Assistant Director of Development – Division for Land-Grant Engagement

WVU Online

Assistant Director of Development focusing on fundraising from individuals, corporations, and foundations at West Virginia University. Managing donor relationships and advancing funding opportunities for the Division for Land-Grant Engagement.

Posted 4/17/2026full-timeMorgantown • Virginia, West Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage a designated portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation donors and prospects at the $5,000–$49,999 gift level, with select involvement at the major gift level ($50,000+)
Execute qualifying conversations to assess philanthropic interests, motivations, and capacity for prospects identified through the WVU Foundation Prospect Discovery and Strategy program
Move prospects through all stages of the development cycle—qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—with timely follow-through and disciplined portfolio management
Develop and implement an annual action plan aligned with portfolio goals and the Division's fundraising priorities, meeting or exceeding metrics established with the Executive Director of Development and the WVU Foundation
Plan, schedule, and complete mostly regional travel, with some overnight, to maintain active contact with prospects and donors
Maintain current and accurate records in the WVU Foundation CRM (Blackbaud) for all prospect interactions, proposals, and pipeline activity
Partner with Division departments, unit directors, and faculty to identify and advance funding opportunities for capital, endowment, and programmatic priorities
Coordinate with the WVU Foundation's Annual Giving program on Day of Giving campaigns, crowdfunding initiatives, and annual giving level projects
Provide planning support and staffing for on-campus events where prospects and donors are the primary audience, including donor and prospect site visits, Alumni Academies, 4-H camps, fairs, and other events

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree
A minimum of one (1) year of experience in annual giving, major gift, or planned gift fundraising, or other employment involving similar direct client engagement, required
Experience with 4-H Youth Development or land-grant mission organizations preferred
Previous experience working with higher education, nonprofit, or community organizations with grants or sponsorships at any gift level is preferred
Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered

Benefits

Comp & perks

37.5-hour work week
13 paid holidays
24 annual leave days per year
18 sick days per year
A range of health insurance and other benefits
401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks
Wellness programs

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

fundraisingportfolio managementprospect qualificationdonor cultivationsolicitationstewardshipCRM managementevent planningaction plan developmentmetrics analysis

Soft Skills

communicationinterpersonal skillsorganizational skillsstrategic planningcollaborationrelationship buildingtime managementproblem-solvingattention to detailfollow-through

Certifications

Bachelor’s degree