Further Particulars: Annual Fund Officer

LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD

FURTHER PARTICULARS: ANNUAL FUND OFFICER

Job Title: / Annual Fund Officer
Department: / Development Office
Responsible to: / The Development Director
Job Purpose: / To help to raise philanthropic funds in support of the College’s educational and research objectives, with particular responsibility for managing the College’s Annual Appeal campaigns via direct mail, telephone, and face-to-face visits.

Lincoln College invites applications for the full-time post of Annual Fund Officer, available from May 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter. The postholder will be responsible for leading the College’s Annual Appeal, and will assist the Development Director in planning other campaigns including an ongoing drive for bequests. The Annual Fund Officer will be located in the Development Office, in a small, friendly and busy team of five who handle the College’s well-established development and alumni relations function.

Background information on the College and Development Office

Lincoln College was founded in 1427 in the University of Oxford and is a self-governing institution in which the ultimate authority for all decisions rests with the Rector and Fellows. Lincoln has 600 students in residence, of whom around half are graduates. The College is also a popular choice for both undergraduates and graduate applicants to the University. Lincoln College is located on an attractive historic site in the centre of Oxford, with excellent access to university libraries and the university’s departments and faculty buildings. More information on the College can be found on its website,

The Development Office is responsible for the College’s alumni relations programme and for fundraising in support of the College’s educational and research objectives. The office, which is situated in the heart of the College, consists of the Development Director, who is a Fellow of the College, a Campaign Officer with specific responsibility for major gift fundraising, an Annual Fund Officer (duties outlined below), an Alumni Relations Officer who is responsible for publications and communications with alumni, and a Development Assistant who is responsible for office and events administration including gift processing and database updates. The Development Office reports to the Governing Body of the College via the Rector.

Job Description: Annual Fund Officer

Duties and Accountabilities

Annual Fund

To manage the College’s Annual Appeal fundraising programmes, including telephone appeals, direct marketing, and face-to-face leadership gifts.
To plan and manage an annual telephone appeal (or appeals), whether in-house or using external consultants, including recruiting callers, conducting training, organising calling rooms, supervising calling sessions and supervising follow-up and fulfilment.
To use the College’s database and other resources to analyse prospect lists and to determine the most appropriate approach for potential donors; to undertake other activities as needed for solicitation including prospect research.
To produce direct mail materials such as fundraising brochures, appeal letters, and other relevant documentation, liaising as necessary with the Alumni and Communication Officer, designers and printers.
To undertake regular direct mailings to selected groups of prospects, whether as part of the Annual Appeal or other campaign, liaising as necessary with mailing and fulfilment houses, or managing the process in-house.
To identify prospects for the Leadership Annual Fund (LAF) campaign, plan solicitation strategies for these individuals, and make personal solicitation visits where appropriate; to manage the Rotherham Circle, the College’s stewardship society for LAF donors.
To manage, in collaboration with the Development Assistant, the efficient administration of gift processing and acknowledgement for all Annual Appeal donors, including statements of donations for tax purposes.
To track outstanding annual appeal pledges, and monitor pledge payment activity and reminders; to produce a range of reports from Raisers Edge for strategic planning and accountability purposes.
To maintain full awareness of and to act in accordance with legislation concerning philanthropic gifts, particularly in relation to tax-efficient giving, both in the UK and overseas.
To promote the College’s programme of legacy giving, the Murray Society, through regular mailing pieces and promotions in College publications; to manage, with the Development Assistant, the College’s stewardship of legacy donors through the dedicated events programme for this society, and to attend meetings of the Murray Society’s Steering Committee.
As part of the ongoing stewardship of donors, the postholder will be expected to attend a number of events, including committee meetings, dinners, and other events, on some evenings and weekends.
To work with alumni volunteers to coordinate appeals to peers/classmates, and to encourage the continued engagement of younger alumni with each other and with the College.
To provide support to the Development Director, in particular with respect to the College’s Development Committee of Alumni members; this involves attendance and minute-taking at up to four committee meetings per year.

Person specification

Knowledge and Abilities - Essential

Educated to degree level, or with extensive relevant experience
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Experience of fundraising or a similar role, such as alumni relations or marketing, ideally within a higher education environment.
An understanding of the issues facing higher education in general, and Oxford University and its colleges in particular.
Experience in handling confidential information together with the ability to use tact and diplomacy when called for.
A confident and friendly approach, and the ability to build relationships with people at all levels, both internally (Fellows, staff and students) and externally (Alumni, parents and friends).
The capability to represent the College externally in a variety of situations.
An ability to work calmly under pressure, to manage several projects at any one time, to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines.
Strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail.
Excellent IT skills appropriate to a Windows-based office, including word-processing, manipulating spreadsheets, handling databases (the office uses Raiser’s Edge software) and preparedness to learn new applications as required.
The ability to work independently and flexibly as a member of a small team.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how their experience equips them to meet these requirements.

Terms and Conditions

Appointment: / The post is to be filled from 1 May 2012, or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment will be conditional on verification of the successful candidate's availability for employment in this country. The initial period of appointment is probationary, for six months.
Salary: / Equivalent to Grade 6 of the Oxford University Pay Scale, currently £26,004 to £31,020 per annum, depending on experience.
Pension rights: / Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS)
Meals: / Free lunch is provided in College when on duty
Hours of working: / Full time. Standard office hours are 9am to 5:15 pm each day (36.25 hour week)
Annual leave entitlement: / The postholder will be entitled to six weeks paid leave in each year on the basis of one week at Christmas and the remainder to be taken at such time or times as shall be mutually convenient, and agreed in advance with the Development Director. There are specific periods during the year when the presence of the Development Officer is essential, notably during the Annual Appeal telephone campaign. In addition there may be occasions when the postholder will be required to work on certain Saturdays and evenings to cover events, for which days in lieu will be given.
Notice period: / During the initial probationary period, notice will be one week on either side. Subsequent to satisfactory review and confirmation in the post the notice period will be one month on either side.

Application process

1 Prospective candidates should complete an Application Form (available on the website) and send this, together with an up to date CV and a thoughtfully-written covering letter of no more than 150 words stating how their skills, experiences and interests equip them to undertake this role and send this to the Bursar’s Secretary, Lincoln College, Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DR by 12 noon on Monday 23rd April 2012.

2 This post is subject to recruitment monitoring to ensure that the selection process is consistent with the law and the College’s Equal Opportunity Policy and Code of Practice; to this end, applicants are asked to complete a Recruitment Monitoring Form, which is available on the website. This should be returned with your application, but should be placed in a separate sealed envelope addressed to the Human Resources Manager. The information supplied on the form will play NO part in the selection process, and will NOT be seen by any member of the selection panel.

It is hoped that interviews will be held at Lincoln College in the week commencing 30th April 2012.

Data Protection. All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Other Information

The successful candidate will be required to complete a confidential medical questionnaire which will be forwarded to our Occupational Health Department who will assess their fitness to perform this role

Lincoln College is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Conduct against fellow employees and College members which is offensive, or detrimental to them on grounds of age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, nationality, national origin, parental status, race, religion or belief, gender, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated.

Any enquiries related to these Further Particulars should be directed in the first instance to the Development Director, Ms Susan Harrison. ,