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Posted: 05-Mar-26
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Type: Full-time
Salary: $150,000.00 to $180,000.00
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Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Development and Campaign Director, the Director of Gift Planning is a senior leadership position responsible for the vision, design, and execution of a comprehensive, multi-million dollar gift planning program. As Wellesley College is currently in the Leadership Phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign, the Director serves as a critical architect of campaign success, building upon a program that generates over $10 million in annual revenue. The Director serves as the College’s primary authority on complex charitable instruments, providing expert technical and strategic guidance to the Vice President, Assistant Vice Presidents, and frontline fundraising teams. This role is a "player-coach" position: the Director manages a high-level portfolio of alumnae and friends to secure transformative 6- and 7-figure "blended" gifts, while simultaneously providing the sophisticated "deal-structuring" support necessary to close the College’s largest leadership-level commitments.
Beyond technical expertise, the Director is a key champion for Wellesley’s mission, responsible for the growth and stewardship of the College’s legacy society and for managing high-level volunteer committees. They must balance deep technical knowledge of tax and estate law with a donor-centric approach to cultivation, ensuring that gift planning is a central, seamless component of Wellesley’s campaign culture.
Primary Position Responsibilities:
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Campaign Strategy & Program Leadership: Leads the Gift Planning program with a focus on maximizing revenue during the Leadership Phase of the campaign. Develops and implements an annual marketing program and sets strategies to increase year-over-year results for planned gifts, gifts in kind, and real estate.
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Portfolio Management & Leadership Solicitations: Manages an individual portfolio of select prospects and donors. Identifies, qualifies, and solicits Wellesley alumnae and parents for significant commitments, with a particular focus on securing 6- and 7-figure blended and planned gifts to meet campaign goals.
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Legacy Society & High-Level Stewardship: Directs the strategy for the College's legacy society, designing high-touch stewardship and impact reporting for campaign donors. Serves as the primary liaison for a Planned Giving Advisory Council or similar leadership-level volunteer groups.
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Internal Consultancy & Blended Gift Strategy: Acts as the lead technical resource for Development staff. Partners with the AVP/Campaign Director and Principal Giving to structure sophisticated "multiple ask" strategies that integrate planned gifts with capital and Wellesley Fund requests.
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Policy, Compliance & Operations: Establishes policies that reflect industry best practices. Serves as a key advisor on the Gift Review Committee, reviewing complex assets (closely held stock, etc.). Oversees relationships with external partners like State Street, BNY Mellon, and PG Calc.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
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Associate Director, Trusts, Legacies, and Estates
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Provides effective leadership, coaching, and recruitment for staff to ensure alignment with campaign priorities.
Basic Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree is required; a relevant advanced degree is helpful.
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Eight to 10 years of experience in planned giving or a related field, with a demonstrated track record of closing complex or blended gifts at the 6- and 7-figure level.
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Deep knowledge of the regulatory and tax framework underpinning a comprehensive gift planning program.
Skills and Abilities:
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A commitment to the mission of Wellesley College—to provide an excellent liberal arts education to women who will make a difference in the world—and a desire to embrace Wellesley’s distinct traditions, values, and vision
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Ability to engage effectively with members of the Board of Trustees and their professional advisors on complex, leadership-level philanthropic strategies
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Advanced proficiency in gift planning software (e.g., PG Calc) and experience utilizing CRM data to drive a campaign-level gift planning pipeline
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Excellent project management skills
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Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, academic environment while managing numerous projects and campaign deadlines simultaneously.
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Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical gift concepts clearly to non-technical staff and donors
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Strategic thinking and analytical skills, including an ability to draw informed conclusions from data
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An ability to adapt to changing circumstances
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Comfort with ambiguity and an ability to pivot
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An innovative and creative temperament
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Excellent interpersonal skills, an ability to work collaboratively, and an orientation toward customer service
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A commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and discretion
Flexibility & Schedule We value a collaborative hybrid environment. You will join us on campus on Wednesdays, plus two additional days of the week that works best for your schedule. While standard hours are 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, this role is critical to our donor relations and prospect interaction, so some flexibility for evening and weekend events will be necessary.
