Associate Director, Gift Acceptance and Fund Management

Company: University of Chicago
Location: Chicago
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Department ADV Gift Management 1 About the Department The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute. The Gift Management Group (GMG) advances the University’s fundraising efforts through its partnership with colleagues across the University to enhance a donor's experience throughout the life cycle of their giving. In furtherance of Advancement goals and with a focus on operational excellence, GMG provides counsel and strategic advice to senior staff, develops and enforces University-wide gift acceptance principles and policy; accurately documents, processes, and records donor gifts and commitments; monitors and reports on the status of complex giving; supports pledge fulfillment through the development and delivery of pledge reminders; oversees gift compliance, effectively resolving issues that surface; and works with a broad group of internal and external stakeholders, including high-level donors and senior University administration. Job Summary The Associate Director will support Advancement’s gift and fund documentation generation process. More specifically, this role will (i) write clear and concise gift agreements, in accordance with gift acceptance policies and procedures, in order to memorialize the mutual commitments, intentions, and obligations by which the University will accept a donor’s gift and (ii) coordinate and manage the gift agreement tracking and workflow process. Additionally, this position will promote and propel the University’s gift fund management and gift compliance efforts by (i) ensuring University partners with gift administration and/or spending responsibilities have a clear understanding of gift and fund terms, (ii) identifying and addressing gift funds that are going unused, and (iii) working with relevant University partners to address such issues. This work requires strong relationships with multiple stakeholders across campus, including front-line fundraisers and directors of development, donor relations professionals, fund administrators, attorneys, and finance and budget partners. The position will promote and integrate operational excellence in all aspects of job responsibilities. This role uses best practices and knowledge of activities related to gift processing, including receiving, trouble shooting, processing, and other gift-giving related records matters. Uses knowledge of analytical methods and database tools to analyze, investigate and monitor highly sensitive and confidential donor data. Responsibilities Develops, executes, and supports policies and processes to improve fund management and fund compliance results. Works collaboratively and proactively to research and resolve questions about fund use. Works with campus partners to identify and address unused gift funds to ensure that funds are spent according to terms and donor intent is honored. Identifies, develops, and actively manages reporting and data resources to support fund management and gift compliance. Coordinates and tracks the timely flow of agreements for approval, signature, and distribution. Produces, reviews, negotiates, proofs, and approves clear and concise gift agreements and fund documents in a timely and consistent manner, ensuring that such terms accurately memorialize the University’s obligations and the donor’s intention. Ensures gift and fund documentation are accepted in compliance with University gift acceptance policy and other applicable policies. Advises Advancement staff and University partners on potential administrative, financial, and/or legal issues that may arise with proposed gift terms. Liaise with Advancement and University partners, including the Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of the Provost, Donor Relations, University Research Administration, Gift Planning, and the various academic and administrative units. Identifies resource needs and subsequently creates resources to support gift acceptance and fund management functions, and educates and trains Advancement and University colleagues. Implements and makes use of technology such as Docusign, Salesforce, Fundriver, and other cutting-edge technology to evolve and manage workflow processes, including ticketing system, and enhances donor and campus partner experience. Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions. Provides professional oversight to maintain and secure highly sensitive and confidential donor, alumni, and student contact and relationship data. Uses database tools to analyze, investigate and monitor data. Initiates, plans, and executes projects for proactive monitoring of gift data and clean up. Analyzes information in the database and looks for inconsistencies and problems with gift data. Monitors, and manages gift and grant account information within appropriate databases and includes important account/allocation attributes. Oversees daily report and document distribution. Performs other related work as needed. Minimum Qualifications Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Certifications: Preferred Qualifications Education: Master’s degree and/or additional post-undergraduate level coursework in tax/accounting, business, finance, professional or legal writing, gift operations or non-profit management, or paralegal coursework. Experience: Minimum five years of professional experience in fields such as nonprofit management, donor relations, development, alumni relations, communications, legal or professional writing, or as a paralegal, or similar professional work experience. Technical Skills or Knowledge: Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University, as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Advancement including the University's donor relationship management system. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Preferred Competencies Superior analytical skills with the capacity to apply knowledge in new ways to unique situations. Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively. Capacity to work in a fast-paced environment involving high-level stakeholders. Organized and able to lead projects independently, with high attention to detail, prioritizing work appropriately, and adapting swiftly to changing priorities. Comfortable working with minimal oversight on multiple tasks and deal effectively with conflicting responsibilities and tight and/or competing deadlines. Manage confidential information with discretion and tact. Act with integrity, professionalism, kindness, and confidentiality. Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting. Self-motivated and take initiative. Think strategically and holistically to solve complex problems and formulate innovative solutions. Exhibit a curiosity for streamlining processes using technology to improve outcomes and accuracy. Working Conditions This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence. Standard office environment. Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business. Work evenings and weekends as needed. This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court . Application Documents Resume/CV (required) Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred) When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application. Job Family Alumni Relations & Development Role Impact Individual Contributor Scheduled Weekly Hours 37.5 Drug Test Required No Health Screen Required No Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No Pay Rate Type Salary ? FLSA Status Exempt ? Pay Range $72,250.00 - $85,000.00 The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. Benefits Eligible Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook . Posting Statement The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

Keywords: University of Chicago, Elgin , Associate Director, Gift Acceptance and Fund Management, Administration, Clerical , Chicago, Illinois