Gift Planning Executive Director

Position Highlights The Gift Planning Executive Director leads the strategy, growth, and execution of RIT’s comprehensive planned and deferred giving program, advancing significant philanthropic investment in support of university priorities. As RIT’s senior subject-matter expert in charitable gift planning, the Executive Director sets program direction, and partners with university and advancement leadership to identify and advance sophisticated gift opportunities.   The Executive Director personally manages a portfolio of high-capacity prospects and donors, developing and executing strategies that result in significant outright, blended, estate, and other complex planned gifts. Working directly with donors and their professional advisors, the Executive Director structures and negotiates charitable arrangements while leading consultation with fundraisers across University Advancement on planned giving strategies and opportunities.   As a senior leader, the Executive Director is accountable for strengthening RIT’s planned giving pipeline and long-term philanthropic support, integrating planned giving across the donor lifecycle, and collaborating with senior leaders, Trustees, volunteers, and colleagues across RIT to advance institutional fundraising priorities. University Advancemen t RIT's University Advancement builds meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations, and other partners whose engagement and philanthropy advance the university's mission. The division is a collaborative, forward-thinking environment that values trust, accountability, innovation, and shared expertise. Advancement professionals have the opportunity to connect supporters with transformative initiatives that fuel student success, groundbreaking research, experiential learning, and programs that shape the future of technology, health sciences, and creative problem-solving. Essential Duties & Responsibilities Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards leadership annual gift and major gift donors and prospects in coordination with faculty, staff, and volunteers Manages a robust portfolio of prospects, creates fundraising strategies, develops relationships with donors, solicits gifts, and coordinates effective donor stewardship Develops an understanding of the educational, research, operational, and financial needs and goals of assigned college Cultivates relationships with alumni, parents, companies, and other friends, and collaborates with the teams in planned giving, principal giving, alumni relations, parent engagement, regional advancement, and corporate and foundation relations to encourage donors to support university initiatives Plans, coordinates, and directs special events for donors and prospects Updates the prospect management database with information related to donor strategies, proposals, contacts, and results Other duties as assigned Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Knowledge of cultivating,…