Gift Compliance Analyst, Advancement Services, VP Development and Alumni

Description

The Department of Gift Compliance within VP Development and Alumni is currently seeking a Full-time Staff Limited Term Gift Compliance Analyst for approximately 18 months.

The Development and Alumni team serves as a bridge between the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni and community members. Supporting engagement, volunteerism and partnerships, it creates opportunities for impact in Calgary and beyond. The Development team is responsible for all private philanthropic fundraising, and alignment of investment to advance the strategic priorities of the University of Calgary and the communities it serves.

The Gift Compliance Analyst will function as a key player on the Gift Compliance team which reports directly to the Manager, Gift Compliance. The University's stewardship strategies are evolving rapidly as the requirements and expectations with respect to donor stewardship continue to rise. The Gift Compliance Analyst will have a direct impact on the implementation and maintenance of new processes and tools related to these evolving strategies. They will contribute directly to donor satisfaction by ensuring tracking and timely delivery of gift requirements. As such, they will maintain close working relationships with faculty-based and central Advancement staff, Financial Services, Student Awards Offices, and other relevant areas within the University.

There is a high volume of work requiring attention to detail, sound judgment, diplomacy, tact, decision-making and ability to manage fluid expectations and deadlines. Evening and weekend hours may be required.

The mandate of the Gift Compliance Analyst is to provide guidance and assistance to fundraisers on gift and student award design and documentation and execution. This is to ensure that all documentation and agreements are carefully reviewed, and that the relevant information and requirements from these are interpreted, tracked and followed up on in a timely manner that respects and honors the intentions of the donor, while ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements. Part of this mandate includes serving as a partner and advisor within the Development and Alumni team to educate and assist team members in understanding and executing the gift design and compliance processes. The team needs to identify and understand risks that may have an impact on the University.

The Analyst will also play an integral role in the process of reporting back to donors on the financial management and impact of their gifts, working alongside the Manager, Gift Compliance to execute the production of fund reports and other summaries that contribute to effective Stewardship reports. As such, the effectiveness of this portfolio is a critically important factor in the University's institutional goals for sustainable fund development.

This portfolio will support the phased implementation of new and continuously improving business processes which capture key gift requirements, including development and execution of processes to ensure all giving is accurately recorded and effectively delivered on with mitigated risk. The work completed by this portfolio contributes to the collection and management of valuable and detailed information which will be used to enhance the long-term effectiveness of donor relationships.

This portfolio will perform complex reconciliation for significant donors. In addition, it needs a great professional judgment to identify and track gifts that are eligible for campaign counting, and to act as an intermediary for the development, execution and set up of terms of reference for student awards and the related process requirements.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Review gift agreements and related documents carefully to ensure compliance with internal guidelines and with external regulations, and the University's ability to manage donor's intention over the lifetime of the gift.
• Collaborate with internal partners to design and document gifts, design student awards, execute agreements and record all gifts and awards, as well as ensure that funds are directed toward the correct accounts. 
• Initiate and support continuous improvement of business processes and information management relating to gift agreements, student awards, gift implementation, and donor stewardship.
• Collaborate with key business areas within Development and Alumni (particularly the Advancement Services teams) to refine processes and systems.
• Using a phased approach, review all existing and newly created gift agreements and terms of reference for student awards, noting gift and reporting requirements, using judgement to identify and evaluate out-of-policy or unusual items, and entering all relevant information and requirements into the Institutional Advancement Database, Blackbaud CRM, through the addition of pledges and the issuance of resultant periodic pledge reminders or invoices.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders when required and donors when requested in order to confirm missing information, follow up on outstanding balances, clarify the intent of agreement terms, or to compare processes.
• In collaboration with internal partners, prepare financial statements for endowments using a variety of tools. Develop and implement quality control mechanisms that ensure reports are error free.
• Review reports and flag instances where outcomes do not match donor expectations or intent. Research discrepancies and provide appropriate reconciliation as required.
• Provide peer review for financial reporting, gift entry products and student awards entry.
• Act as a liaison to Financial Services, student awards offices, and Advancement Services in gathering and sharing information on donor related funds. 

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A minimum of three years of related experience in the not for profit or comparable industry is required.
• Specifically, experience in the processing and reporting of fundraising or other transactional and financial information is essential.
• Experience and/or education in accounting, information/data management or audit would be an asset to this position.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, proven organizational abilities, and strong interpersonal and collaborative skills are required.
• Must be able to gather, synthesize and communicate information effectively using a variety of tools. Critical thinker with a high level of tenacity, initiative, energy and enthusiasm, and ability to exercise judgement when faced with incomplete or unpredictable information.
• This role requires the ability to work both independently and as part of a team; demonstrated integrity and a strong sense of professional ethics and the ability to work effectively in a large, complex, dynamic and sophisticated organization.
• Customer service strength is needed, such as working with conflicts, communications with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in information management is preferred.
• Experience in a post-secondary environment is preferred.
• Prior experience with Customer/Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) systems would be extremely beneficial to the success in this position.
• Excellent command of Microsoft product suite and SharePoint is a must.

Application Deadline:  May 15, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist / Advisor Job Family, Phase 2.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.