Donor Engagement Associate, Athletics
About The Position
As the Donor Engagement Associate, Athletics, you are the person behind the experience, coordinating and executing the moments that connect Indiana University Foundation donors to the energy and tradition of IU Athletics. From football and basketball game days to postseason events and high-demand athletic opportunities, your work ensures that every donor touchpoint is warm, seamless, and intentional. On any given day you may be managing logistics across multiple events simultaneously, purchasing ticket allocations, coordinating guest lists with development officers, and ensuring post-event documentation and dashboards are accurate and complete. You'll get to coordinate ticketing activity across athletics events, build donor communications, and route messaging through internal teams and leadership to ensure every touchpoint is polished and on-brand. You'll also have the opportunity to plan ahead — forecasting suite needs and mapping out engagement strategy for the next season even while executing on the current one. You track budgets, process invoices and reimbursements, and evaluate engagement outcomes to inform future planning. You serve as the operational bridge between IUF and IU Athletics. You will be able to coordinate with athletics staff on credentials, access, and game-day execution while partnering internally with development officers and the Executive Director of Presidential Engagement on suite strategy and donor cultivation. You will facilitate communication across all of these groups to keep donor engagement aligned with fundraising priorities. You will also support the broader Donor Engagement and Events team on recognition events, advancement programs, and cross-functional initiatives across the Foundation. This role requires regular evening and weekend hours during athletics seasons and occasional travel for postseason or donor engagement opportunities. If you're energized by fast-moving environments where priorities shift, plans evolve, and no two game days look the same, we encourage you to apply.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree required
- Two years' experience in donor relations, advancement, events, athletics engagement, hospitality, or a related field required
- Combinations of education and experience may be considered
- Exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to interact confidently and professionally with major donors, university leadership, and VIP guests
- Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent events in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience with relevant technology, including CRM/database systems with a willingness to learn new systems quickly
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage confidential information
- Sound judgment and situational awareness when representing an organization in professional and public-facing settings
- Flexibility and adaptability in response to shifting priorities and last-minute changes
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting high-visibility events or VIP guest experiences preferred
- Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or advancement settings preferred
- Athletics ticketing and event management platforms, and project management tools experience highly preferred
- Ability to anticipate needs and provide proactive service
Responsibilities
- Managing logistics across multiple events simultaneously
- Purchasing ticket allocations
- Coordinating guest lists with development officers
- Ensuring post-event documentation and dashboards are accurate and complete
- Coordinating ticketing activity across athletics events
- Building donor communications
- Routing messaging through internal teams and leadership
- Forecasting suite needs and mapping out engagement strategy
- Tracking budgets
- Processing invoices and reimbursements
- Evaluating engagement outcomes to inform future planning
- Coordinating with athletics staff on credentials, access, and game-day execution
- Partnering internally with development officers and the Executive Director of Presidential Engagement on suite strategy and donor cultivation
- Facilitating communication across all of these groups to keep donor engagement aligned with fundraising priorities
- Supporting the broader Donor Engagement and Events team on recognition events, advancement programs, and cross-functional initiatives across the Foundation
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
