Athletics Annual Giving Officer

Athletics Annual Giving Officer

The University of Evansville Athletics Department invites applications for a strategic and relationship-driven Athletics Annual Giving Officer.

Reporting directly to the Director of Athletic Development, this role plays a pivotal part in growing philanthropic support for our Purple Aces student-athletes and programs. You will lead the charge on unrestricted and sport-specific fundraising appeals, manage a dedicated donor portfolio, and build a vibrant culture of philanthropy across our entire athletics community.

Key Responsibilities

• Case for Support: Craft and communicate compelling narratives articulating the impact of unrestricted athletics giving, developing high-impact marketing materials and presentations.
• Annual Unrestricted Appeals: Plan and execute comprehensive fundraising campaigns for the unrestricted athletics fund, including spearheading outreach for Pep and Vim week (the University's annual giving week) across multi-channel platforms (email, direct mail, social, and events).
• Sport-Specific Giving: Serve as the primary point of contact for sports-specific annual funds, working directly with coaches, athletics staff, and Major Gift Officers to execute Support Your Sport week and meet operational funding goals.
• Pipeline & Leadership Giving: Manage a portfolio of up to 75 athletics prospects and donors, driving cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for gifts ranging from $1,000 to $49,000 to build the major gift pipeline.
• Donor Acquisition & Retention: Focus on boosting overall donor participation, retention, upgrades, and stewardship for the Purple Aces Club and sport-specific funds.
• Calendar & Compliance: Manage the comprehensive Athletics Annual Fund Calendar, ensuring timely outreach and that all donor benefits are accurately delivered.

Required Qualifications

Athletics Annual Giving Officer

The University of Evansville Athletics Department invites applications for a strategic and relationship-driven Athletics Annual Giving Officer.

Reporting directly to the Director of Athletic Development, this role plays a pivotal part in growing philanthropic support for our Purple Aces student-athletes and programs. You will lead the charge on unrestricted and sport-specific fundraising appeals, manage a dedicated donor portfolio, and build a vibrant culture of philanthropy across our entire athletics community.

Key Responsibilities

• Case for Support: Craft and communicate compelling narratives articulating the impact of unrestricted athletics giving, developing high-impact marketing materials and presentations.
• Annual Unrestricted Appeals: Plan and execute comprehensive fundraising campaigns for the unrestricted athletics fund, including spearheading outreach for Pep and Vim week (the University's annual giving week) across multi-channel platforms (email, direct mail, social, and events).
• Sport-Specific Giving: Serve as the primary point of contact for sports-specific annual funds, working directly with coaches, athletics staff, and Major Gift Officers to execute Support Your Sport week and meet operational funding goals.
• Pipeline & Leadership Giving: Manage a portfolio of up to 75 athletics prospects and donors, driving cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for gifts ranging from $1,000 to $49,000 to build the major gift pipeline.
• Donor Acquisition & Retention: Focus on boosting overall donor participation, retention, upgrades, and stewardship for the Purple Aces Club and sport-specific funds.
• Calendar & Compliance: Manage the comprehensive Athletics Annual Fund Calendar, ensuring timely outreach and that all donor benefits are accurately delivered.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in business, marketing, sports management, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in fundraising, alumni relations, or related fields (preferably in athletics or higher education).
• Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated experience working with CRM software and fundraising databases.
• Core Skills: Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and project management capabilities, with a proven knack for donor engagement and multi-channel fundraising appeals.
• Availability & Environment: Flexibility to travel as needed for athletics events and engage in occasional evening and weekend work during peak fundraising periods and games.

Why Join UE Athletics?

At the University of Evansville, philanthropy is the fuel that powers championship-level experiences for our student-athletes. As our Athletics Annual Giving Officer, you will work in a collaborative, high-energy Division I environment where your daily creativity and donor outreach directly translate into enhanced resources, facility upgrades, and programmatic success for the Purple Aces.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should complete the online application via the University of Evansville’s employment portal: http://www.evansville.edu/offices/hr/...

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