Associate Director of Development, Athletics

The George Washington University Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division is seeking an Associate Director of Development, Athletics.

DAR is responsible for leading the university’s alumni and fundraising efforts and seeks to promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the university community, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations, patients and other friends. Our goal is to advance GWs mission of excellence in education, research, scholarship, and patient care.

The Athletics Fundraising Team is designed to build strong relationships between fans and alumni, former student-athletes, and GW families and the university, facilitating upwards of $2M annually in support of the athletics department attainment goal. The Athletics Fundraising Team is focused on raising funds to support athletics priorities from the constituency of GW alumni, families, fans, and former student-athletes advancing the unit attainment.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, this position will engage with a portfolio of approximately 90-120 prospects in order to secure gifts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000+ from prospects. The Associate Director of Development will work closely with prospect research and development/alumni relations colleagues in identifying, cultivating, and tracking major gift prospects.

This position will also establish effective working relationships with fellow school/unit fundraisers, deans, department heads, faculty and administrative staff of the university to accomplish fundraising goals.

The Associate Director of Development plays a critical role in developing meaningful connections with alumni, parents, and friends of the athletic department while developing strategies to move them across the donor continuum which will result in stronger engagement and philanthropic support (outright and planned gifts). This is accomplished through engagement both one-on-one with a portfolio of approximately 90-120 prospects, and through execution of volunteer management that drives prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

This team member will serve as an honest broker of donor interests and fundraising opportunities and model a collaborative approach to fundraising at all times while working with urgency and independence.

This experienced position serves as a liaison between the school or unit development team and his/her portfolio of alumni, parents and friends of the university in order to plan and implement fundraising activities. This role partners with the athletic director, coaches ,deans, faculty, central and school based development staff to meet fundraising goals, execute events, and build affinity in support of philanthropic priorities. This position will work to devise and execute a strategy to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts in a portfolio of approximately 90-120 prospects in order to secure gifts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000+ from prospects in an assigned region. This position will conduct an average of 12-15 prospect visits monthly and will document these discovery/cultivation/stewardship interactions.

This will entail collaborating closely with fellow school/unit fundraisers, deans, department heads, faculty and administrative staff of the university to accomplish fundraising goals, in addition to working closely with prospect research and development/alumni relations colleagues in identifying, cultivating, and tracking major gift prospects. This role plays a critical role in developing meaningful connections with alumni, parents, and friends of the school while developing strategies to move them across the donor continuum to result in stronger engagement and philanthropic support (outright and planned gifts). Additional responsibilities include preparation of briefing packets for university leadership, developing or assisting with the creation of letters of support, concept papers, proposals and reports for funders on behalf of its individual school/unit and faculty, as well as maintaining proper documentation of fundraising activities in the database (Advance) including strategies, correspondence, visits, proposals, and solicitations.

Additional Duties:

• Develop and implement strategies to move major and principal gift prospects through the donor continuum with urgency each fiscal year, securing gifts to meet annual personal attainment goals. Travels to meet with prospects and donors to conduct fundraising work and to grow a diverse donor base.

• Work with the athletics marketing and communications team to help ensure the engagement of fans with philanthropic support of athletics as a whole.

• Build and maintain relationships with appropriate coaches and administrators across the department to understand and effectively communicate funding priorities. Operates with independence and initiative while collaborating with team members to share best practices. Maintains proper documentation of fundraising activities in the database (Advance) including strategies, correspondence, visits, proposals, and solicitations.

Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

If interested, please apply at: https://www.gwu.jobs/postings/114504

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Successful Completion of a Background Screening will be required as a condition of hire.