Gift Planning Director I

Posting Context Statement

The Director of Development, Gift Planning I position reports to the Senior Director of Gift Planning within the University of Idaho Foundation. It is one of two Directors. The primary focus of the position is to develop and cultivate relationships with alumni and friends of the University of Idaho for the purpose of obtaining financial support for the university's priority goals and mission.

Position Overview

This position is responsible for developing, implementing and managing comprehensive estate planning strategies to maximize charitable contributions and support for the university's mission. The incumbent will work with a team to foster relationships with alumni, donors and stakeholders to secure planned gifts, manage trusts and facilitate estate planning and administration services. They will collaborate with university leadership, advancement staff, legal counsel and financial advisors to cultivate a culture of philanthropy and achieve fundraising objectives. This position will focus on securing planned gifts with a value of $25,000 or more.

Duties may include:

• Develop and execute strategic plans for estate, trust and gift planning initiatives aligned with the university's fundraising priorities and long-term goals
• Identify, cultivate and solicit prospective donors interested in making planned gifts to support the university
• Provide personalized stewardship to existing donors to ensure ongoing engagement and philanthropic support
• Collaborate with university leadership, development officers, academic departments and other stakeholders to integrate estate planning opportunities into fundraising campaigns and initiatives
• Utilize data analytics and reporting tools to track and analyze planned giving metrics, donor trends and campaign progress
• Other duties as assigned

Positions at this level typically manage a portfolio of 100 or more major and planned gift prospects and donors. They are expected to make at least 100 strategic moves and 20 solicitations of $25,000 or more. Each year, they are expected to have raised at least $1,500,000.

Required Experience

• Four years of major gift fundraising or related work such as high-level sales, financial planning, estate planning law practice, marketing or constituent-based outreach
• Establishing and maintaining working relationships with stakeholders

Required Education

• Bachelor's Degree

Required Other

• Must be able to work nonstandard hours and weekends to meet business needs
• Must be able to travel regularly
• Possess a valid driver's license and be able to meet policy requirements for driving university-owned vehicles

Additional Preferred

• A Bachelor's or advanced degree or professional certification related to estate and/or financial planning such as a CPA, CFP, J.D., AB, LLM, MBA, CSPG or AEP
• One or more years of experience in the field of gift planning
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• A demonstrated working knowledge of complex gift issues
• Ability to analyze and interpret information, make decisions, and organize and carry out complex tasks with minimum supervision
• Experience recruiting, organizing and managing volunteers
• Public relations or marketing experience, preferably related to fundraising
• Familiarity with database computer systems and microcomputer applications, preferably with customer relationship management systems

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• None

Degree Requirement: Listed degree qualification is required at time of hire
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employee Category: Exempt
Pay Range: $90,000 annually or higher, commensurate with experience
Type of Appointment: Fiscal Year
FTE: 1
Full Time/Part Time: Full Time
Funding:
A visa sponsorship is available for the position listed in this vacancy: No
Posting Date: 09/10/2026
Closing Date:
Open Until Filled: Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

This position is not offering Visa sponsorship. To receive first consideration, please submit a letter of qualification and current resume no later than October 10th.

In your letter of qualifications (human-resources-letter-of-qualification-template.docx) using details and examples, please address all of the required and preferred qualifications for this position and how your experience and skills align.

If you would like to see the full job description, please contact Christy Day at cday@uidaho.edu.

Background Check Statement

Applicants who are selected as final possible candidates must be able to pass a criminal background check.

To apply, visit https://uidaho.peopleadmin.com/postings/52709

The University of Idaho is an equal employment opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.