Associate Athletic Director for Development

Lewis University

$80K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
  • 3+ years of experience in fundraising or sponsorship, ideally in collegiate athletics or non-profit.
  • Proven track record in major gift cultivation and solicitation.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with donors and corporate partners.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Familiarity with donor management systems (e.g., Salesforce, Raisers Edge) and Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

  • Lead athletic development initiatives with University Advancement, overseeing all fundraising aspects.
  • Manage a diverse portfolio of prospects, implementing annual fundraising initiatives.
  • Enhance the Flyer Club's success through membership development and donor stewardship.
  • Secure and manage high-value corporate partnerships to boost revenue.
  • Collaborate with staff to create and execute donor engagement events.
  • Support assigned sports programs to meet competitive and academic goals.
  • Engage with the community to strengthen relationships with alumni and supporters.
  • Maintain donor records and ensure compliance with relevant policies.

Benefits

  • Access to professional development opportunities.
  • Engagement in a collaborative and mission-driven work environment.
  • Participation in donor and alumni events and activities.
  • Involvement in diverse fundraising strategies contributing to community development.
Full Job Description
PAF/Position Details

Position Details

Position Title
Associate Athletic Director for Development

Position Status
Full-Time

Budget Summary

Base Pay
$80,070

Position Summary Information

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Athletics with a dotted-line relationship to the Executive Director of University Advancement, the Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Development serves on the department's senior leadership team and provides strategic leadership for athletic fundraising, the Flyer Club, major gifts, and high-level corporate partnerships. The position is responsible for generating philanthropic support and select external revenue, strengthening relationships with donors and corporate partners, and advancing the department's strategic priorities while enhancing the student-athlete experience.

For more information on our benefits, please click the link Office of Human Resources | Benefit

Responsibilities

Responsible to model the University Mission through dedicated job performance, service excellence to constituencies, respectful collaboration and active support of the University's Mission and Catholic and Lasallian higher education.

Key Responsibilities:

-Lead the department's athletic development efforts in collaboration with University Advancement, overseeing annual giving, leadership giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, donor stewardship, planned giving, and the strategic direction of the Flyer Club.

-Develop and manage a balanced portfolio of alumni, parents, corporate partners, and community stakeholders by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual, leadership, major, and planned gift prospects while leading annual fundraising initiatives, including Giving Day, crowdfunding, alumni appeals, and digital campaigns.

-Direct the growth and success of the Flyer Club through membership development, donor engagement, stewardship, communications, member benefits, and volunteer leadership.

-Cultivate, solicit, negotiate, and manage high-value corporate partnerships that generate significant revenue for Lewis Athletics while collaborating with external operations staff on partnership activation and fulfillment.

-Collaborate with coaches and administrators to develop fundraising strategies and execute donor engagement events, including the annual golf outing, alumni events, Hall of Fame, and donor stewardship activities.

-Serve as a sport supervisor for assigned programs, supporting coaches in achieving competitive, academic, and developmental goals for student-athletes.

-Support community and donor engagement initiatives that strengthen relationships with alumni, supporters, and corporate partners.

-Maintain accurate donor records, manage gift reporting, and ensure all activities comply with university, NCAA, and conference policies.

-Represent Lewis Athletics at university, alumni, community, and donor events to strengthen philanthropic and corporate relationships.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
  • At least 3 years of successful fundraising, development, or sponsorship experience, preferably in a collegiate athletics or non-profit environment.
  • Demonstrated experience in cultivating and soliciting major gifts.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with donors, alumni, and corporate partners.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficiency with donor management systems (i.e., salesforce, raisers edge, donor management database, etc.) and Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Ability to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience working in intercollegiate athletics.
  • Knowledge of NCAA compliance rules and athletic department operations.
  • Three to five years of experience in personally soliciting individuals for philanthropic support at the leadership annual giving level ($2,500+).
  • Experience negotiating and managing corporate sponsorship contracts.
  • Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
  • Familiarity with planned giving and campaign fundraising.
  • Experience working with Raisers Edge, RENXT or Fundraiser Performance Management (Reeher).
  • Demonstrated success managing a donor portfolio and meeting annual fundraising goals.


Essential Duties

Work hours

Full-Time 37.5 hours per week.

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number
S01772

Posting Date

Closing Date

Open Until Filled
No

Special Instructions Summary

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Lewis University

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Associate Athletic Director for Development jobs: