Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement

Illinois State•Normal, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement provides enterprise leadership for an integrated engagement strategy that advances Illinois State University’s mission, strengthens alumni connection, and drives measurable engagement and philanthropic outcomes. Building on a strong foundation of alumni engagement programming and volunteer leadership, annual giving solicitation and stewardship, and major gift/planned gift donor stewardship and engagement, this role leads an integrated engagement ecosystem connecting more than 245,000 alumni to the University through coordinated alumni engagement, annual giving, and donor stewardship strategies. Recognizing that alumni and donors of Illinois State interact and engage with the University in various and sometimes multiple ways, the AVP advances Illinois State’s engagement and philanthropic priorities through a strategic, metrics-driven approach that strengthens the alumni and donor experience across multiple platforms and touchpoints. This role positions Illinois State for continued growth in alumni engagement and fundraising and campaign success through a strategic, collaborative, and relationship-centered approach. The AVP is accountable for translating engagement into measurable performance, expanding alumni engagement, increasing donor participation and retention, strengthening stewardship and recognition, and building a scalable pipeline for philanthropic support. This role aligns strategy, execution, communications, stewardship, and performance management across three core functions: Alumni Engagement (connection and affinity), Annual Giving (participation and donor growth), and Donor Stewardship (retention and lifetime value). The Assistant Vice President reports to the Vice President for University Advancement, serves on the Advancement Leadership Team, and partners broadly across campus to strengthen the University’s culture of engagement and philanthropy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advancement, alumni engagement, annual giving, donor relations or related fields.
Demonstrated record of delivering measurable results, including growth in alumni engagement, donor participation, annual giving performance, stewardship effectiveness, and/or pipeline development.
Proven ability to design and execute integrated engagement strategies that translate constituent connection into institutional outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to manage volunteers and volunteer boards/committees.
Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including organizational design, talent development, and performance management.
Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership, boards, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in complex environments and build collaborative relationships across units and constituencies.
Demonstrated ability to use data, analytics, and performance metrics to guide strategy, decision-making, and disciplined execution.
Willingness and ability to travel and work evenings and weekends as required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Significant experience in higher education advancement.
Experience leading integrated alumni engagement, annual giving, and/or donor stewardship functions.
Familiarity with CASE engagement metrics and advancement best practices.
Experience with enterprise CRM platforms such as Salesforce or similar systems.
Experience supporting or leading comprehensive campaign efforts.
Experience working with volunteers and advisory boards.
Experience leading engagement-related communications, events, or donor experience initiatives.

Responsibilities

Provides enterprise leadership for an integrated engagement strategy that advances Illinois State University’s mission, strengthens alumni connection, and drives measurable engagement and philanthropic outcomes.
Leads an integrated engagement ecosystem connecting more than 245,000 alumni to the University through coordinated alumni engagement, annual giving, and donor stewardship strategies.
Advances Illinois State’s engagement and philanthropic priorities through a strategic, metrics-driven approach that strengthens the alumni and donor experience across multiple platforms and touchpoints.
Translates engagement into measurable performance, expanding alumni engagement, increasing donor participation and retention, strengthening stewardship and recognition, and building a scalable pipeline for philanthropic support.
Aligns strategy, execution, communications, stewardship, and performance management across three core functions: Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, and Donor Stewardship.
Reports to the Vice President for University Advancement.
Serves on the Advancement Leadership Team.
Partners broadly across campus to strengthen the University’s culture of engagement and philanthropy.