Associate Director of Football Development

This position reports to the Director of Athletic Development and is a front-line fundraiser for the Davidson College football program. Candidates for the role will bring education and professional experiences that will contribute towards shaping the strategies and direction of athletic fundraising at Davidson. 

The role will be given leadership responsibilities over developing and executing a fundraising strategy that attempts to bring long-term financial stability for the Davidson College football program through philanthropic giving that meets annual goals and builds an endowment for the program over time. The current expectation is for this position to raise at least $850,000 for the program in this fiscal year. This role will manage a portfolio of approximately 250 current and prospective donors capable of making gifts ranging from four- to six-figure level. 

This position requires an appreciation of the unique challenges of playing college football at the non-scholarship NCAA Division I level, insight into college athletics funding, and the ability to serve as a subject matter expert to support colleagues in the Davidson Athletic Fund, Major Gifts, the Fund for Davidson and the Office of Parent Giving to maximize proposals to athletic initiatives at the $50,000 level and above. Similarly, this role requires proactive efforts to include the Athletic Director, Head Football Coach and other staff members to cultivate and steward donors. 

This position will drive engagement with the football program towards increased opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and other interactions between current players and alums, parents or friends of the program. 

In addition to fundraising, project management responsibilities include 

• Crafting newsletters, videos and program updates for the team
• Coordination and execution of stewardship events for both our baseline donors of the Gridiron Club Members and the elite group of Football Stakeholders, our most generous football donors. 

The position will also require co-supervision of work study staff, or other duties relevant to prior experience and background.

Highlighted Responsibilities:

• Conduct meetings locally and travel regularly to visit donors, conducting a minimum of 120 fundraising visits annually with prospects capable of gifts of $5,000 or more to support Davidson athletics, especially the football program.
• Travel ahead of the team to attend football games and host events connected to contests away from campus. 
• Co-develop messaging and communication around Davidson Football via the creation of electronic and print messaging weekly during the season and at least monthly throughout the rest of the year.
• Coordinate on-campus and regional events for the supporters of the football program, known as the Gridiron Club, with additional events for the Football Stakeholders group.
• Partner with athletics-focused staff in the Matthews Center for Career Development to co-coordinate 3-5 professional development events each year, including things like guest speakers, mentorship opportunities, or on-site visits to companies. 
• Establish and meet measurable annual goals for gift proposal activity.
• Efficiently manage travel logistics and expenses.
• Maintain a complete record of all donor interactions using the Blackbaud CRM system.   
   

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree. Minimum three years of athletics, development or related work experience.
• Advanced proficiency in oral and written communication skills, organizational efficiency, self-motivation, the capability to manage multiple projects at one time, and comfort with travel. 
• Candidates must be able to understand and articulate the value added from NCAA Division I athletics at an academically challenging liberal arts college. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree. 
• A career path that includes oversight of major projects and contributing to strategic decision making. 
• Four-plus years of development or related work experience. A proven track record of soliciting and securing five-figure gift commitments and above. 

A carefully-tailored cover letter outlining the candidate's qualifications for and interest in the position is highly recommended. 

Information about how to submit an application can be found at