Clark University is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Principal Giving Officer (PGO) to join its Advancement team. This key role will focus on soliciting major gifts at the principal giving level ($500,000 and above) with special focus on parents, non-alumni, and corporations. The PGO will play a pivotal role in the upcoming fundraising campaign and in advancing Clark University's fundraising efforts and driving philanthropic support for its mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure principal-level gifts ($500,000+) with special focus on parents, non-alumni, and corporations, aligning with the university's strategic framework.
• Identify and prioritize prospective donors through research, engagement, and collaboration with colleagues in the Advancement team, leveraging both internal and external resources.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with potential donors, managing a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, and parents interested in supporting Clark.
• Build strong relationships with university leadership, faculty, and staff to effectively articulate Clark University's vision, funding needs, and impact to potential donors.
• Develop customized strategies for each prospective donor, tailoring solicitations plans and proposals to align with their philanthropic interests and financial capacity.
• Collaborate with other colleagues within university advancement and across Clark to ensure integrated cultivation and solicitation strategies for key constituents.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership and participate in the development of fundraising campaigns, initiatives, and events targeting principal-level giving.
• Utilize a donor management system to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of donor interactions, gift proposals, and progress towards fundraising goals.
• Attend university events, conferences, and networking opportunities to represent Clark University and establish relationships with prospective donors.
• Stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging strategies in principal giving and philanthropy to enhance fundraising effectiveness.
• Regular travel to meet with donors and prospective donors.

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated success in fundraising, preferably in a higher education or nonprofit setting, with a focus on securing principal-level gifts.
• Proven track record of soliciting and closing gifts of $500,000 or more from individuals and/or corporations.
• Strong understanding of best practices in major gift fundraising, including cultivation, stewardship, and gift strategies for principal-level donors.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage, inspire, and build relationships with diverse stakeholders, including high-net-worth individuals and corporate executives.
• Strategic thinker with exceptional organizational skills, capable of managing a portfolio of prospects and balancing competing priorities effectively.
• Collaborative team player who can work effectively with colleagues, volunteers, and senior leadership to achieve fundraising goals.
• Passion for and commitment to the mission and values of Clark University.

As of June 1, 2023 Clark University no longer requires employees or students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, Clark urges all community members to follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination, which recommend that everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines including booster doses. This is important for your own personal health as well as the health of our community.

Clark University embraces equal opportunity as a core value: we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community. This commitment applies to every aspect of education, services, and employment policies and practices at Clark. Our commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. All positions at Clark share in the responsibility for building a community that values diversity and the uniqueness of others by exhibiting integrity and respect in interacting with all members of the Clark community to create an atmosphere of fairness and belonging. We strongly encourage members from historically underrepresented communities, inclusive of all women, to apply.

Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here.

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About Clark University

Founded in 1887, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university committed toscholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global basis. It is the place where Robert Goddard invented the modern rocket, where Sigmund Freud delivered his only lectures in the United States, and where current students stake their claim to the Clark motto, “Challenge Convention, Change Our World,” which is the rallying cry that inspires our community every day. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University educates its undergraduate and graduate students to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world, and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. The University’s engages students in such areas as biology, chemistry, economics, geography, psychology, urban education, management, environmental science and policy, Holocaust and genocide studies, and international development and social change. Clark University’s pioneering model of higher education, LEEP (Liberation Education and Effective Practice) compels undergraduate students to thrive in authentic world and workplace settings, and prepares them for lives and careers of consequence.

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