Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) Yearlong Internship Program

YEARLONG INTERNSHIP PROGRAM OVERVIEW 
 

OVERVIEW  

The Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) Yearlong Internship Program offers current undergraduate, graduate, or recent college graduate students a hands-on, academically enriching experience working alongside development, operations, and communications professionals within one of the premier athletic fundraising organizations in the country. 

This yearlong internship is designed to introduce students to philanthropy in college athletics, donor stewardship, event management, marketing, and nonprofit financial operations, equipping them with meaningful career exposure, transferable skills, and professional mentorship. 

The program is overseen by Chief of Staff, Allie Ware, who provides overall structure, guidance, and support to the student cohort. 

PROGRAM MISSION 

To provide interns with immersive, real-world experience that develops leadership, professionalism, and an understanding of philanthropic impact while meaningfully supporting the Virginia Athletics Foundation’s commitment to advancing UVA Athletics.  

PROGRAM STRUCTURE 

Duration: Academic year (September–May) 

Location: On Site in Charlottesville, VA 
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students, graduate students, or recent college graduates 
Time Commitment: 20 hours per week, some weekends and events required  
Pay: Stipend available contingent on experience  
 

Each intern will apply to one of the five following teams below and receive direct supervision, mentorship, and project assignments aligned with that team’s work.  

HOW TO APPLY 

If interested, please email your cover letter and resume to Allie Ware, Chief of Staff, Virginia Athletics Foundation (aware@virginia.edu). 

1. ANNUAL GIVING INTERNSHIP 

Reports To: Abby Tharpe, Assistant Director of Annual Giving  
Focus: Support the strategy, operations, and communication efforts tied to Annual Giving initiatives (primarily the Annul Fund) and donor engagement initiatives. 
Sample Responsibilities: 

• Assist with donor segmentation lists, data cleanup, and outreach 

• Support communication campaigns for the Annual Fund 

• Help coordinate Sabre Society engagement activities 

• Work with partners such as Ticket Office, Athletics Administration, and External Affairs 

• Support logistics for Benefits and Development Committee meetings 

• Assist with reporting, acknowledgement processes, and campaign tracking 

Learning Outcomes: Interns will gain exposure to: 

• Fundraising strategy and donor lifecycle 

• Donor engagement and stewardship systems 

• Cross-department collaboration 

• Data-informed fundraising practices 

2. DONOR EXPERIENCE INTERNSHIP 

Reports To: Jess Armistead, Senior Director of Donor Experiences 

Focus: Support donor engagement, stewardship, and event execution across premium seating, special events, and hospitality environments. 

Sample Responsibilities: 

• Assist with suite operations at Scott Stadium, Disharoon Park, and John Paul Jones Arena 

• Support event planning logistics for: 

• Spring and fall social tours 

• Sports reunions 

• Sport-specific fundraising events 

• Facility dedications 

• Special recognition celebrations 

• Help prepare donor communications and Sabre Society stewardship materials 

• Assist with event check-in, guest experience, and post-event follow up 

• Conduct research on donor engagement best practices 

• Learning Outcomes: Interns will gain experience in: 

• High-level event operations 

• Relationship stewardship 

• Project management and hospitality coordination 

• Professional communication and teamwork 

3. GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERNSHIP 

Reports To: Elizabeth Sowards, Coordinator of Marketing and Communications 
Focus: Provide visual design support for the Virginia Athletics Foundation by creating professional, brand-aligned graphics for digital and print use. 

Sample Responsibilities: 

• Design graphics for campaigns, donor stewardship, events, and presentations 

• Create visuals for social media, website assets, and email content 

• Develop layouts for brochures, invitations, signage, and reports 

• Maintain VAF brand consistency across all creative projects 

• Prepare print-ready and digital-ready files 

• Assist with organizing and maintaining creative asset libraries 

Learning Outcomes: Interns will gain exposure to:  

• Applied graphic design in a professional environment  

• Working within brand standards and creative guidelines  

• Using design software and production workflows  

• Translating creative concepts into finished materials  

• Collaborating with development, events, and donor experience teams 

Preferred Skills: Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).  

4. BUSINESS, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE INTERNSHIP 

Reports To: Kyle Rae, Chief Financial Officer 
Focus: Support financial operations, budgeting processes, accounting efforts and organizational business functions that sustain the Foundation.  

Sample Responsibilities: 

• Assist with financial reporting preparation and financial analysis efforts 

• Help organize and track budget documents 

• Support accounting reconciliation tasks 

• Assist with donor gift processing oversight and tracking 

• Conduct compliance documentation reviews 

• Support HR processes such as onboarding materials and recruiting logistics 

• Assist with business intelligence projects and internal reporting dashboards 

Learning Outcomes: Interns will gain exposure to: 

• Nonprofit financial operations and accounting standards 

• Budget management and reporting 

• Compliance and accountability practices 

• HR processes and organizational support workflows 

5. DATA & ANALYTICS INTERNSHIP 

Reports To: Stu Sutton, Chief Operating Officer  
Focus: The Data & Analytics Intern will support data-driven pricing strategy for Virginia Athletics by benchmarking ticketing and premium product pricing against Power 4 peer institutions. The role is focused on analyzing season ticket, parking, premium seating, loge seating, and single-game pricing to identify market positioning, revenue opportunities, and strategic insights that inform future pricing decisions. 

Sample Responsibilities: 

• Collect and organize pricing data for season tickets, parking, premium seating, loge seating, and single-game tickets across select Power 4 peer institutions 

• Develop a standardized benchmarking framework to compare pricing structures, tiers, and benefits across peers 

• Maintain a centralized pricing database to support ongoing analysis and future annual updates 

• Analyze UVA pricing relative to peers to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities 

• Support evaluation of historical pricing changes and year-over-year trends (as data is available) 

• Create clear, executive-friendly visualizations (charts, tables, heat maps) to communicate findings 

• Assist with demand and market positioning analysis to inform pricing strategy discussions 

• Summarize insights into concise recommendation briefs for VAF and Athletics leadership 

• Present findings and progress updates to VAF staff throughout the academic year 

• Collaborate with Business & Finance, Ticket Office, and external partners as appropriate to validate data and assumptions 

Learning Outcomes: Interns will gain exposure to:  

• Gain hands-on experience in pricing strategy and peer benchmarking 

• Learn to collect, analyze, and organize real-world data 

• Develop skills translating data into actionable insights 

• Strengthen Excel and data visualization capabilities 

• Build executive-level communication and presentation skills 

• Understand how data supports revenue and strategic decision-making in college athletics 

PROGRAM SUPPORT AND COHORT EXPERIENCE 

Orientation and Training 
Interns will receive onboarding led by Allie Ware including: 

• Overview of VAF mission and structure 

• Expectations, professionalism, and confidentiality 

• Introduction to each department 

Professional Development 
Throughout the year, interns will participate in: 

• Shadow opportunities with VAF staff 

• Skill-building workshops (communication, networking, career planning) 

• Speaker sessions with athletics and foundation leadership 

Each month, interns will hear from: 

• Members of the VAF staff 

• Industry professionals across college athletics and philanthropy 

• Members of the VAF Board of Trustees 

Speakers will share insight into: 

• Their career paths and professional experiences 

• The roles they play in supporting Virginia Athletics 

• Lessons learned, leadership insights, and advice for students exploring careers in sports, nonprofits, and advancement 

Interns will receive: 

• Mid-year and end-of-year feedback 

• Opportunity to present final project or reflection to executive team 

• Letter of recommendation upon successful completion (as appropriate) 

• Exclusive UVA team issued gear 

• Hands-on career preparation and gameday experience 

• Mentorship from industry professionals 

• Meaningful contribution to a nationally recognized athletics foundation 

• Resume-building project experience 

• Networking with donors, athletics staff, and institutional partners