Development Officer in Higher Education

							     Development Officer in Higher
     Education
     While this might not initially seem like an environmental career, university
     development officers often work with Engineering and Environmental
     Studies programs to solicit funding for important environmental research
     and projects. As a development officer, you can often choose a subject
     (including the environment) area as a focus to work with donors who want
     to fund this type of work.

     Development officers work with donors and university faculty/staff to secure
     funding for a university. The position is socially intensive, and often
     requires travel and event attendance. An advanced degree is helpful as it
     shows an understanding of higher education, but experience in fundraising
     is essential.



    Field                  Education, Fundraising and Development

Job Title                  University Development Officer
                           PhD                 Masters           Bachelors           Associate       Trade School      Other

    Education                                                                        Sometimes
                           Beneficial             Beneficial     Required            Sufficient
                                                                                     Population                        Top
                           International          Regional       States              Density         Employers         Schools
    Location                                      All of U.S                         Urban           Private, Public
                           Yes                    .              Any                                                   -N/A
                                                                 Benefits for
                                                                 full-time
                           Salary Range           Hours          workers             Atmosphere
                                                  Full Time is
    Working                Range: $20,000-        40 hours                           Extensive travel, Some Office, Collaborative
    Conditions             $100,000               per week       Excellent           and Individual

    Marketable             Excellent verbal and oral communication skills. High attention to detail and flexibility. Must be
    Skills                 outgoing.

    Responsibilities       Work with donors to solicit funding for a university or college.

            *Salary range obtained from field expert and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
     A Day in the Life…
Work for development officers often depends on their role within a
university foundation. Many higher education institutions divide their
development departments by subject area (i.e. Law School, School of
Engineering, Athletics) and then further subdivided into the following
categories:

   Major gifts: large-scale contributions. People working with major gifts
    have exceptional people-skills and work with the highest level of
    givers.
   Planned giving: these include gifts of stocks, estate bequests and
    other financial securities. People working in planned giving must be
    extremely financially and detail-oriented.
   Foundations and grants: filling out grant applications. Working in
    foundations and grants is extremely writing intensive. Most
    development officers spend some time writing grants.
   Annual giving: finances the operating functions of the university. This
    is the steadiest work in development, and holds most entry-level jobs.

Within your area of expertise, you will often attend events at night and on
weekends with potential donors. Maintaining relationships with givers is
especially important, and may involve some travel and personal visits.



Projected Career Outlook
Employment growth for educational jobs is expected to be average in the
next ten years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase of about
12%. The number of students in postsecondary education is expected to
increase in the next few years, creating a higher demand for university
administrators and foundation employees. However, the recent economic
downturn is hurting the fundraising sector, and jobs are not opening as
quickly as usual.



Education and Preparation
A background in fundraising is almost always essential before applying to
work in university development. The best way to gain insight into this world
is through volunteering and informational interviewing. One suggestion is to
contact the development office at your Alma mater. If you explain your
interest and situation, you may find someone willing to discuss the
positions within this field or even act as a mentor. By volunteering with
outside organizations and non-profits in fundraising, you will gain insight
into the true nature of the field while making your resume more competitive.
You can also attend professional seminars on development and
fundraising, which are often offered at most universities.

Working in development requires a minimum of a bachelor degree. Many
development officers hold masters or PhD’s in Higher Education or Student
Affairs. Any higher level of education is beneficial as it shows an
understanding of university administration.

Employers
Universities are located worldwide, and solicit money in different ways
based on the size and nature (private or public) of the institution. While the
field is competitive, there are different ways to get involved (see: a day in
the life) based on your interests.

Related Environmental Careers
If you are interested in using writing and people skills to further
environmental programs, you might consider a career in non-profit
communications. If you wish to work in higher education, you might
consider becoming a faculty or staff member in an environmental field at a
given university.

Further Information
Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Chronicle of Higher Education

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Authored and Researched by Amy Henning