Further Particulars
Development Officer
£22k - £32k per annum
Lady Margaret Hall, a college of the University of Oxford, was founded in 1879 with a dual passion for learning and for equality, making it possible for the first time for women to study at Oxford. Today, the College continues to draw inspiration from this great foundation vision. It is now a co-educational academic community of 400 undergraduate and 180 postgraduate students, committed to research and scholarship and to effective, highly personalised teaching and learning for students from all backgrounds.
Development Office
LMH has had a dedicated Development Office since 1995, working to strengthen and develop the relationship with its 8,000 alumni. There is a full and varied programme of events and publications through which former students are kept up to date with life at LMH today. Fundraising from alumni is a key function of the office and, since its establishment almost 20 years ago, more than £25 million has been raised for projects including student bursaries, the fellowship and, most recently, a transformational building project. We do this in support of the College’s mission to benefit current students, alumni, and the College community, providing resources for the effective day-to-day running and long term future of the College.
In addition to developing its next fundraising strategy, the College now wants to take its Annual Fund, regular giving and legacy giving to the next level by developing a three-year Annual Fund Strategy and rolling Annual Fund plan. Since the Annual Fund was introduced in 2010, the amount given by alumni has increased each year to approximately £600k per year. The Development Officer’s role will be to identify and determine the most appropriate approach for potential donors and be responsible for direct marketing, year group giving, the planning, management and potential expansion of the annual telephone campaign and, in time, face-to-face leadership fundraising.
There are currently 5 full-time members of the Development Team, led by the Development Director – the Deputy Development Director, Alumni Relations Officer, Database Officer and Development Assistant.
Main Purpose of Job:
To plan, implement and manage the Annual Fund fundraising programmes for the College and be involved with and support other college fundraising initiatives as required.
Relationships:
1. Reporting to : Deputy Director of Development
2. Working with: Development team members, support staff in all functional areas of the College, Alumni, Fellows and students
Roles and Responsibilities:
· Develop, with input from the Deputy Development Director, a three-year Annual Fund Strategy and rolling Annual Fund plan.
· Manage the College’s Annual Fund fundraising programmes, including telephone campaigns, direct marketing, year group giving and, in due course, face-to-face leadership gifts.
· Be responsible for the planning, managing and potential expansion of the annual telephone campaign.
· Use the Development and Alumni Relations System (DARS) and other resources to analyse prospect lists and determine the most appropriate approach for potential donors; undertake other activities as needed for solicitation including appropriate prospect research.
· Produce direct mail materials such as fundraising brochures, appeal letters, and other relevant documentation, liaising as necessary with other members, designers and printers.
· Undertake regular direct mailings to selected groups of prospects, whether as part of the Annual Fund or other campaign, liaising as necessary with designers, printers, mailing and fulfilment houses, or managing the process in-house.
· Identify prospects for the high-level Annual Fund gifts and plan solicitation strategies for these individuals.
· Organise and manage, in collaboration with other members of the team, a number of events for donors and prospects.
· Manage, in collaboration with the Development Assistant, the efficient administration of gift processing and acknowledgement for all donations.
· Track outstanding annual appeal pledges, and monitor pledge payment activity and reminders; produce a range of reports from DARS for strategic planning and accountability purposes.
· Work with the Deputy Development Director to reinvigorate the College’s programme of legacy giving through regular mailing pieces and promotions in LMH publications.
· Manage, in collaboration with other members of the team, the stewardship of College donors, including those who have left a legacy to LMH.
· Maintain full awareness of, and act in accordance with, legislation concerning philanthropic gifts, particularly in relation to data protection and tax-efficient giving, both in the UK and overseas.
· As part of ongoing relationship development, the post holder will be expected to attend a number of events, including committee meetings, dinners, and other events, on some evenings and weekends. Time off in lieu will be given.
Person Specification
What we are looking for in your application and at interview:
· You have experience in a fundraising, supporter engagement or marketing role.
· You are great with people and inspire confidence in those you interact with.
· You are creative and your written English is excellent.
· You have written engaging copy for print and online.
· When you are confronted with a problem you enjoy looking for and implementing solutions.
· You are proactive and adapt well to changing circumstances, taking the initiative where necessary but also knowing when to check things with other members of the team.
· Your work is accurate and you pay attention to the details.
· You are inquisitive and have a desire and ability work with systems and procedures and also to improve them.
· You are able to manage a number of tasks at the same time and not miss the deadline for any of them.
· You have huge amounts of common sense and work logically and methodically.
· You are able to work well on your own but also really enjoy being part of a team.
· You are able and willing to become an expert in our database (DARS) or, you are already an expert.
· You are aware of fundraising best practice and data protection regulations.
· You are really good with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and publisher (or other equivalent packages).
· You understand and believe in the value of higher education and the issues that face the sector and the University of Oxford in particular.
Terms and Conditions
The salary will be £22,000 - £32,000 per annum, depending on experience, for a 37.5 hour week. Benefits of working for the College include 35 days holiday (including bank holidays), the option to join a University pension scheme and one free meal whilst on duty and the kitchens are open, when the kitchens are closed a meal allowance will be paid.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.
To apply for this position,please complete an application form and equal opportunities monitoring form, available from http://www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/about-lmh/jobs and send this by email to , or post to the HR Office, LMH, Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6QA.
A principal aim of this College’s Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that in the recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, development and promotion of employees, the only consideration must be that the individual best meets, or is likely to meet, the requirements of the programme or course or post.
Lady Margaret Hall is committed to provide a learning, working and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members are respected, and which is free from prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment, including bullying. We seek to ensure that no-one suffers, either directly or indirectly, as a result of discrimination.
Lady Margaret Hall has a range of family friendly policies.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 11 September 2017.
HR Office
August 2017