Assistant Athletic Director for Annual Giving, Great Dane Athletic Club

As a member of the Division of University Advancement, the Assistant Athletic Director for Annual Giving is charged with contributing to the success of UAlbany's annual unrestricted gifts campaign, which has an overall goal of raising $6+ million in charitable donations from alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty, staff, and corporations annually. This individual's primary responsibility is to increase philanthropic support for UAlbany by securing annual fund gifts through the Great Dane Athletic Club (GDAC), the membership-based annual giving program focused on UAlbany Athletics.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of Athletics annual giving prospects and donors, with a focus on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Conduct regular outreach through face-to-face visits, phone calls, virtual meetings, and event-based engagement. Identify and assess major gift potential and strategically transition qualified prospects to the Associate Athletic Director for Development. Work strategically to increase donor retention, upgrade giving levels, and grow overall participation.

• Primarily responsible for daily operations of GDAC, including coordination between Advancement and Athletics colleagues to track and allocate benefits, seating and parking allocations, gift processing, related game-day operations, special events and activities.

• In coordination with the Office of Annual Giving, taking a leadership role in the design and implementation of direct marketing and solicitation efforts for UAlbany Athletics donors and prospective donor segments.

• Coordinating with the Office of Donor Relations and Athletics colleagues to facilitate enhanced stewardship, excellent customer service, and fan experience to Athletics donors, including recognition at events, inclusion in high-level donor activities, special access to Athletic events, and profiles in university web and print materials.

• Collaborating with colleagues from Athletics and the UAlbany Alumni Association with initiatives related to fan engagement, and the formation of a focused strategy on engaging the community to increase ticket sales, fundraising, and overall pride in UAlbany Athletics.

• Representation at numerous external functions, home and away athletic contests, donor trips, and University functions while always maintaining the highest level of professionalism, including numerous daily phone calls and frequent personal interaction with donors. Helps to organize special events and projects in support of the Athletics program's fundraising efforts.

• Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to direct reports to ensure goals, programs, activities, and personnel practices are consistent with and contribute to the University's goals and strategies. Lead employees for maximum performance and dedication. Complete performance management feedback and goals in a timely manner and per requirements.   

• Other reasonable duties as assigned.

Functional and Supervisory Relationships:

• Reports to: Associate Director of Athletics for Development.

  Job Requirements:

  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, manage multiple projects and take initiative.

  • Ability to attend all home football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse games, along with occasionally attending away athletic contests and other related events, all of which frequently occur on nights and weekends.

  • Familiarity and understanding of current issues in intercollegiate athletics and higher education.

  • Ability to direct and perform confidential, detailed work with accuracy under deadline pressure.

  • Working knowledge of and familiarity with NCAA rules and regulations, particularly those impacting representatives of the institution's athletics interests.

  • Ability to work with university and donor database systems.

  • Proficient with the Microsoft Suite of products, particularly Excel.

  • Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community.

  • Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role.

  Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education or internationally recognized accrediting organization.

  • 2+ years of full-time professional experience in annual giving at a higher educational institution.

  Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience in athletics fundraising at a Division I institution.

  • Experience coordinating "day of giving" or similar fundraising campaigns.

  Working Environment:

  • Typical office environment.

  • Indoor and outdoor athletic competition venues.