Director of Advancement Events

State of Virginia•Fairfax, VA

50d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Advancement Events serves as a senior strategic leader within University Advancement, responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and quality standards for George Mason University's comprehensive portfolio of advancement events. This position provides executive-level oversight of all donor events, leading through strategic planning, innovation, and data-driven decision making to advance the university's philanthropic goals. The Director leads a team, including an Event Manager, who handles day-to-day execution, allowing the Director to focus on high-level strategy, stakeholder relationships, and ensuring each event serves as a transformative experience that deepens donor engagement and inspires increased philanthropic investment. Working collaboratively with Advancement leadership, academic and non-academic units, and the President's Office, this role shapes how Mason recognizes, cultivates, and celebrates its philanthropic community while positioning the university as a leader in donor engagement experiences.

Requirements

Master's degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
Significant experience with event planning and execution (typically six to nine years);
Experience in higher education advancement or alumni relations;
Considerable experience in a leadership or supervisory role (typically three to five years);
Demonstrated success in planning and executing large-scale events with VIP presence;
Demonstrated experience in developing KPIs and metrics for events;
Strong understanding of strategic planning principles in the context of higher education advancement;
Knowledge of alumni engagement, fundraising cycles, and institutional branding;
Understanding of multi-channel marketing and integrated communications strategies;
Knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive event design principles;
Familiarity with sustainable event practices and environmental stewardship;
Executive presence and comfort interacting with C-suite leaders and major donors;
Familiarity with university governance structures, schools/units, and advancement frameworks;
Advanced knowledge of event production, management, and industry best practices;
Understanding of donor engagement and stewardship principles;
Familiarity with alumni relations strategies and advancement donor relations and communications;
Strategic thinking and long-term planning skills;
Skill in CRM and reporting software;
Ability to align diverse stakeholder goals with institutional priorities;
Ability to manage multiple events simultaneously with tight timelines and high expectations;
Ability to coordinate across multiple teams (logistics, communications, data, development);
Strong communication skills;
Ability to tailor event experiences for high-value individuals and diverse audiences;
Entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of innovation.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a fundraising campaign;
Experience with project management tools (Monday.com, MS Teams);
Experience at an R-1 public university;
Skill in Salesforce;
Skill in MicroStrategy;
Skill in Anthology, or similar software; and
Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables and data visualization.

Responsibilities

Develops and champions a comprehensive 3-5 year strategic events roadmap that advances University fundraising goals, with annual reviews and updates based on campaign progress and institutional priorities;
Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) for the events portfolio, including ROI metrics, donor engagement scores, pipeline advancement, and alumni participation rates;
Leads strategic innovation in event design by researching industry best practices, implementing new technologies, and piloting creative formats and best practices from peer institutions and corporate philanthropy leaders to continuously elevate and differentiate George Mason's donor experiences;
Serves as the senior strategic advisor to the Assistant Vice President of Advancement and President's Office on all donor and prospective donor event strategies, providing recommendations on resource allocation and program priorities;
Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with deans, unit heads, and advancement leaders to ensure events support school-specific fundraising goals while maintaining institutional cohesion;
Directs the integration of events strategy with broader advancement initiatives, ensuring seamless alignment with annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and campaign strategies;
Analyzes market trends and competitor approaches to position George Mason's events as best-in-class experiences that attract and retain high-capacity donors;
Presents quarterly strategic reports to Advancement leadership on event portfolio performance, emerging opportunities, and recommended strategic pivots;
Co-leads the strategic planning and execution of major university-wide events, and presidential donor and prospective donor engagement programs, such as donor recognition events (celebration of giving, staff/donor appreciation, scholarship breakfast, etc.), donor recognition society events, naming events, presidential events, and campaign milestone celebrations; and
Works collaboratively with units/schools/colleges, Central Advancement, the George Mason University Foundation, Advancement Donor Stewardship and Communications, and other university stakeholders.
Co-leads the strategic conception, planning, and oversees the execution of signature events such as regional gatherings, milestone celebrations, and donor recognition events;
Leads the planning and execution of presidential level engagement events;
Manages Presidential, Vice Presidential, BOT, BOV, NLC, PIAC, and other group events including strategic planning, execution, and post-event evaluation;
Works with Office of Donor Stewardship to plan and execute donor recognition dedications;
Collaborates across the university to execute milestone Advancement celebrations, including any Mason Now (campaign) events;
Works closely with the Office of Annual Giving on Mason Giving Day, helping with event planning and execution, while maintaining a strategic focus;
Defines and champions the strategic vision for George Mason's signature event portfolio, establishing quality standards and success metrics that position the university as a leader in donor engagement experiences;
Designs and monitors comprehensive event-specific KPIs including event ROI (gift revenue generated / donor engagement vs. event investment), donor advancement metrics (prospects moved through pipeline), engagement scoring (attendee satisfaction and follow-up actions), and brand impact measurements (media value and reach);
Leads strategic vendor partnerships by establishing preferred partner relationships, negotiating master agreements, and ensuring vendors align with George Mason's quality standards and values;
Oversees development of contingency frameworks and risk mitigation strategies for high-profile events, ensuring institutional reputation protection;
Benchmarks George Mason's events against ACC institutions and aspirational peers, presenting quarterly competitive analysis on event experiences and outcomes;
Approves final event concepts and critical path timelines for signature events, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives;
Reviews and authorizes event budgets, maintaining fiscal responsibility while maximizing impact;
Conducts strategic debriefs of major events with stakeholders to capture learnings and drive continuous improvement; and
Ensures brand consistency through approval of high-level creative concepts and messaging strategies.
Develops and implements personalized engagement strategies for the top 100 donors, creating individualized touchpoint plans that leverage events as key relationship-building moments;
Designs VIP experience protocols that differentiate engagement levels based on giving capacity, ensuring major donors receive white-glove treatment at all central development events;
Creates and maintains a stakeholder influence map identifying key connectors, advocates, and influencers within the donor community to maximize network effects;
Establishes donor journey mapping that strategically positions events as cultivation and stewardship milestones, moving prospects through the philanthropic pipeline;
Leads the development of volunteer engagement strategies that activate alumni and donors as event ambassadors and peer advocates;
Tracks and analyzes donor behavior patterns including event attendance correlation with giving increases, engagement scores based on multi-channel interactions, lifetime value progression after event participation, and peer influence metrics from event networking;
Pioneers personalized event experiences using donor data insights to customize invitations, seating arrangements, recognition moments, and follow-up strategies;
Develops strategic networking frameworks for events that facilitate meaningful connections between donors with shared interests and giving priorities; and
Creates post-event engagement protocols that capitalize on event momentum through personalized follow-up within 48-72 hours.
Responsible for personnel management, setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university's plans and vision and communicates them to direct reports;
Organizes workflow and ensures that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;
Monitors employee productivity and provides constructive feedback and coaching;
Receives complaints and resolves problems;
Maintains timekeeping and personnel records;
Passes on information from upper management to employees and vice versa;
Prepares and submits performance evaluations;
Hires and trains new employees;
Ensures adherence to legal and university policies and procedures, and undertaking disciplinary actions if the need arises; and
Performs other related duties as assigned within the scope of the role.