Assistant Director, Athletics Annual Giving

Key Accountabilities

• Develop long-term donor relationships to secure a minimum of $150,000 in annual commitments for Lehigh priorities, specifically targeting $1,000+ outright gifts and $5,000+ pledges for unrestricted and sport-specific funds.
• Analyze demographic data, donor analytics, and giving history to establish annual fiscal goals, drive donor participation, and execute personalized outreach through digital and traditional channels.
• Partner with Gift Officers and head coaches to coordinate prospect solicitations, navigate donor dynamics, respond to constituent feedback, and serve as a university representative at on- and off-campus events.
• Manage a dedicated pool of 100–150 Athletics households and prospects, conducting exploratory conversations to qualify interest, identify leadership potential, and transition prospects to Major Gift portfolios.
• Execute all phases of the fundraising cycle—including discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—through a rigorous schedule of 150–200 substantive contacts and personal visits annually.
• Develop individualized giving plans and pyramids to conduct 30–50 annual fund proposals per year, ensuring 100% outreach to new prospects within 90 days of assignment to meet revenue goals.
• Solicit prospects using video, text, phone, and social media, while crafting high-impact written appeals, customized proposals, and digital content that articulate Lehigh Athletics' priorities.
• Partner with the Athletics Engagement team and alumni volunteers to optimize prospect segmentation by sport, while maintaining strict data integrity through timely database contact reports.
• Collaborate with the Director of Athletics Annual Giving to administer, execute, and monitor comprehensive annual and multi-year philanthropic plans, ensuring alignment between frontline fundraising activities and departmental goals.
• Serve as the project lead for strategic initiatives, while identifying and recommending innovative approaches to enhance fundraising results, donor retention, and departmental strategy.
• Support the evaluation and continuous improvement of athletics programs by tracking key performance metrics and providing data-driven feedback on program effectiveness.
• Oversee accurate gift booking in alignment with university standards, troubleshoot discrepancies, manage timely travel expense reporting, and provide regular project performance updates.
• Drive event attendance, assist in executing department-wide events like the Athletics Golf Classic and Hall of Fame, and collaborate with the engagement team on volunteer management, alumni career connections, and broad-based donor communications.
• Identify potential alumni volunteers from assigned sports to strengthen the engagement pipeline, while maintaining the flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends to support donor activities and athletic competitions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• Three to five years of related work experience
• Valid Driver's License with a good driving record
• Demonstrated experience in annual giving, fundraising, or donor relations — ideally within athletics, higher education, or a comparable development environment
• Proven ability to manage a donor portfolio and move prospects through a relationship-based solicitation cycle
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to represent Lehigh Athletics in front of coaches, donors, and alumni
• Experience working collaboratively across teams and with senior stakeholders to execute shared goals
• Comfort with CRM platforms and data-informed approaches to prospect management
• A genuine connection to the role collegiate athletics plays in alumni engagement and institutional pride at a university like Lehigh