Annual Giving Officer, Athletics

University of New Hampshire

10d•$54,990 - $98,150•Hybrid

About The Position

The Annual Giving Officer (AGO), Athletics leads annual giving efforts for UNH Athletics and its sport programs. Reporting to the Director of Annual Giving and working with the centralized Annual Giving team, the AGO helps set Athletics’ annual giving strategy and carries out a comprehensive program for alumni, student-athletes, coaches, staff, families, and friends through marketing and personal outreach across phone, email, mail, social media, and other digital channels. The AGO works with the Athletics Director, coaches, staff, and student-athletes to integrate annual giving across the department, identify funding priorities, support fundraising initiatives, and use constituents’ connections to grow the program. The role also manages a portfolio of donors and prospects, identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals to secure gifts advancing Athletics and the university’s mission and strategic plans. The position combines fundraising coordination (30%) with front-line fundraising (70%). It develops and implements strategy, coordinates communications and outreach, tracks goals and metrics, supports volunteers and sport programs, and collaborates across Development and Advancement. The officer manages and expands a portfolio, conducts 100–125 visits per fiscal year by video, phone, or in person, solicits annual gifts, plans engagement and stewardship strategies with colleagues, and qualifies prospects for leadership, major, or planned giving. The role requires travel locally, regionally, and occasionally elsewhere in the United States. This is a hybrid position, with employees expected to live within reasonable distance of the Durham, New Hampshire campus (under three hours) and come to campus as business needs dictate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 2–3 years of fundraising experience or equivalent experience in sales, business development, account or relationship management, marketing, and/or public relations.
Experience with annual giving strategies and donor qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, or demonstrated equivalent sales or marketing experience.
Understanding of the relevance of philanthropy.
Successful experience working in a metrics-driven environment.
Effective verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to build rapport, listen attentively, and gain acceptance or change others’ thinking in sensitive situations.
Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills, including the ability to work with varied audiences on ethics and compliance matters.
Cultural competence and sensitivity when interacting with diverse internal and external constituents.
Understanding of the responsibility to maintain sensitive information.
Sound judgment and ability to work collaboratively with diverse university units and others.
Effective project-management ability.
Ability to travel on behalf of the university, including local, regional, and domestic trips.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and advancement.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of the fundraising profession, its theories, and standards.
Knowledge of philanthropy policies, practices, and systems.
Familiarity with a university setting and fundraising campaigns.
Proficiency with database technologies and Microsoft Office.
Experience with portfolio management and volunteer engagement.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Director of Annual Giving to develop and implement an Athletics annual giving strategy aligned with the Athletics Director’s priorities and the university’s overall strategy.
Coordinate Athletics-specific messaging, content, and strategies for central Annual Giving direct marketing and communications across mail, phone, email, social media, and other channels.
Represent Athletics in The (603) Challenge by securing underwriter funds, coordinating outreach, driving goals and strategies, recruiting volunteers, and motivating coaches and staff to participate.
Help set metrics and goals for Athletics annual giving and monitor progress through reports.
Participate in events, programs, meetings, and initiatives supporting UNH and Athletics annual giving, as directed by leadership.
Consult with coaches and staff on sport-program annual giving efforts to ensure coordinated strategies and compliance with policies and procedures.
Engage, educate, and train key volunteers, and recruit new volunteers.
Collaborate across Development and Advancement to support university annual giving, fundraising, engagement goals, and strategic plans.
Manage and expand a portfolio of alumni, coaches, staff, friends, corporations, and other constituents capable of making annual gifts up to $25,000, maintaining frequent contact to build relationships and support.
Conduct 100–125 visits each fiscal year by video conference, phone, and/or in person.
Solicit annual gifts for Athletics and UNH to meet personal and unit-wide revenue and donor-participation goals.
Work with Development and Advancement colleagues on engagement, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to advance prospects.
Qualify prospects for potential leadership, major, and planned giving capacity and interest, and provide relevant background to colleagues.