Director of Philanthropy, Athletics

Florida Institute of Technology•Melbourne, FL

About The Position

The Director of Philanthropy, Athletics, is a frontline fundraising professional responsible for the management of a portfolio of major gift prospects and corporate sponsors comprised of alumni and friends with an affinity to Athletics. Prospect management includes discovery and qualification of new prospects, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, with a strong focus on cultivating long-term relationships with donors who have the capacity to make transformative gifts, while leveraging the relationships and vision of university leaders to secure support for strategic priorities and initiatives. This position reports to the VP of Philanthropy and maintains a functional reporting relationship to the Director of Athletics. This role communicates and travels extensively to develop and strengthen prospect relationships. Participates in a broad range of events on and off campus having a strategic impact on the success of individual prospect relationships. This role demonstrates establishing positive, collaborative, mutually respectful, and effective working relationships with scholar-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty, alums, and the public in support of both the University’s mission and the Athletics department mission of developing diverse athletes into scholars, champions, and leaders prepared to become global influencers in their relentless pursuit of greatness. Florida Institute of Technology is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). In meeting the University’s tradition of ethical conduct at all levels of university life, this role is responsible for demonstrating a commitment to represent the University in an honorable and ethical manner and complying with all athletic, NCAA, SSC, and established Federal Government policies and protocols, including the use of all athletic and university software and technology systems, documentation, travel arrangements, equipment/supplies maintenance, orders, and community service. This role is a Campus Security Authority (“CSA”) as defined by the Clery Act and will comply with university policies on the reporting of crime statistics and related information to the official designated by the University for Clery Act reporting, and in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, is defined as Responsible Employee and will report incidents of sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment and sexual violence) and other inappropriate sexual conduct to the University’s Title IX Coordinator or other appropriate designee as required by University policy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree Required in Business, Communications/Public Relations, Business Administration/Marketing, Philanthropic Studies/Nonprofit Management, or Psychology
Previous experience working in a front-line fundraising or Corporate Relations role.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Preference for experience working in higher ed preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of athletic major gift prospects and donors, managing a dynamic portfolio developed to maximize philanthropic support for Florida Tech Panther Athletics, and collaborates with the university advancement team, coaches, and other internal stakeholders to align fundraising efforts with departmental and institutional goals.
Develops and implements strategic fundraising plans to secure major gifts ($25,000 and above) for key athletic department priorities, including scholar-athlete scholarships, capital projects, and endowments.
Prepares compelling proposals, presentations, and personalized communications tailored to major gift prospects, ensuring alignment with donor interests and university priorities, and organizes targeted donor engagement activities including personal visits, recognition opportunities, and monthly meetings with the Director of Athletics.
Secures prospective donor meetings for university leadership to deepen philanthropic relationships at the highest levels of institutional engagement.
Cultivates and maintains strong professional relationships with local, regional, and national businesses to drive corporate sponsorship revenue for Panther Athletics, serving as the department’s primary liaison with external corporate entities in coordination with the VP & AVP of Philanthropy and the Director of Athletics.
Identifies and qualifies potential new corporate partners, schedules and conducts initial meetings, and prepares and presents compelling proposals that share the Scholars, Champions, Leaders, story and align with core values of Sweat Equity, Grit & Growth, and Build Your Legacy.
Drafts and coordinates sponsorship agreements that offer advertising, marketing, and promotional benefits, and closes new multi-year partnerships that generate sustainable revenue.
Manage ongoing relationships with current corporate partners to ensure satisfaction, contract fulfillment, and renewals by engaging and consulting regularly to gather input on strategies and partnership growth.
Oversees overall sponsorship fulfillment and execution, including direct client services for sponsor accounts, ensuring quality customer service and proof of performance for all advertising, marketing, and promotional deliverables.
Ensures all corporate partnerships comply with NCAA, Sunshine State Conference, and University regulations, particularly regarding the use of scholar-athlete name, image, and likeness.
Maintains accurate and timely records of donor and corporate partner interactions, gift agreements, and stewardship activities using Advancement's Raiser's Edge CRM.
Monitors fundraising and partnership revenue progress, analyzes results, and provides regular reports to athletic and university leadership.
Coordinates internal communications to align corporate partnerships with university direction, mission, and goals.
Attends monthly athletics staff meetings to maintain departmental awareness and strengthen cross-functional collaboration.
Performs additional duties and special projects as directed by the VP & AVP of Philanthropy and the Director of Athletics in support of the department's mission and strategic priorities.