Syracuse University · 1 month ago
Assistant Athletic Director of Development, Annual Fund
Syracuse, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expSyracuse University is a private, international research university with a rich history and diverse offerings. The Assistant Athletic Director of Development, Annual Fund is responsible for overseeing the annual fund strategy and enhancing philanthropic contributions to support athletics.
ArtEducationHigher EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Strategize, develop and execute fundraising plans to solicit and secure annual fundraising gifts from alumni, parents and friends of Syracuse University in support of Athletics. The key results for this role are overall growth in donors, increased alumni giving, increased renewals, and continued growth in upgrades for pipeline development for leadership annual giving, gift planning, family giving, and other programs
Oversee and coordinate broad annual fundraising cycles (fall campaign, calendar year end, winter/spring campaigns, Day of Giving, with many smaller segmented initiatives in each fiscal quarter
Lead renewal and premium sales strategy and leverage contributions associated with memberships, annual benefits, priority points and donor rank, premium seating, suites, gameday hospitality, parking, and tickets
Oversee and evaluate annual fund performance on a year-over- year basis, utilizing key performance indicators and trend analysis to assess fundraising effectiveness and donor engagement
Monitor total contributions, donor count, and giving levels to proactively anticipate and plan for shifts in funding patterns throughout the donor lifecycle
Provide strategic recommendations and implement targeted initiatives to optimize fund performance, drive donor retention, and expand the contributor base to support sustainable growth
Manage and direct one full-time employee in the Data Analyst. This includes hiring, training, supervising, and meeting regularly with them to discuss business intelligence and prospecting strategies and progress toward goals
Support their efforts in analyzing data
Identify, amplify and balance the right mix of messaging, channels, segmentation, and digital tools to maximize growth of the donor engagement pipeline as well as strategies for renewals and upgrade of donors
Maintain updated plans, solicitations and opportunities for identified/segmented groups, as well as all other activities relative to donors and prospects
Report results of all solicitations/gifts in the CITRUS/CRM database including meaningful interactions and ensuring the accuracy of the data entry
As part of the overarching business intelligence (BI) strategy, partner with Prospect Management and Analytics to advance reporting efforts to effectively understand donor acquisition, renewal and reactivation programs
Liaison to Legends Group General Manager and Sales & Service team
Provide consistent assistance, including direction and guidance for the ’CAF annual benefits and membership program. Work collaboratively across various athletics departments, teams, campus department and corporate sponsorships in order to ensure proper workflow and communication
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree is required
5+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, donor relations, event management, or advancement operations
Demonstrated experience in building and managing comprehensive annual fundraising plans
Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to interact effectively with donors, volunteers, coaches, and senior administrators
Experience working with CRM/fundraising databases (Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar platforms)
Valid Driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle is required
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays, as required by event schedules and athletics competitions
Preferred
Master's degree and/or equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred
Company
Syracuse University
Syracuse University offers diverse academic programs and student support services.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$77.65MKey Investors
Micron TechnologyUS Department of EnergyU.S. Department of Agriculture
2024-12-12Grant· $3M
2024-09-17Grant· $1.9M
2022-09-20Grant· $60M
Leadership Team
Sophie Clinton
Co-Founder, Co-Director of the Food Service Accountability Committee
Dara Royer
Chief Marketing Officer / SVP Marketing & Communications Division
Recent News
Central New York Business Journal
2026-01-14
2026-01-12
2025-10-25
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