, and total giving year-over-year.
Manage and execute multi-channel campaigns including direct mail, digital, text-to-give, social media, phonathons, crowdfunding, and Giving Tuesday initiatives.
Lead efforts to expand faculty/staff, parent, and student philanthropy programs.
Partner with Communications and Marketing to craft compelling donor messages that highlight the impact of giving on Bennett’s students, programs, and mission.
Regularly analyze giving trends and produce reports on donor participation, retention, acquisition, and ROI of campaigns.
Build and sustain meaningful connections with alumnae through events, regional networks, class year giving challenges, and digital engagement.
Collaborate with the Office of Alumnae Engagement to encourage lifelong support of the College.
Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts that set the stage including planned giving.
Coordinate with Director of Major Gifts on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
Work closely with Advancement Services to ensure accurate data integrity and reporting.
Partner with Major Gifts to ensure seamless donor experiences across the giving pipeline.
Serve as a visible ambassador of Bennett College in the local and statewide community, building partnerships that advance annual fundraising goals.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong ability to articulate the mission, vision, and impact of Bennett College to diverse audiences.
Skilled in designing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive fundraising programs.
Proven capacity to analyze data and apply metrics to improve donor acquisition, retention, and engagement.
Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and motivate donors, alumnae, volunteers, and colleagues.
Proficiency in CRM (Raiser’s Edge preferred) and donor database platforms; comfort with Microsoft Office Suite and emerging fundraising technologies.
High ethical standards of conduct, discretion, and confidentiality in handling donor and institutional information.
Ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, meeting deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
Demonstrated creativity in leveraging digital tools, social media, and storytelling to strengthen philanthropy.
Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings/weekends to support key events and donor engagement opportunities.
Education and Experience Required:
Minimum 3–5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, annual giving, donor relations, sales, or nonprofit management.
Proven success in planning and executing multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with a talent for storytelling.
Commitment to confidentiality, high ethical standards, and the mission of Bennett College.
Preferred
Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
Familiarity with donor databases/CRM platforms (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Talisma, or similar).
Demonstrated ability to analyze giving data and apply metrics to strategy.
Creative, tech-savvy, and comfortable leveraging social media, digital tools, and emerging fundraising platforms.
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As we position the College for future growth and sustainability, philanthropy plays a vital role in providing scholarships, advancing academic innovation, and revitalizing campus infrastructure. The Director of Annual Giving will be at the forefront of this important work, ensuring Bennett thrives for generations to come.
General Summary Bennett College seeks a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven Director of Annual Giving to design, lead, and grow a comprehensive annual giving program that strengthens a culture of philanthropy and expands financial support for the College.
As a key member of the Institutional Advancement team, the Director will play a pivotal role in cultivating alumnae, donors, faculty, staff, parents, and community partners to support the College’s mission of providing a transformative liberal arts education to women of color. The Director will bring fresh energy and strategic vision to annual campaigns, digital engagement, giving days, and affinity-based fundraising efforts.
This role is instrumental in advancing Bennett’s institutional priorities, including student scholarships, academic excellence, campus revitalization, and long-term sustainability—in the context of today’s competitive higher education environment and the philanthropic landscape of North Carolina and beyond.
Essential Job Functions Annual Giving Leadership
Develop and implement a strategic, data-informed annual giving plan that increases participation, donor retention, and total giving year-over-year.
Manage and execute multi-channel campaigns including direct mail, digital, text-to-give, social media, phonathons, crowdfunding, and Giving Tuesday initiatives.
Lead efforts to expand faculty/staff, parent, and student philanthropy programs.
Partner with Communications and Marketing to craft compelling donor messages that highlight the impact of giving on Bennett’s students, programs, and mission.
Regularly analyze giving trends and produce reports on donor participation, retention, acquisition, and ROI of campaigns.
Build and sustain meaningful connections with alumnae through events, regional networks, class year giving challenges, and digital engagement.
Collaborate with the Office of Alumnae Engagement to encourage lifelong support of the College.
Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts that set the stage including planned giving.
Coordinate with Director of Major Gifts on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
Work closely with Advancement Services to ensure accurate data integrity and reporting.
Partner with Major Gifts to ensure seamless donor experiences across the giving pipeline.
Serve as a visible ambassador of Bennett College in the local and statewide community, building partnerships that advance annual fundraising goals.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong ability to articulate the mission, vision, and impact of Bennett College to diverse audiences.
Skilled in designing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive fundraising programs.
Proven capacity to analyze data and apply metrics to improve donor acquisition, retention, and engagement.
Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and motivate donors, alumnae, volunteers, and colleagues.
Proficiency in CRM (Raiser’s Edge preferred) and donor database platforms; comfort with Microsoft Office Suite and emerging fundraising technologies.
High ethical standards of conduct, discretion, and confidentiality in handling donor and institutional information.
Ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, meeting deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
Demonstrated creativity in leveraging digital tools, social media, and storytelling to strengthen philanthropy.
Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings/weekends to support key events and donor engagement opportunities.
Education and Experience Required:
Minimum 3–5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, annual giving, donor relations, sales, or nonprofit management.
Proven success in planning and executing multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with a talent for storytelling.
Commitment to confidentiality, high ethical standards, and the mission of Bennett College.
Preferred
Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
Familiarity with donor databases/CRM platforms (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Talisma, or similar).
Demonstrated ability to analyze giving data and apply metrics to strategy.
Creative, tech-savvy, and comfortable leveraging social media, digital tools, and emerging fundraising platforms.
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