Director, Development Athletics

Lindenwood University • Saint Charles, MO

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University is a premier, independent comprehensive institution known for student-centric focus and innovation. Lindenwood is committed to providing an exceptional, values-driven education that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an exciting time to join the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operational infrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities, and enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regional constituents to support student success, experiential learning, and innovative campus spaces. At Lindenwood, we benefit from working at a picturesque, historic campus, located in a thriving micro-urban community that’s adjacent to a major metropolitan city. In fact, in Business Insider named St. Charles the best college town in Missouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized Lindenwood University as the Best College/University.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in soliciting major donors and gifts, preferably for an intercollegiate or intermural athletics program
• Working knowledge of the best practices and trends associated with intercollegiate athletics
• Experience in a higher education environment, ideally having participated in a comprehensive campaign, capital campaign, or fundraising for capital projects
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Deep understanding of the principles that drive fundraising success, including prospect discovery, donor lifecycle, storytelling, and pipeline segmentation and analysis
• Experience in writing proposals and gift agreements
• Demonstrated ability to effectively build relationships and alliances with internal and external audiences
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of the field’s best and current concepts, practices, and procedures
• Proven track record of securing major gifts of $25,000 and above OR comparable results within a business-to-business (B2B) or inside sales setting
• Knowledge of planned giving techniques and vehicles
• Skilled in providing attention to detail
• Empathetic listener with corresponding excellence in verbal and written communication
• Ability to maintain accuracy under time pressure with multiple priorities and deadlines
• Ability to provide discretion with confidential information

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge preferred

Responsibilities

• Manages a portfolio of major donor prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more, with a focus on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and gift closure
• Coordinates with Assistant Vice President of Development, the Vice President for Athletics, development colleagues, and prospect researcher to develop and implement strategies to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals
• Meets with donors and donor prospects 25-50% time via travel, on-campus visits, phone, and video conferencing, including some evenings and weekends
• Prepares donor proposals, reports, draft agreements, and donor communications tailored to donor interests
• Develops and executes strategies for assigned unit(s) that will support unit philanthropic priorities and successfully increase major gift support, in partnership with advancement and athletics leadership and advancement colleagues
• Develops and maintains close collaborative partnerships with athletics leadership and staff to gain a strong understanding of programs and initiatives to identify and define opportunities for private support
• Maintains expertise in major gift best practices, contemporary philanthropic trends, and evolving giving vehicles, translating industry insights into innovative strategies for prospect engagement and complex gift structuring
• Collaborates with advancement stewardship and engagement colleagues on developing strategic engagement plans for key alumni and donors
• Supervises the work of the assistant development officer, athletics advancement, which includes donation-based giving societies, alumni groups, donor suites, and fundraising events like the annual Black and Gold Benefit
• Utilizes Raiser’s Edge to document all activities, interactions and other relevant data.
• Participates in advancement meetings and events, assisting colleagues and providing support for all ongoing programs and operations as needed to help meet institutional engagement and fundraising goals
• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values
• Conducts meaningful and authentic donor acknowledgement and stewardship activities
• Cultivates strong relationships with individual donors, alumni, and friends of the University
• Advises advancement and athletics leaders on internal and external constituency relations
• Provides leadership to campus colleagues on current, effective fundraising techniques
• Mentors other members of the advancement team in industry best practices
• Job may require other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only)
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only)
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior