Associate Director of Development for Annual Giving

at  Utah State University

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Associate Athletics Director for Development, responsibilities of the Associate Director of Development for Annual Giving (Development Officer II) include, but are not limited to: providing a first-class philanthropic experience to fans of Aggie Athletics by leveraging digital, direct marketing, and in-person engagement to effectively build relationships for the purpose of increasing both donors and dollars raised; researching, contacting, solicitating and stewarding annual giving prospects (under $25,000); provide leadership in one or more areas of essential donor relations programming; coordination of donor activities at select athletic events; and representation of the Athletic Department at University and community events.
The Associate Director of Development for Annual Giving is responsible for raising gifts to support the mission, vision and priorities of USU Athletics. The position will focus on growing the athletics annual giving program. The position is responsible for achieving identified goals and objectives established by the Associate Athletics Director for Development in coordination with the Athletic Director and Vice President of Advancement. The position will also work closely with various members of the advancement division, coaching staff, athletic development staff, and other appropriate campus and external groups.

Responsibilities:

• Soliciting and closing annual gifts is critical, with a primary focus on increasing both dollars and donors to athletics.
• Working within the framework of the Prospect Management System to actively engage and build relationships with alumni, supporters, season ticket holders, and prospects
• Overseeing the athletics annual fund direct marketing, solicitation, and membership renewal process.
• Leveraging technology including email, video conferencing software, and social media platforms to build rapport, steward and solicit donors in a fan-centric, targeted, high-velocity manner.
• Working home games, performing various donor relations and fan development duties as assigned.
• Providing leadership in one or more areas of essential donor relations programming (benefits fulfillment, donor parking, stewardship, and donor recognition societies).
• Acting as development office liaison to Utah State Athletics Ticket Office, Marketing, and Aggie Sports Properties.
• Meeting annual goals as established by the Associate Athletics Director in collaboration with the Athletic Director and Vice President of Advancement.
• Cultivate and solicit prospective donors for gifts to support Aggie Athletics including the Blue A Society, Big Blue Scholarship Fund, Merlin Olsen Fund, Wayne Estes Fund, Capital Projects, Sport Gift Accounts, and other athletics related funds.
• Developing collaborative relationships with other gift officers and athletics and advancement personnel to advance the achievement of goals.
• Some travel, including overnight, is required.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree is required plus one year of experience OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in fundraising, marketing, or ticket sales experience, preferably in college athletics.
• Must be able to travel frequently.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree
• 1-2 years of successful experience in college athletics fundraising.
• Experience in college athletics as a student-athlete, coach or administrator.
• Knowledge and experience in using fundraising software systems and Paciolan ticketing system
• Understanding of priority seating programs including benefit fulfillment, and athletic development industry standards.
• Record of success in establishing positive relationships with boosters, alumni, students, faculty and staff; ability to work productively with the university and the community.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including excellent writing and editing skills.
• Persistence and resourcefulness in developing and executing solicitation strategies and closing gifts/sales.
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
• Highly developed organizational skills, including the ability to work under pressure to handle multiple prospects and requests, and meet competing deadlines.
• Ability to foster positive interpersonal relationships and professional image with external and internal constituencies.
• Commitment to following NCAA rules.
  Required Documents:

Along with the online application, please attach:

• Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

Document size may not exceed 10 MB.
Advertised Salary: Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits ADA:
Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.
College/Department Highlights:
The Division of Advancement is a welcoming office where teamwork and inclusiveness are highly valued. Advancement staff are engaged in the meaningful work of securing private financial resources to fuel Utah State University’s mission by creating gratifying gift and engagement experiences for USU’s generous and passionate alumni and friends. Comprising the division are the office of the Vice President, the USU Foundation & Board, Advancement Services, the Alumni Association (Alumni Engagement), Gift Planning, Corporations and Foundations, Strategic Communications, Stewardship, the Annual Fund and ACE (Alumni Center for Engagement). Furthermore, the division coordinates all fundraising efforts across campus, including colleges, various programs, extension campuses, and USU Athletics. Through the collaboration of these units, the Division of Advancement is able to achieve significant annual fundraising goals by inspiring stakeholders to invest their time and resources in Utah State University.
University Highlights:
Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.
Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU.
The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu.

• Soliciting and closing annual gifts is critical, with a primary focus on increasing both dollars and donors to athletics.
• Working within the framework of the Prospect Management System to actively engage and build relationships with alumni, supporters, season ticket holders, and prospects
• Overseeing the athletics annual fund direct marketing, solicitation, and membership renewal process.
• Leveraging technology including email, video conferencing software, and social media platforms to build rapport, steward and solicit donors in a fan-centric, targeted, high-velocity manner.
• Working home games, performing various donor relations and fan development duties as assigned.
• Providing leadership in one or more areas of essential donor relations programming (benefits fulfillment, donor parking, stewardship, and donor recognition societies).
• Acting as development office liaison to Utah State Athletics Ticket Office, Marketing, and Aggie Sports Properties.
• Meeting annual goals as established by the Associate Athletics Director in collaboration with the Athletic Director and Vice President of Advancement.
• Cultivate and solicit prospective donors for gifts to support Aggie Athletics including the Blue A Society, Big Blue Scholarship Fund, Merlin Olsen Fund, Wayne Estes Fund, Capital Projects, Sport Gift Accounts, and other athletics related funds.
• Developing collaborative relationships with other gift officers and athletics and advancement personnel to advance the achievement of goals.
• Some travel, including overnight, is required