Role Overview
Make an impact on Jewish life at the University of Kansas by joining KU Hillel as our Development & Events Manager. You’ll play a pivotal role in connecting people and raising vital funds and resources critical to our mission. You will build one-on-one relationships with parents, alumni, and supporters nationwide, helping to connect their passion for philanthropy with our unique and innovative approach to thriving Jewish life on campus. KU Hillel staff meet students where they are, building Jewish community all across campus life. KU Hillel strives to help Jewish students develop relationships and communities where they are empowered to develop their own Jewish identities and pursue their own Jewish journeys.
You’ll work closely with the Executive Director, KU Hillel’s Board of Directors, and build relationships with foundations, organizations, and university development professionals, all to support our work. This is a hybrid role, requiring at least one day per week on location in Lawrence, KS. The position will also require occasional travel to Lawrence and throughout the KC metro area for meetings and events. Staff frequently choose to live in nearby Kansas City.
What You’ll Do
- Donor Cultivation & Solicitation
- In collaboration with the Executive Director, develop an annual development plan to achieve annual fundraising goals.
- Work with ED & Board to develop and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects.
- Represent KU Hillel at community events to share our story, identify prospects, and build new relationships.
- Strategize and execute annual fundraising and stewardship campaigns, including Giving Tuesday, High Holiday Appeal, and Hillel Global Giving Week.
- Event Planning & Execution
- Take the lead on planning and executing KU Hillel’s fundraising events.
- Plan, coordinate, and execute donor events, including but not limited to parlor meetings, alumni or parent gatherings, and prospective student events.
- Coordinate with KU Hillel Engagement Team to ensure events reflect both the goals of our student program and our annual fundraising goals.
- Parent & Alumni Community Development
- Work closely with board members to ideate, recruit, and activate parent and alumni committees.
- Work with KU Hillel’s Campus Marketing and Development Manager to plan and execute grassroots marketing efforts, including social media, direct mail, and monthly email communications.
- Grant & Data Management
- Oversee fundraising operations, including donor database, gift processing, and gift acknowledgement, including preparation of monthly benchmark reports as well as tracking engagements and campaign outcomes.
- Track and manage grants (applications, calendars, reports) and organizational partnership opportunities.
Who You Are
- You’re A Relationship-Builder: You thrive on meeting new people, understanding their interests, and forging meaningful connections.
- You’re A Collaborative Team Player: You enjoy working collaboratively with a team to solve problems and explore new initiatives.
- You’re A Story Teller: You creatively and passionately share the story of our community, our programming, and our vision for the future of Jewish life at KU.
- You’re a Risk Taker: You have a willingness to think big, be bold, and fail forward in the pursuit of turning heads and being innovative. “Because that’s how it has always been done” is not in our vocabulary.
- You’re An Organized Self-Starter: You’re a thorough, detail-oriented professional who can knock out a to-do list and take time to dream about new opportunities.
What You’ll Bring to the Job
- Bachelor's degree
- 2+ years experience in development leadership, nonprofit management, or major gifts fundraising.
- Proficiency in donor software, data analysis, and financial oversight.
- Excellent communication, listening, and relationship-building skills.
- Passion for Jewish life, higher education, and student engagement.
- Familiarity with Google Suite, Canva, and social media marketing platforms is a plus.
- A passion for asking great questions and listening deeply to answers.
- A willingness to work nights and occasional weekends as needed, and a willingness to take time off to relax and recharge.
- Creative problem-solving and excitement to learn new solutions, systems, and ways of thinking.
What You’ll Receive
- Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $55,000-$65,000, commensurate with experience.
- A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
- High-level professional development to help develop core skills and gain expertise from University, Jewish communal, and nonprofit fundraising experts, and lay leaders
- Mentoring and career coaching to help you during and after your position
- A network of terrific colleagues from across the Hillel movement.
- Travel opportunities, both locally and regionally, multiple times per year.
About KU & Lawrence, Kansas City, and Our Community
The University of Kansas (KU) is centered in Lawrence, Kansas. Today, Lawrence remains a crossroads of culture, celebrating the artists and innovators that populate its history and create an unmistakable identity. So, too is the spirit of the Jayhawks that powers KU. KU is the state’s flagship institution, home to innovative research and the constant pursuit of knowledge.
KU Hillel proudly serves more than 1,000 Jewish students and boasts a dedicated professional team, including an Executive Director, Assistant Director, Director of Jewish Student Engagement, Springboard Innovation Fellow, Israeli Emissary (shalicha, part-time), and on-site Licensed Master Social Worker/Therapist (part-time) in partnership with Jewish Family Services of Kansas City.
**Interested candidates willing to relocate to Kansas are encouraged to use Jewish Federation’s See KC program as a resource to learn more about living in Kansas City and our incredible Jewish community. Kansas City boasts a thriving Jewish community of more than 20,000, including an incredible group of young professionals living in and around the KC Metro Area.**
KU Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.
About Hillel International
In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel started Hillel with humble means, a noble mission and a breathtaking vision: to convey Jewish civilization to a new generation. Today, Hillel International continues to enrich the lives of Jewish students and is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities across North America and around the world. As Hillel evolves as an organization, the mission remains steadfast: to create lasting connections with every Jewish student that foster an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel and train them to become the next Jewish leaders.
Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.