Description

At a glance
What if annual giving wasn’t just about giving days and mass appeals?
 
Cal State Long Beach is looking for a creative, strategy-minded fundraising leader to rethink how donor engagement and leadership giving can build meaningful, long-term relationships between alumni, supporters, and the university. This Senior Director of Leadership & Annual Giving role is ideal for someone who loves segmentation, storytelling, digital engagement, donor journeys, and trying new approaches — from personalized video and crowdfunding to innovative pipeline-building strategies that deepen connection, strengthen affinity, and move donors from transactional to transformational giving.
 
This isn’t a traditional annual giving role. It’s an opportunity to build, experiment, collaborate, and help shape the future of philanthropy at one of the largest and most dynamic universities in the CSU system.
 
Another Source is proud to partner with Cal State Long Beach to help identify this innovative fundraising leader. If you’re excited by creativity, collaboration, and building authentic donor relationships, apply today. 
Description: What you'll be doing
Another Source’s client, Cal State Long Beach, is recruiting a Senior Director of Leadership and Annual Giving to join their team in Long Beach, California. Go Beach!  

Here’s a little about Cal State Long Beach and the position they are recruiting for: 

Cal State Long Beach, one of the largest universities in the CSU system, is located in Long Beach on a beautifully landscaped, 320-acre campus near the ocean and the thriving downtown area. The school’s faculty and staff are engaged in a broad array of high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs, significant research, in addition to a wide range of community and professional service organizations.

About the University Relations and Development Team: 

The University Relations and Development (URD) division at Cal State Long Beach builds relationships and generates resources that strengthen the university’s capacity to achieve its mission. The Senior Director of Leadership & Annual Giving plays a key role in advancing donor engagement and philanthropic participation across the university through integrated annual and leadership giving strategies. This role helps deepen relationships with alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and community supporters while building a sustainable pipeline of future major and principal gift donors. Through innovative campaigns, donor engagement initiatives, and cross-campus collaboration, the team works to foster a strong culture of philanthropy that supports student success and institutional priorities. The team is focused on building meaningful, long-term relationships that deepen alumni and donor connection to the university. 

To learn more about the University Relations and Development division, please visit: https://www.csulb.edu/university-relations-and-development 

Did you know? The California State University system is the largest public four-year university system in the world, serving more than 486,000 students with the support of over 56,000 faculty and staff: Learn more here.

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $115,000- 140,000, commensurate with experience. 

About the role:  

The Senior Director of Leadership & Annual Giving provides strategic leadership for integrated annual and leadership giving initiatives designed to strengthen donor engagement and build a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support. This role oversees multi-channel annual giving campaigns, donor retention and acquisition strategies, and leadership giving initiatives that build and strengthen a donor pipeline that advances annual donors into leadership and major gift engagement.

Partnering closely with advancement leadership, alumni engagement, colleges, and campus partners, the Senior Director will develop innovative engagement strategies, implement data-informed fundraising approaches, and support the growth of leadership-level philanthropy across the institution. 

This role is ideal for a fundraising leader excited to rethink traditional annual giving models through segmentation, digital engagement, storytelling, and donor-centered relationship strategies 

How You Will Spend Your Time: 

Annual Giving Program Management 

Develop and execute integrated, multi-channel annual giving campaigns including direct mail, email, digital outreach, social media, crowdfunding, personalized donor engagement strategies, and other innovative fundraising campaigns. 
Develop segmentation and donor engagement strategies focused on acquisition, retention, reactivation, and donor upgrades. 
Track campaign performance, evaluate ROI, and implement improvements to increase donor participation and long-term engagement. 
Collaborate with communications and campus partners to create compelling donor-centered messaging and fundraising content. 
Leadership Giving Strategy & Pipeline Development 

Develop and oversee strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level donors. 
Implement moves management strategies that advance annual donors into leadership and major giving pipelines. 
Coordinate donor transitions and prospect strategies with major gift officers and development colleagues. 
Develop leadership giving societies, stewardship initiatives, and donor recognition programs to encourage philanthropic growth. 
Strategic Leadership, Partnerships & Program Oversight 

Partner with advancement leadership, colleges, and campus stakeholders to align fundraising priorities and engagement strategies. 
Oversee program budgets, vendor relationships, and operational effectiveness. 
Provide leadership, coaching, and professional development support to assigned staff. 
Monitor donor lifecycle trends and implement continuous improvement strategies to maximize donor engagement and progression. 

Why a career with CSU is for You: 

The CSU system offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary: https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/careers/benefits/Documents/employee-benefits-summary.pdf 

Immerse yourself: Being on campus allows you to enjoy renowned sporting events, artist events, world-renowned speakers. Stroll through trails, museums, and enjoy all campus has to offer. 
Tuition waiver: up to 2 courses, or 6 units, per semester for employee, spouse, registered domestic partner or eligible dependent child for any of the 23 campuses.  
Mission driven culture: Transforming the lives of a diverse student body, including first-generation students and under-represented communities. 
Jury duty: The CSU will continue an employee’s salary while they are on jury duty, regardless of length of jury service. 
CalPERS Retirement Plan: CalPERS is a defined benefit retirement pension plan. Lifetime medical benefits for you, your spouse, or registered domestic partner. Learn more here: http://www.calpers.ca.gov/ 
403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan (Similar to a 401k plan) 
Employees in this classification are entitled to two vacation days (16 hours) per month. 
A healthier you. Access to athletic and gym facilities on campus  
Transportation support. Pre-tax commuter benefits 
 

Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination:  

The California State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all CSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus). 

Another Source works with their clients on a retained project basis. We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.    

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications: 

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent experience. 
Minimum of seven years of related professional fundraising or advancement experience, preferably in higher education. 
Experience supervising professional staff. 
Strong knowledge of annual giving strategies, donor lifecycle management, segmentation, and moves management principles. 
Experience developing and executing integrated multi-channel fundraising campaigns. 
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. 
Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. 
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders. 
Valid driver’s license required. 
 

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience working within higher education advancement or a similarly complex organization. 
Experience using fundraising analytics, CRM systems, and donor engagement platforms. 
Knowledge of digital fundraising trends, crowdfunding, and giving day strategies.