Coordinator, Philanthropy & Alumni Relations

The Coordinator, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations provides program implementation and coordination support to the philanthropy and alumni relations programs at Douglas College Foundation. The Coordinator participates in on-going fundraising, stewardship, alumni events and programming and supports the development and implementation of new unit initiatives that advance the Foundation’s priorities and strategic plans.

Work Arrangements:

This regular full-time (35 hours per week) position is available starting December 16, 2024. Regular hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30 am – pm. Shift days and times may change depending on the Department’s need. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required. The position is located at the Coquitlam campus; however, successful candidate must be available for occasional work at the New Westminster Campus. Douglas College is committed to supporting a healthy work/life balance for employees. A modified/flexible schedule and/or hybrid work from home arrangement may be considered, subject to the terms of the College’s Work From Home Policy.

What Douglas Offers:

DO what you love. Be good at it. That’s how Douglas College defines a great career. It’s a philosophy that resonates through our classrooms, our offices and our boardrooms. It inspires our students and drives us to make Douglas College one of BC’s Top Employers. We love what we do. And we’re looking for passionate, motivated people to join us in making one of Canada’s best colleges even better.

The Role:

Reporting to the Associate Director, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations or the Manager, Philanthropy & Alumni Relations, the Coordinator, Philanthropy and Alumni Relations provides program implementation and coordination support to the philanthropy and alumni relations programs at Douglas College Foundation. The Coordinator participates in on-going fundraising, stewardship, alumni events and programming and supports the development and implementation of new unit initiatives that advance the Foundation’s priorities and strategic plans.

Responsibilities:

1. Coordinates fundraising and alumni relations program development by:
   • Identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding a portfolio of prospects/donors and alumni for the Foundation that aligns with institutional priorities (with emphasis on student support);
   • Implementing donor and alumni recognition, acknowledgment and stewardship programs;
   • Processing donor gifts, invoices, pledges, receipts, and gift agreements;
   • Participating in on-going fundraising cultivation and stewardship planning and practice with donors and alumni
   • Cultivating donors and alumni through relationship management/moves management and tracks these in Raiser’s Edge NXT database;
   • Tracking progress through dashboards and generates reports on activity as required;
   • Identifying and implementing opportunities for collaboration with other departments across the College;
   • Effectively integrates institutional priorities and messaging into alumni and donor communications and activities;
   • Coordinating the application and adjudication of Alumni Awards, including presentations at Graduation/Convocation, media recognition and other recognition at Douglas College;
   • Represents Douglas College at alumni/community events and activities and is responsible for interaction with respected community members to enhance the positive image of Douglas College with alumni and the community at large;
   • Assists with coordinating the business relationships and affinity and benefit programs of the alumni relations office;
   • Assists with achieving fundraising targets through alumni events and affinity programs;
   • Assists the FAR leadership team in coordinating and administering multi-year contracts for Affinity partnerships that mutually benefit the College and the affinity partners; and
   • In collaboration with the Philanthropy team, identifies alumni with potential to support the College.
2. Coordinates and implements philanthropy and alumni relations program activities by:
   • Utilizing networking, search engines and public sources to identify and research potential donor and alumni prospects for engagement;
   • Participating in department strategy sessions and meetings;
   • Assisting Director and/or Associate Director in identifying emerging opportunities for philanthropic support and alumni engagement;
   • Preparing donor and alumni briefing notes, plans and reports for the FAR leadership team;
   • Developing plans for approach of prospects, and preparing subsequent updates based on outcome of meetings;
   • Supporting the planning and delivery of special events/strategic initiatives for both donors and alumni;
   • Coordinating an annual “Day of Giving” and/or crowdfunding campaigns with alumni and donors; and
   • Developing evaluation criteria/key performance measures for alumni and student programs and services; analyzes statistical information, documents and reports results, integrates suggestions and improvements into programs and services.
3. Coordinates administration activities by:
   • Keeping abreast of current fundraising and alumni engagement practice, relevant legislation and resources through educational seminars, training programs and active membership in professional organizations (e.g. CASE, CCAE, AFP, CAGP) and sources such as Imagine Canada, Charity Village, etc.;
   • Monitoring and maintaining fundraising and alumni engagement program budgets;
   • Responding to donor and alumni inquires and complaints;
   • Organizing and facilitating meetings, conferences, and other special events, for donor and alumni cultivation and stewardship including:
     • Liaising with Faculties;
     • Liaising with Facilities;
     • Recruitment of donors, sponsors, alumni, volunteers and attendees;
     • Coordinating the venue;
     • Managing the budget and ensuring appropriate cash management processes are in place;
     • Working in collaboration with the FAR’s leadership team and with the Coordinator, Marketing to produce promotional materials; and
     • Communicating with participants before, during and after events.
4. Coordinates the marketing and communications activities by:
   • Assisting the Alumni communications strategy (in collaboration with the Communications Officer) including the Alumni website, newsletter, eblasts, social media, as well as other avenues to promote student and alumni programs.
   • Working with support from the Communications Officer to prepare and distribute a published e-newsletter, which chronicles new benefits, alumni stories, new developments, upcoming events, institutional accomplishments, and other items of general interest to the alumni community;
   • Working with the Communications Officer to maintain the Alumni website on the College’s web platform. Responsible for assisting with the creation of new pages, sourcing photos, and creating content that is meaningful for alumni and expands community knowledge about what Alumni Relations does. Responsible for keeping information, content and photos current;
   • Monitoring the alumni merchandise inventory;
   • Working with the Communications Officer to develop and produce Alumni Relations promotional and informational materials;
   • Working with Communications Officer to connect with local media and community partners for Alumni Relations events that promote Alumni awareness and engagement; and
   • Participating in student orientation events at both campuses.
5. Performs other related duties.
   • Liaises with other college departments on developing and implementing programs to keep alumni actively engaged and informed with the College;
   • Participates in Foundation events and/or strategic initiatives at both campuses; and
   • Performs other duties as assigned.

To Be Successful in this Role You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Business Administration and/or completion of two or more Fundamentals of Fundraising courses (AFP or other accredited post-secondary institution) plus two years of related experience (fundraising preferred). An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered;
• Proven ability to manage essential components of an integrated development plan;
• Demonstrated success in securing gifts in the $5,000-$25,000 range;
• Proven ability to develop and sustain relationships with current and prospective donors and volunteers through a moves management cycle, which converts to a gift by the prospect to the organization;
• Basic understanding of a philanthropy program in an academic setting and how an alumni program integrates into it;
• Demonstrated success planning individual and group solicitation strategies to secure philanthropic gifts;
• Experience in working with and securing Affinity partnerships or business development;
• Experience managing, executing and evaluating communication strategy that effectively integrate institutional priorities and messaging into Alumni communications and activities;
• Basic experience preparing and distributing electronic marketing materials including managing webpages and its content;
• Basic understanding of volunteer engagement and experience managing volunteers;
• Demonstrated ability to deal with sensitive situations and personal and confidential information with diplomacy, tact and professionalism;
• Demonstrated success in event coordination and implementation, including putting together event briefs and logistical plans;
• Ability to work collaboratively and courteously with colleagues throughout the College, donors, alumni, volunteers, other constituents and the public;
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills; an appreciation for diversity and adaptability to different groups and cultures;
• Excellent communication skills including verbal, written and presentation;
• Flexibility, initiative, and a collaborative problem-solving approach;
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • develop content for a wide variety of audiences.
  • set priorities and be creative in an environment where resources are limited.
  • work independently and thrive in a team environment to achieve goals.
  • plan, organize, complete multiple tasks simultaneously while paying close attention to detail and prioritize to meet deadlines;
• Intermediate to Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.);
• Advanced technology skills to maximize organizational goals, such as social media channels;
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or NXT database or another Alumni/Development system an asset.
• High degree of professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information, including a shared donor database;
• Experience working with budgets and spreadsheets; and
• Ability to travel between campuses and work evenings and weekends as needed.

Equity Statement:

Douglas College is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable learning and working environment. In support of this journey, we welcome all people to apply, including people from groups that are experiencing inequity, including, but not limited, to Indigenous Peoples, racialized or persons of colour, persons with mental or physical disabilities, persons who identify as women, and/or persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and persons of all faith identities, age, marital status, and parental status.