Under the direction of the Senior Associate Athletics Director/Executive Director of Athletics Development, this position directs the operations of the Furman Athletics Fund (FAF) and contributes to the revenue generation of the Athletics Development team by managing the overarching annual fundraising strategy and donor engagement for FAF, with special emphasis on the Paladin Scholarship Fund and the annual fundraising efforts of each NCAA Division I team. By developing strategies to engage athletics prospects through appeals, events, and various methods of communications, this position raises funds to advance the university’s fundraising priorities in the areas of Athletics annual giving, capital projects, and endowment. This position plans and implements an ongoing strategy for engagement and annual giving to Athletics from alumni, friends of the university, parents, former student-athletes, university faculty and staff, Athletics staff, students and season ticket holders. This position plays a critical role in maintaining alignment with University Development operations and strategy, working closely with all University Development units (donor relations, annual giving, gift processing, alumni and parent engagement), as well as with University Communications and the Athletics external operations units (marketing, ticketing, game day management). This position will manage the internal operations of the FAF, including but not limited to, communications, events, reporting, benefits fulfillment, customer service, and donor base engagement strategies.

Responsibilities:

1.Plans and executes an effective annual fundraising campaign for the Furman Athletics Fund with emphasis on the Paladin Scholarship Fund and the annual fundraising efforts of each of Furman’s NCAA Division I teams by engaging alumni, parents, friends, former student-athletes, faculty and staff, students, and season ticket holders.

2.Acts as a liaison between Athletics and the University Development office to drive Athletics’ annual fundraising efforts, working closely with the following units: Annual Giving, Alumni and Parent Engagement. Donor Relations, Systems (gift processing and reporting), Major Gift Officers, and Leadership (Annual) Gift Officers. The Athletics Development personnel are essential members of the University Development team.

3.Works closely with University Communications to develop and execute all communication strategies and collateral for the Furman Athletics Fund, including but not limited to annual giving, fundraising events, campaign, capital projects, and special projects.

4.Coordinates internal logistics and operations for the advancement of Athletics fundraising priorities, strategies, and prospects under the leadership of the Sr. Associate AD/Executive Director of Athletics Development, the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Vice President of Development.

5.Manages the Furman Athletics Fund donor base as a whole, tracking and soliciting renewals and new gifts, capitalizing on opportunities to drive participation and engagement, creating targeted solicitation strategies, and employing other tactics to meet annual fundraising goals.

6.Aggressively seeks new Furman Athletics Fund members, specifically donors to the Paladin Scholarship Fund, each year.

7.Collaborates with gift officers on prospect management and strategy to facilitate gifts to advance Athletics priorities in the areas of Athletics annual giving, capital projects, and endowment.

8.Identifies ways to increase the value of Furman Athletics Fund membership for our donors.

9.Develops a marketing plan and prepares printed and digital materials to advance fundraising efforts for Furman Athletics.

10.Works closely with the Athletics External Operations team and University Development Annual Giving to develop compelling messaging for printed materials, digital campaigns, and social media content.

11.Coordinates with the Athletics Ticket Office on the execution of member benefits, special offers, and ticketing opportunities utilizing priority points. Oversees the fulfillment of parking and other donor benefits for football and men’s basketball.

12.Collaborates with the Athletics External Operations team and the office of Alumni and Parent Engagement to plan and execute events at select away games, primarily around football and men’s basketball.

13.Oversees the internal operations and logistics related to football and men’s basketball home games, including signage, donor parking, catering, donor ticketing requests, and logistics related to the donor game day experience. This includes preparing the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics with information related to VIP guests in attendance.

14.Attends all home football and men’s basketball games to assist with the execution of the donor experience (parking, hospitality).

15.Works with direct report(s) and gift officers to assist with strategies related to prospect management and advancing relationships with donors to Athletics.

16.Prepares regular reports and in-depth analysis for the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Sr. Associate AD/Executive Director of Athletics Development, Athletics Business Office, and Vice President of Development which reflect the commitments, receipts, and projections for Athletics giving.

17.Develops and executes strategies to ensure pledge fulfillment and address overdue pledge payments for commitments to Athletics, in collaboration with Development Systems.

18.Collaborates with the Sr. Associate AD/Executive Director of Athletics Development to manage the Furman Athletics Fund budget.

19.Oversees the hiring and management of internal Furman Athletics Fund personnel, including the Athletics Development Coordinator, Athletics Development Fellow and/or student interns.

20.Plans and implements fundraising events for purposes of stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation.

21.Oversees the coordination of the annual Hall of Fame event and facilitates the selection process with the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

22.Coordinates the meetings and activities of the volunteer boards and committees for the Furman Athletics Fund.

23.Provides guidance to coaches regarding annual fundraising strategies for their programs.

24.Works closely with the Sr. Associate AD/Executive Director of Athletics Development to ensure the efforts of Athletics and University Development are closely aligned and collaborative.

25.Conducts industry research and maintains a professional network to keep pace with current trends, policies, and best practices for athletics development.

26.Performs all other duties as assigned.

27.Pursues professional development to keep pace with demands for services and information; including maintaining up to date information about the department and university.

28.Completes performance review process with supervisor/employees to understand job performance expectations and how they fit into the department and university goals.

Relationships:

Daily contact with members of own work unit, immediate supervisor, and other departments to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information and make suggestions related to mutual goals.

Frequent contact with coaches and teams to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information and make suggestions related to mutual goals.

Frequent contact with the general public, alumni, Furman Athletics Fund donors, parents, and corporations to influence, motivate or persuade parties to obtain desired results.

Responsibility for Final Decisions:

Direct supervision of 1-3 employees.

Reviews work to ensure compliance with procedures and deadlines.

Tasks involve interpretation of data and/or procedures to address problems or situations that are not clearly defined. Work involves non-routine/diverse work not defined by procedures.

Errors may be detected within the department or section in which they occur, but may affect the work of others within the unit to trace errors and make corrections.

Education/Skill Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree with 5 - 7 years of experience in related field.

Experience fundraising in a higher education setting.

Excellent communication and organizational skills required.

Experience fundraising in college athletics required.

Marketing and public relations experience preferred.

Fundraising experience required.

Experience planning events preferred.

Must have ability to handle confidential data.

Work Conditions:

Work is performed under usual office or athletic facility conditions requiring basic safety precautions.

Work is required on select nights and weekends, including all home football and men’s basketball games.

About Furman University

Furman University is a selective private liberal arts and sciences college committed to helping students develop intellectually, personally, and interpersonally and providing the practical skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly-changing world. Furman professors are exceptional teacher-scholars who mentor undergraduate students within a campus community that values and encourages diverse ideas and perspectives. Our recently-launched strategic vision, The Furman Advantage, promises students an individualized four-year pathway facilitated by team of mentors and infused with a rich and varied set of high impact experiences outside the classroom that include undergraduate research, study away, internships, community-focused learning, and opportunities to engage across differences. Furman is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty and staff. The University aspires to create a community of people representing a multiplicity of identities including gender, race, religion, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, geographic origin, socioeconomic background, ideology, world view, and varied abilities. Domestic partners of employees are eligible fo...r comprehensive benefits. The Furman student experience is supported by a rich network of centers and institutes that includes The Riley Institute, The David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, The Rinker Center for Study Away and International Education, The Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection, The Shucker Center for Leadership Development, The Malone Center for Career Engagement, and our newest addition, The Center for Inclusive Communities. Furman is located in Greenville, South Carolina, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast and is ranked among "America's Ten Best" by Forbes Magazine. The charming downtown features excellent restaurants, in-town parks, shops, museums, galleries, music venues, and theaters. The city also has excellent public and private schools and a vibrant international community. A 20-mile bike and running trail connects the university to Greenville and to Travelers Rest, which was named “one of America’s coolest small towns.” The surrounding area abounds with outdoor recreational activities and has some of the most beautiful lakes, rivers, and mountains in the country. Greenville is within easy reach of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic Beaches. The newly renovated Greenville -Spartanburg Airport, located just 25 minutes from downtown, runs daily flights to major cities and airline hubs. Greenville is 2 1/2 hours from Atlanta and only one hour from Asheville, North Carolina. It is an ideal place to live and work.

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