Department: Leadership Giving

Regular or Temporary: Regular

Hours Per Week: 40

FLSA Determination: Exempt

Weeks Per Year: 52

Open Date: 06/13/2025

Open Until Filled: Yes

Full or Part Time: Full Time

Position Summary:
Trinity is a highly selective, independent, nonsectarian liberal arts institution located in the capital city of Hartford, Connecticut. The college maintains a rigorous academic profile complemented by a vibrant co-curricular program. With more than 2,100 full-time undergraduate students, representing forty-three states and ninety-one countries, we consider our location in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse capital city to be among Trinity’s most distinctive assets; and we cultivate strong connections with our surrounding neighbors and with institutions and organizations throughout Hartford and the region. As a preeminent liberal arts college in an urban setting, Trinity College prepares students to be bold, independent thinkers who lead transformative lives.

Trinity College has a strong and storied athletic tradition that prides itself on a broad-based program that today sponsors 30 varsity sports—15 men’s and 15 women’s. Athletics has always been a part of the fabric of life at Trinity. Trinity’s varsity teams compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Over the years, Trinity teams have secured 29 national championships across ten sports, including an impressive 27 titles in the past two decades. In 2025 alone, Trinity celebrated three national championships: the Women’s Squash team won the College Squash Association National Title, the Men’s Basketball team captured the NCAA Division III National Championship, and the Men’s Rowing team claimed the Division III IRA National Championship.

The Director of Athletic Fundraising is responsible for leading fundraising efforts in support of Trinity College’s athletic program, including capital projects, endowed gift strategies, and annual fundraising that align with the strategic goals of the Athletic Department and the institution. The Director manages a portfolio of major gift prospects, builds and implements comprehensive fundraising strategies, and works closely with athletic and institutional leadership to secure transformational philanthropic support. With a defined annual fundraising goal, the Director also provides strategic direction for annual giving campaigns, volunteer engagement, events, and sport-specific initiatives.

The new hire must be able and willing to travel regularly and have the personality to relate comfortably to a sophisticated and diverse alumni and parent constituency.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Execute and lead a comprehensive athletic fundraising plan encompassing capital, endowment, and annual giving.
• Manage a portfolio of 75–100 major gift prospects, focusing on securing leadership-level, capital, and endowed gifts.
• Serve as the advancement liaison for capital campaigns and special initiatives related to athletic facilities and programmatic needs.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Athletics and Recreation to develop donor strategies and solicit major gifts of $100,000 and above.
• Cultivate and grow relationships with major gift prospects via phone, email, video calls, and in-person meetings.
• Oversee planning and successful growth of the Trinity Athletics Fund, including Trinity Athletics Giving (TAG) Week, ensuring consistent messaging and donor segmentation.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Director on solicitation strategies, communications planning, volunteer management, and engagement events.
• Support the Assistant Director in recruiting and managing volunteer fundraisers aligned with specific athletic teams.
• Grow and steward the Champions Club, the leadership giving society of the Trinity Athletics Fund.
• Develop and implement a stewardship plan tailored to athletic donors at all levels of giving.
• Build collaborative relationships with coaches to support individual fundraising efforts, successfully execute Trinity Athletics Giving (TAG) Week, and achieve targeted sport-specific fundraising goals.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all 30 varsity teams, including their history, key players, supporters, and coaches.
• Assist in securing hosts, staffing, and executing athletic events for alumni and parents both on- and off-campus.
• Complete all assigned reporting—including travel plans, itineraries, contact reports, expense reports, and monthly status updates—in a timely manner.
• Attend and actively contribute to staff and departmental meetings as scheduled.
• Prepare donor proposals, presidential briefings, and gift documentation with accuracy and timeliness.
• Meet mutually agreed-upon performance expectations.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as needed, especially athletic contests.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Proven success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts ($100,000+) and leadership annual fund gifts.
• Five or more years of successful leadership-level fundraising or comparable experience, preferably in education.
• Experience with volunteer engagement and annual fund development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, coupled with a genuine ability to engage effectively with a broad range of constituents.
• Familiarity with intercollegiate athletics and the role of athletics within an elite liberal arts college environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to create and implement prospect strategies and collaborate with campus partners.
• Willingness and ability to spend approximately 40–50% of time on frontline meetings through local visits, travel, and virtual platforms such as Zoom.
• Self-driven, highly organized, flexible, and able to successfully manage multiple priorities.
• Team player with a strong sense of integrity and work ethic.
• Evidence of commitment to liberal arts education and mission through professional or volunteer experience preferred.
• Demonstrates empathy and actively values and fosters behaviors that support a diverse college community.
• Ability to travel within the United States independently.
• Ability to do computer work for extended periods.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with fundraising principles and experience in higher education or academic settings.
• Experience with Slate and/or other CRM systems.
• Plus Delta Discipline of Frontline Fundraising training preferred.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Trinity College’s mission and programs and/or experience in a comparable college setting.

Special Instructions to Applicants
All applicants must apply online at https://trincoll.peopleadmin.com/postings/3602 by submitting their resume, cover letter and three references. 

Trinity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.