Lady Margaret Hall was founded in 1879 as the first women’s College in the University of Oxford. It is now a thriving co-educational academic community of over 800 undergraduate and postgraduate students. We pride ourselves in being a diverse, welcoming and supportive community and are the first Oxbridge College to launch The Foundation Year. The College is set within vast riverside grounds at the top of Norham Gardens in North Oxford.
Development Office at LMH
LMH has had a dedicated Development Office since 1995, working to strengthen and develop the relationship with its 8,000 alumni. There is a full programme of events and publications through which former students are kept up-to-date with life at LMH today. Fundraising from alumni is a key function of the office since its establishment. We are a vital income stream providing resources for the effective day-to-day running and long-term future of the College. There are 7 members of the Development Team.
Stewardship at LMH
The process of stewarding donors at LMH has undergone significant enhancement and professionalisation over the last few years, with the allocation of a dedicated team member to focus on delivery alongside the Director and Deputy, as well as the creation and roll out of Benefactor Circles to steward those giving at the highest levels.
This is an exciting time to join the team. Lady Margaret Hall is in the early stages of a major fundraising campaign in the lead up to our 150th anniversary in 2028. Fundraising activity, particularly at the major gift and regular gift level, is increasing. This increase in donations, forecast to continue significantly as we focus on our 150th campaign, gives a fabulous opportunity to run our stewardship programme. We are looking for a motivated, confident and passionate Donor Relations Officer to join the team and ensure we deliver excellent stewardship to our donors.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Donor Relations Officer will:
- Report to and work closely with the Director of Development
- Run the stewardship operation in line with the stewardship strategy
- Lead the thanking process in the office, ensuring letters are personal, appropriate and commensurate to the size of each gift – involving other members of the organisation, including the Principal, as appropriate
- Liaise directly with donors, set up appropriate stewardship plans on our database and ensure donor data is up to date
- Establish personal relationships to become the regular source of contact for donors, in line with their dedicated plan
- Use print and digital channels to create meaningful, consistent, and personalised stewardship reports for donors to LMH
- Manage the LMH donor circles, ensuring that all recognition lists are kept up to date and that members are stewarded consistently and appropriately. This includes ensuring that relevant communications are sent to donors and also that LMH donors are put forward to the University for membership of its Vice-Chancellor’s Circle and Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors
- Manage the stewardship of our regular donors
- Work with the Events Officer to deliver our Stewardship events (for which TOIL will be given)
- Create attendee briefings for stewardship events
- Project manage the annual LMH Winter mailing, delivering our philanthropy report, calendar and Christmas cards for donors
- Refresh stewardship content on a regular basis to ensure it reflects current fundraising projects and appeals
- Gather stories that illustrate donor impact and determine where these stories will be used (e.g. website, print and personal communications etc)
- Work closely with other members of the team including data, fundraising, events and legacies to ensure a smooth donor experience
Person Specification
Essential
- Experience in donor stewardship/customer care, ideally within the Higher Education or charity sectors
- Great people skills, inspiring confidence in those you interact with – including senior alumni, staff, fellows and students
- A genuine interest in people, creating relationships and providing an excellent donor experience
- Enthusiastic, proactive and innovative strategic approach, comfortable acting both independently and with the wider team
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including an outstanding command of the English language and impeccable attention to detail
- Ability to multitask and meet deadlines
- Considerable organisational skills and project management skills, flexibility, initiative and a willingness to accept responsibility
- Able to apply tact and discretion when dealing with highly confidential information
- Interest and experience in databases (we use DARS), ideally using prospect planning tools to track stewardship plans
- Awareness of fundraising best practice and data protection regulations
- Understanding of and belief in the value of higher education and the issues that face the sector and the University of Oxford in particular
- Willingness to work evenings and weekends for occasional event attendance
- Confident use of the Microsoft Office toolset and the Internet, and broad competence in a range of software applications including email, web browsers etc.
Desirable
- Copywriting experience
- Experience of designing attractive emails and newsletters using tools such as Stripo, MailChimp and Canva
- Experience of working with design and mailhouses
- Understanding of donation processes
Terms and Conditions
The salary will be £28,000 - £35,000 per annum (FTE), depending on experience, for a c.30-hour week. Hours and days are negotiable. We are a hybrid team with three days based in the office per week. This is a fixed-term position to cover a period of maternity leave.
Benefits of working for the College include 36 days holiday (including bank holidays), the option to join a University pension scheme and one free meal whilst on duty and the kitchens are open.
Additional benefits include a childcare salary sacrifice scheme, a bicycle purchase scheme, bus and train season tickets, eligibility to apply for a parking permit scheme, employee assistance programme, regular social events and a free annual flu jab.
The post will commence early-mid December to allow for handover. There will be an initial probationary period of six months. Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.
To apply for this position, please press the 'Apply Now' button and submit a covering letter explaining why you are suitable for this role and your CV in one single document in the 'resume' section.
Deadline for applications : midday on 30th September 2024
First interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 9th October and the second interviews are expected to take place on Monday 14th October 2024.
A principal aim of this College’s Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that in the recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, development and promotion of employees, the only consideration must be that the individual best meets, or is likely to meet, the requirements of the programme or course or post.
Lady Margaret Hall is committed to provide a learning, working and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its members are respected, and which is free from prejudice, intimidation and all forms of harassment, including bullying. We seek to ensure that no-one suffers, either directly or indirectly, as a result of discrimination.
Lady Margaret Hall has a range of family friendly policies.
About LMH
LMH began with nine women and is now a vibrant academic community transforming the lives of hundreds of students. We are diverse, open, intellectually curious and pioneering. We continue to break boundaries as the first Oxford College to establish a Foundation Year for under-represented students.
Application Deadline
September 30, 2024
Department
Development
Employment Type
Fixed Term - Part Time
Location
Oxford
Workplace type
Hybrid
Compensation
£28,000 - £35,000 / year
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