Assistant Director, College Philanthropy

[What the role is]

The College Philanthropy Unit of the Singapore College of Islamic Studies is seeking a dedicated and strategic Assistant Director. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding lead donors—including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and foundations.
The incumbent will manage a portfolio of current and prospective donors and oversee all phases of the gift cycle including donor engagement, cultivation, solicitation, proposal development, and stewardship. The ideal candidate is an exceptional relationship-builder who is results-driven, creative, collaborative, organised, and strategic.
This role will also support the College’s leadership team in designing and implementing strategies to secure significant philanthropic gifts, while working closely with volunteers, senior leadership, faculty, and colleagues to advance the College’s priorities.

[What you will be working on]

1. Strategic Leadership in Stewardship and Fundraising

Provide strategic oversight of the stewardship and fundraising programmes, approving frameworks and stewardship strategies developed by the College Philanthropy Unit, while ensuring stewardship and fundraising efforts are fully integrated across the donor lifecycle.

2. Donor Portfolio Management
Personally manage a portfolio of donors through full-cycle engagement, including face-to-face visits, tailored proposals, and personalised correspondence, serving as the senior institutional point of contact for the most significant donor relationships.

3. Prospect Development & Pipeline Building

Identify and cultivate gift prospects, develop sourcing strategies, and maintain a disciplined portfolio management approach with timely call reports and donor interaction records.

4. Donor Engagement & Stewardship Oversight

Hold accountability for overall stewardship programme performance, including setting key performance indicators, reviewing outcomes, and ensuring the team delivers events, impact reports, recognition initiatives, and communications to the required standard. Proactively develop and deliver meaningful engagement opportunities to maximise donor support—both financial and non-financial.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Alignment

Collaborate with other units in the College, and senior leadership to support institutional fundraising objectives, and influence key stakeholders to participate actively in donor engagement and recognition.

6. Solicitation, Gift Documentation & Compliance

Solicit immediate and planned gifts, ensure accurate preparation of gift agreements, and hold ultimate accountability for compliance with gift agreements, donor intent, and relevant financial and legal standards.
 

7. Team Leadership & Programme Development

Supervise and develop the Managers of Stewardship and Fundraising, oversee the fundraising and stewardship budget, and drive continuous improvement and innovation in stewardship and fundraising practices.

8. Fundraising Performance & Accountability

Meet or exceed annual fundraising goals and activity metrics, maintaining a results-oriented approach across both personal portfolio management and broader team fundraising and stewardship activities.

[What we are looking for]

• Tertiary education in a relevant field.

• At least 10 years of experience in customer service, sales, or marketing; prior fundraising experience is an advantage.

• A proactive, energetic individual who enjoys engaging with donors, partners, and key stakeholders while managing multiple competing priorities.

• Proven experience in complex relationship-based selling or equivalent roles requiring similar skills and competencies.

• Demonstrated ability to manage diverse donor portfolios—including individuals, corporations, and prospective donors—with substantial face-to-face engagement.

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and achieve outcomes amid diverse perspectives.

• A collaborative, self-motivated, and engaging professional with strong judgement, excellent multitasking abilities, and the capacity to work diplomatically with alumni, donors, faculty, senior leadership, and volunteers.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, strong organisational abilities, and attention to detail; able to articulate the College’s mission and priorities compellingly.

• Strong customer service orientation, personal motivation, and commitment to the College’s philanthropic mission and values.

• Strong active listening and negotiation skills.

• High level of discretion and professionalism in handling confidential donor information.

• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiar with donor management database systems.

Successful candidate will be appointed on a contract basis.

In general, applicants can expect to hear from us within 4 weeks of the close of the application window. In the event where we receive a high number of applications, applicants will receive an update on their status within 6 weeks of the close of the application window. If you are facing issues submitting your application, please contact us at [email protected] for assistance.