Make Your Mark in Utah
Boyden is thrilled to partner with Utah State University in Logan, Utah in the search for their Senior Director of Gift Planning. This is an amazing opportunity for a seasoned planned giving professional to have a career defining role building Utah State’s planned giving program in one of the most beautiful states in the country!
Do you love the outdoors and a vibrant arts scene? Logan is a high mountain valley in northern Utah and a nature-lovers paradise with great hiking, biking, fishing, skiing, and golf just minutes from your front door. Logan also has internationally renowned performing arts, great food, and friendly people. For year-round beauty and activities, Logan is a destination!
USU Institutional Overview
Utah State University
Founded in 1888, Utah State University (USU) is a premier land- and space-grant institution located 85 miles north of Salt Lake City in Logan, Utah. The city of Logan is established in the beautiful Cache Valley, surrounded by the Wasatch mountains. Utah State Aggies create transformational impacts through meaningful research, particularly in space, water, land, air, and quality of life questions. As a research-focused institution, USU engages in fields of study the world can’t live without.
With total enrollment equaling 28,063, USU fosters a caring community that elevates the academic experience for all Aggies and prepares students to become global citizens and leaders. USU provides support for all aspects of wellness, such as physical, mental, and even financial resources.
To view USU's fast-facts, click here.
Utah State University's Advancement and Alumni Engagement Team
USU's advancement and alumni engagement team strives to create exceptional gift and engagement experiences for their alumni and donors, be trusted partners in philanthropy and ensure USU's team members have a pinnacle career experience.
Utah State University Gift Planning
To learn more about USU's Gift Planning, click here.
USU Advancement - Strategic Roadmap
This strategic road map outlines three pillars centered around USU's various constituencies that guide how University Advancement strategically invests its time and resources into elevating Utah State University’s mission through philanthropy, engagement and collaboration.
To read more about Advancement's strategic roadmap, click here.
Utah State University and the USU foundation Board have officially launched the Create Your Aggie Campaign. The initiative-driven fundraising campaign focuses on four priorities that are centered around outcomes that accelerate student access and opportunity, elevate the education experience, develop solutions to the world's challenges and build a university of distinction.
The campaign, which reflects USU’s excellence as the state of Utah’s land-grant and space-grant institution, pairs donors’ passions with fundraising goals that promote growth and enhancement initiatives in every area of the university.
"The Utah State University Foundation Board announced they have been selected to receive the John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). AGB and its mission partner TIAA present the Nason Award, established in 1992, to higher education governing boards that demonstrate exceptional leadership and initiative."
To read the full article, click here.
To view Advancement's organizational chart, click here.
USU Foundation Leadership Spotlights
Matt White
Vice President of Advancement
Matt White joined Utah State University in 2018 as the Vice President of Advancement and President of the USU Foundation. He is the chief fundraiser for the university, providing leadership and strategic direction for the university’s philanthropic endeavors. He leads the USU Foundation and provides direction to the USU Alumni Board, ensuring gratifying engagement experiences for USU’s stakeholders. He has worked in the fundraising field for over 20 years serving in various leadership roles. Matt received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Evansville, his master’s and Ph.D. from Saint Louis University in Higher Education and Administration and Public Policy. Matt is married to Christy White, who is a physical therapist specialized in pediatrics and aquatic therapy. They have three children, David, Audrey, and George.
Jon Paulding
Associate Vice President, Central Advancement
Jon has over 29 years of development and non-profit management experience. He has been employed at Utah State University for nineteen years, serving as Major Gifts Officer, Sr. Director of Development, Executive Director, AVP of Corporate and Foundation Engagement and currently as AVP, Central Advancement.
His current role involves managing the Central Advancement Team including Gift Planning, Annual Fund, Corporate and Foundation Engagement and the University-Wide development officer team. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, he is responsible for a significant annual donor engagement and fundraising goal with corporations and foundations.
He is married to Kim Paulding and has four adult children. His personal interests include travelling, history, and most mountain related outdoor pursuits.
USU - Senior Director of Gift Planning - Job Description (PDF Download)
Position Summary
Utah State University is seeing a highly collaborative, driven, and innovative Senior Director of Gift Planning who will be responsible for creating a planned giving program for the University. Reporting to Jonathan “Jon” Paulding, Associate Vice President, Central Advancement, the Senior Director will manage the Director of Gift Planning and oversee all aspects of gift planning for Utah State University, including developing and executing a marketing strategy for planned giving. The Senior Director will identify planned gift prospects and build a portfolio of planned gift prospects to meet individual, unit, and overarching goals. The Senior Director will build relationships with and inspire the confidence of donors and their legal and financial advisors. The Senior Director will meet with stakeholders to think strategically and creatively through the gift planning process to help USU stakeholders and investors reach their philanthropic goals.
This position collaborates with other development colleagues and works closely with university and foundation leadership. The Senior Director enhances the performance of other fundraisers by helping them develop planned giving and complex gift competencies, providing feedback and perspective on their fundraising approach/methods, coaching them to realize their optimal performance and objectives, and traveling with gift officers to assist donors in achieving their philanthropic goals. The Senior Director will identify planned giving prospects and build a portfolio to help achieve USU advancement’s goals.
The Senior Director of Gift Planning is committed to a culture of excellence, demonstrates advanced fundraising competencies and helps lead USU’s sustained fundraising success and growth.
This position requires extensive public contact with high-level alumni, donors and volunteers. Frequent travel is required.
The Role and Responsibilities
Qualifications and Expectations
Disclaimer
This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the position.
The Division of Advancement is a welcoming office where inclusiveness and teamwork are highly valued. Advancement staff are engaged in the meaningful work of securing private financial resources to fuel Utah State University's mission by creating gratifying gift and engagement experiences for USU's generous and passionate alumni and friends. Comprising the division are the office of the Vice President, the USU Foundation & Board, Advancement Services, the Alumni Association (Alumni Engagement), Gift Planning, Corporations and Foundations, Strategic Communications, the Annual Fund and ACE (Alumni Center for Engagement). Furthermore, the division coordinates all fundraising efforts across campus, including colleges, various programs, extension campuses, and USU Athletics. Through the collaboration of these units, the Division of Advancement is able to achieve significant annual fundraising goals by inspiring stakeholders to invest their time and resources in Utah State University.
Utah State University has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
Wendy Wilsker
Managing Partner, Boston
wwilsker@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Wendy Wilsker has dedicated her entire career to the non-profit sector, serving in leadership roles within charitable organizations and working alongside them as an executive recruiter and consultant. She excels at identifying the unique challenges and opportunities non-profits face, and partners with senior leadership to build successful organizational structures, teams and advancement programs.
Lindsey Gale
Executive Search Consultant, Boston
lgale@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Lindsey Gale has extensive experience in social impact with nearly 25 years of success in executive search, fundraising and consulting. She is an accomplished relationship builder, strategist, communicator and community influencer, and applies these skills to help individuals and a variety of non-profit organizations achieve their goals.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.