Position Summary 

The Director of Development’s primary responsibility is to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors capable of making $50,000+ gifts in support of the CSU College of Health and Human Sciences. The Director of Development (DOD) will manage a portfolio of individual and institutional major gift prospects, presenting comprehensive proposals including current, planned or blended gifts that match the fundraising priorities of the College. This may include soliciting gifts to establish endowed scholarships, fellowships and professorships, departmental programs and centers, research projects, capital priorities and naming opportunities for related buildings and research centers. The DOD will work in a dynamic team environment, and work in collaboration with Foundation Colleagues and cross-college partners to maximize and celebrate the philanthropic support for the College.

Position Information

• Position Title: Director of Development, College of Health and Human Sciences 
• Organization Name: Colorado State University Foundation 
• Reports To: Executive Director of Development, College of Health and Human Sciences 
• Employment Type: Full-time 
• FLSA Status: Exempt 
• Location: Fort Collins, Colorado 
• Salary Range: $95,000 - $120,000 annually 
• Priority Consideration: 10/11/26

Organizational Overview 

Located in the beautiful town of Fort Collins, Colorado State University is a premier land-grant university with world-class programs in education, outreach, and research. CSU has a student body of over 34,000 students, 7,400 employees, 258,000 living alumni, and annual research expenditures exceeding $498 million.  

One of eight academic colleges at CSU, the College of Health and Human Sciences trains leaders to improve health and well-being in all aspects of the human experience. The College’s goal is to change lives for the better through degree programs, outreach, and research. The college is home to 30 degree programs and dozens of centers through the following academic units: Construction Management, Design and Merchandising, Education, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Health and Exercise Science, Human Development and Family Studies, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work.   

The Colorado State University Foundation is in the midst of exciting growth as the University Advancement division of CSU transitions to the Foundation. ?This merger will allow us to more effectively serve our donors, alumni, and stakeholders with a unified structure, strengthen accountability, and build the capacity to scale our fundraising enterprise.  With one of the leading development teams in the country, we most recently achieved our highest fundraising year to date in 2025.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective major gifts of $50,000 and above.  
• Successfully manages complex priorities through careful planning and strategic execution to achieve specific performance metrics. 
• Writes, prepares, and presents persuasive proposals that match the donor’s interests with the College’s fundraising mission and goals. 
• Applies best practices to steward and retain current donors while continually developing a pipeline of new major gift prospects. 
• Makes independent decisions that impact the overall success of the unit’s goals and metrics by raising the productivity of staff and utilizing resources at the highest levels. 
• Recommendations to the Executive Director whether to implement a new plan of action for a specific development activity or to discontinue an existing one. 
• Serves as a key member of the development team by influencing and driving strategy, relationships, and best practices to accomplish goals. 
• Engages with alumni, donors, parents and students, working effectively with cross-campus colleagues to achieve short and long-term fundraising goals. 
• Collaborates with faculty and the dean to enhance programs that will benefit students and faculty. 
• Maintains a high degree of confidentiality and adheres to the industry policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. 
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience as a development officer, or major gifts officer, in an institution of higher education or equivalent complex organization such as sales, banking, or client management. 
• Demonstrated success in face-to-face solicitation, cultivation, and closing multiple gifts at $50,000 or above, or, equivalent success with project management and/or other complex transactions in organizations/industries such as sales, banking, client management, or marketing. 
• Demonstrated ability to engage and effectively communicate with a wide variety of audiences. 
• Willingness to work non-standard hours and travel nationally. 
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date as well as reliable transportation. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, close, and steward major gifts.  
• Understanding of proposal and development writing, fundraising principles and techniques. 
• Strong understanding of and passion for health fields and human science disciplines. 
• Adaptable to changing priorities and a fast-paced environment. 
• Demonstrated understanding of all facets of fundraising including annual funds, corporate relations, foundation relations, planned giving, stewardship, and major gift fundraising 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) certification and/ or master’s degree. 
• Demonstrated effective problem-solving skills and the ability to effectively manage demanding work situations. 
• Ability to work effectively with academic and administrative leaders, faculty, and volunteer partners in the process of building relationships with prospective donors. 
• Demonstrates collaborative and congenial attitude and team building ability; is open to and promotes new ideas. 
• Ability to exercise considerable initiative, independent judgment, self-motivation, and discretion. 
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, as well as CRM systems such as Salesforce. 

To be fully considered for this role, you must apply using the link below: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/4514559/Colorado-State-Univ-Foundation/Director-of-Development-College-of-Health-and-Human-Sciences

The CSU Foundation is committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision and retirement plans; generous paid time off; and a robust Employee Assistance Program.

CSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it is our policy to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodation would cause undue hardship.