Assistant Director, Gift Administration

Assistant Director, Gift Administration

Main Focus: Lead day-to-day operations of gift processing and reconciliation, manage a team of up to three direct reports, and oversee process improvement and project implementation to support fundraising success and donor engagement.

Location: This is an onsite role in Palo Alto, CA, with the expectation of working in the office at least three days per week. 

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, in partnership with Stanford Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, unlocks philanthropy to transform health for children and families in Northern California – and around the world.  Through fundraising and grantmaking, the Foundation drives scientific research, innovation, and policy change that will improve care, advance cures, and reform healthcare systems for this and future generations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

The Assistant Director, Gift Administration oversees daily gift processing operations, managing a team to ensure gifts are accurately processed, acknowledged, documented, and transferred. Reporting to the Director of Gift Accounting and Fund Management (hereinafter “Director”), they identify and implement process improvements and redesigns, manage staff workflows, and directly enter complex gifts and execute monthly reconciliations. They audit gift records, serve as primary backup for gift entry, and monitor the shared inbox and ticketing system, frequently triaging and organizing a high volume of information and incoming requests in a fast-paced environment. As a team leader, they manage timesheets, PTO requests, schedule coverage, hiring, staff development, and performance management. Additionally, they collaborate on fund management, cross-functional projects, and play a key role in a major CRM conversion.

The compensation range for the role is between $85k-100k annually.

YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…

Gift Processing Administration

• Distribute processing and project workload among direct reports to ensure coverage, growth opportunities, and effective project implementation.
• Supervise the full cycle of gift processing from receipt of gift through acknowledgement and gift transfer, ensuring that all gifts are acknowledged and transferred as efficiently and accurately as possible. 
• Develop, maintain, and implement policies and procedures for all aspects of the gift processing cycle, including coding charts, process documentation, and standard operating procedures.
• Hold deep knowledge of all gift coding and gift processing workflows.
• In partnership with the Director, establish training and documentation protocols.
• Proactively update Director of gift processing workload and status and use good judgment to promptly escalate questions and issues to Director as needed.
• Routinely train existing and new staff. 
• Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices regarding gift administration and gift processing. 
• Maintain PCI DSS compliance. 

Gift Processing and Fund Management

• Process complex and escalated gifts.
• Serve in a back-up and/or overflow capacity for gift processing during peak seasons or staff vacations. 
• Audit gift records and documentation to ensure quality and constantly assess need for new or updated audits.
• Work with donors, staff, and counterparts at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford School of Medicine to answer gift-related questions and resolve gift-related issues.  
• In partnership with the Director, contribute extensively to the monthly gift reconciliation and funds transfer process, including holding primary responsibility for account reconciliation and posting to the general ledger.
• In partnership with the Director, participate in new fund setup, pending gift management, and fund management.
• Use good judgment to escalate gift- and fund-related questions and issues to Director.
• Routinely present gift and fund trainings, new process announcements, project results, and other relevant information to Foundation staff, both in writing and verbally.

Process Development and Project Management

• Recommend and implement enhancements to processes to increase accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining appropriate internal controls.  
• In partnership with Director, identify, prioritize, and plan both internal and cross functional projects, process improvements, and process redesigns.

• In partnership with Director, plan and execute project implementation among team members, planning for skills acquisition and guiding team in project management principles.
• Proactively identify and document necessary process improvements and redesign
• With Director, prioritize and execute process improvements, projects and redesigns, adhering to project management best practices.
• With Director, delegate project and process improvement work across the Gift Processing Team, keeping in mind skill levels, gift processing coverage needs, and professional development goals of team members.
• Coach Gift Processing Team members in project management and ensure that projects progress amidst day-to-day work; escalate reprioritization needs or other issues to Director proactively.
• With Director and Gift Processing Team, prepare gift data and process documentation for CRM conversion.
• Participate extensively as Subject Matter Expert for gift processing in CRM conversion.

Team Management and Leadership

• Manage Gift Processing Team administration, including timesheet approvals, PTO requests, schedule coverage, and team celebrations.
• Run Gift Administration team meetings, preparing agenda and planning schedule for recurring features.
• With support of Director, lead recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of new Gift Processing Team members.
• Lead, mentor, and support the professional growth of direct reports, building a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration. 
• Establish individual staff goals and objectives in alignment with departmental and Foundation goals.
• Provide consistent and constructive feedback to staff. 
• Promote a work environment where staff feel engaged, valued, and can do their best work; visibly recognize the accomplishments of individuals and the team. 
• Embrace diversity in all its forms to ensure departmental and Foundation staff are treated with respect, dignity, and empathy at all times and in all situations. 
• Actively participate in and support change management.
• Participate in Advancement Services Expanded Leadership meetings and initiatives, including leading committees and presenting at meetings.
• Prepare performance reviews for Gift Processing Team; work with HR and Director on performance improvement plans or other corrective performance management.

Other Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for career development and seeking opportunities to enhance the department and the Foundation's skills and knowledge. 

• Show initiative to take on additional tasks, duties, and assignments to ensure the department fulfills its responsibilities. 
• Perform other related duties as assigned. 
• Regular and predictable attendance is required. 

YOU MUST HAVE…

• Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of non-profit gift processing, accounting, or fund management experience. 
• 2+ years’ experience managing and leading a team, including mentoring and developing staff.
• Familiarity with relevant federal and state rules/regulations regarding charitable organizations. 
• Working knowledge of all aspects of the gift cycle, including gift entry and acknowledgement.
• Intermediate experience using Microsoft Excel (i.e. XLOOKUP, subtotaling) and Word (mail merges)

YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF…

• You’re Accurate 
• You’re Accountable and Possess Problem-Solving Initiative 
• You’re Innovative 
• You’re a Strategic Thinker with a Learning Approach
• You’re an Inclusive Leader 
• You’re Adaptable and Persistent