University of Kentucky
College Philanthropy Director Assistant
🇺🇸 Lexington, KY
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $52K - $86K
💻 Development & Advancement
🗓️ November 4th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
University of Kentucky is hiring a College Philanthropy Director Assistant. The role leads philanthropy activities within the College of Nursing, focusing on major gift fundraising from donors with a giving capacity of $25,000 or more. The position involves identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors, advising the Dean, managing philanthropy staff and volunteer councils, and collaborating with college leaders on fundraising initiatives.
Highlights
- Lead overall philanthropy activities within the College of Nursing, specializing in major gift fundraising.
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift donors and prospects.
- Advise the Dean as a member of the senior leadership team regarding philanthropy efforts.
- Manage volunteer philanthropy leadership council and supervise philanthropy staff with mentoring and strategic planning.
- Collaborate with associate deans, administration, faculty, and staff on philanthropic initiatives.
- Requires a bachelor's degree and at least five years of professional fundraising experience, including major gift officer experience and two years managing fundraising staff.
- Strong leadership, relationship building, marketing, philanthropic messaging, and persuasive writing skills preferred.
- Experience with planned giving and charitable gift arrangements is desirable.
- Salary range: $52,021 - $85,800 per year.
- Position involves travel for donor visits and requires lifting up to 25 pounds.
College Philanthropy Director Assistant Full Description
College Philanthropy Director Assistant
Posting Details
Posting Details
Job Title | College Philanthropy Director Assistant
Requisition Number | RE52161
Working Title | Director of Philanthropy - Nursing
Department Name | 14000:Office Of Development
Work Location | Lexington, KY
Grade Level | 46
Salary Range | $52,021-85,800/year
Type of Position | Staff
Position Time Status | Full-Time
Required Education | BA
Click here for more information about equivalencies: | https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies
Required Related Experience | 5 yrs
Required License/Registration/Certification | None
Physical Requirements | Long periods of sitting and/or standing. Travel required through out the state and U.S. for donor visits. Lifting, pushing and/or pulling of objects up to 25 pounds.
Shift | Monday – Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. primarily; and some evenings and/or weekends as required.
Job Summary | Managed jointly by the UK Philanthropy Office and the College of Nursing, the Philanthropy Director Assistant (Director of Philanthropy) is responsible for the overall leadership of philanthropy activities within the College of Nursing. With a primary focus on major gift fundraising at high giving levels, the incumbent will engage in progressively more sophisticated philanthropic giving conversations with major gift donors and prospects of greater capacity. The selected applicant will be responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift donors and prospects with a giving capacity of $25,000 or more. This position will be a member of the Dean’s senior leadership team and provide counsel to the Dean regarding philanthropy activities. They must be an active participant in all philanthropic activities of the College of Nursing, and connect with associate deans, college administration, department heads, faculty, and staff on philanthropic initiatives in their respective units. This position will manage the volunteer philanthropy leadership council, and may supervise and manage other philanthropy staff in the college, providing mentorship, guidance, fundraising strategy (including prospect strategies and next steps), and ensuring that they are meeting their portfolio, visit, proposal, and yield metrics.
The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT– Collaboration, Communication, Mutual Respect, Mission Driven, Innovation and Transparency.
By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team!
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
The ideal candidate will be a strong, collaborative leader with a proven record of success in building and sustaining relationships that foster major gift giving. This position requires an individual who understands person-to-person relationships and has the ability to convincingly articulate the vision and priorities of the College and University and match them to the interests of prospective donors. Familiarity with planned giving, charitable gift arrangements as well as demonstrated experience in marketing, philanthropic messaging and persuasive writing is also desirable. This person will have experience managing and developing a fundraising team in the environment in which accountability-based metrics are used as benchmarks for performance.
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? | Yes
Preferred Education/Experience | Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five years of professional fund raising experience, including experience as a major gift officer, expertise in planned giving, a demonstrated record of success and a minimum of 2 years in successful management of fundraising work plan and staff. Experience at a Land-grant, or similar higher education institution and an understanding of the Land-grant mission is preferred.
Deadline to Apply | 11/30/2025
Our University Community | We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.
Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.
Requisition Number | RE52161
Working Title | Director of Philanthropy - Nursing
Department Name | 14000:Office Of Development
Work Location | Lexington, KY
Grade Level | 46
Salary Range | $52,021-85,800/year
Type of Position | Staff
Position Time Status | Full-Time
Required Education | BA
Click here for more information about equivalencies: | https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies
Required Related Experience | 5 yrs
Required License/Registration/Certification | None
Physical Requirements | Long periods of sitting and/or standing. Travel required through out the state and U.S. for donor visits. Lifting, pushing and/or pulling of objects up to 25 pounds.
Shift | Monday – Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. primarily; and some evenings and/or weekends as required.
Job Summary | Managed jointly by the UK Philanthropy Office and the College of Nursing, the Philanthropy Director Assistant (Director of Philanthropy) is responsible for the overall leadership of philanthropy activities within the College of Nursing. With a primary focus on major gift fundraising at high giving levels, the incumbent will engage in progressively more sophisticated philanthropic giving conversations with major gift donors and prospects of greater capacity. The selected applicant will be responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift donors and prospects with a giving capacity of $25,000 or more. This position will be a member of the Dean’s senior leadership team and provide counsel to the Dean regarding philanthropy activities. They must be an active participant in all philanthropic activities of the College of Nursing, and connect with associate deans, college administration, department heads, faculty, and staff on philanthropic initiatives in their respective units. This position will manage the volunteer philanthropy leadership council, and may supervise and manage other philanthropy staff in the college, providing mentorship, guidance, fundraising strategy (including prospect strategies and next steps), and ensuring that they are meeting their portfolio, visit, proposal, and yield metrics.
The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT– Collaboration, Communication, Mutual Respect, Mission Driven, Innovation and Transparency.
By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team!
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
The ideal candidate will be a strong, collaborative leader with a proven record of success in building and sustaining relationships that foster major gift giving. This position requires an individual who understands person-to-person relationships and has the ability to convincingly articulate the vision and priorities of the College and University and match them to the interests of prospective donors. Familiarity with planned giving, charitable gift arrangements as well as demonstrated experience in marketing, philanthropic messaging and persuasive writing is also desirable. This person will have experience managing and developing a fundraising team in the environment in which accountability-based metrics are used as benchmarks for performance.
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? | Yes
Preferred Education/Experience | Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five years of professional fund raising experience, including experience as a major gift officer, expertise in planned giving, a demonstrated record of success and a minimum of 2 years in successful management of fundraising work plan and staff. Experience at a Land-grant, or similar higher education institution and an understanding of the Land-grant mission is preferred.
Deadline to Apply | 11/30/2025
Our University Community | We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.
Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.
Posting Specific Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * How many years of paid work experience do you have developing and managing a portfolio of client or major gift prospects (individual donors, not grants)?
- None
- More than 0, up through 1 year
- More than 1 year, up through 3 years
- More than 3 years, up through 5 years
- More than 5 years
- * What would you deem to be the best practice for engaging donors?
(Open Ended Question) - * The Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) recognizes a set of values that guide us in our daily interactions. These values are collaboration, communication, mission driven, mutual respect, innovation and transparency. Please choose one of the PAE values and give a specific example when you exhibited this quality in your professional experience.
(Open Ended Question)
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Optional Documents
805 Las Cimas Parkway Suite 400 Austin, Texas, 78746
- © University of Kentucky
- Lexington, Kentucky 40506
- An Equal Opportunity University
- Accreditation
- Directory
- Privacy Policy
Similar Jobs
Senior Associate Director of Development | Regional Advancement - New York
Emory University
🇺🇸 Hybrid - New York, NY
Senior Director of Digital Engagement
University of Massachusetts
🇺🇸 Boston, MA
Major Gift Officer, College of Engineering
Villanova University
🇺🇸 Villanova, PA
Senior Director of Annual Fund
University of North Carolina - Charlotte
🇺🇸 Charlotte, NC
Director of Philanthropy
North Carolina State University
🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC
