Assistant Director, Annual Giving - Athletics

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant Director, Annual Giving - Athletics

Job Profile Title

Assistant Development Officer A

Job Description Summary

View Full Description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant Director, Annual Giving - Athletics

Job Profile Title

Assistant Development Officer A

Job Description Summary

The Penn Champions Club serves as the Development and Alumni Relations arm of the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania. The Penn Champions Club aims to advance the Division’s mission of providing world-class experiences for Penn student-athletes. Our goal is to develop and maintain relationships with alumni, family, and friends to secure resources for Penn Athletics’ top priorities. At the core of our daily efforts is a commitment to the holistic development of every student-athlete across Penn’s 33 varsity sports, while also supporting sport clubs, recreational programming, and the Division’s Centers for Excellence. Building on the momentum of historic fundraising success and a growing culture of philanthropy, the Penn Champions Club continues to expand fundraising and engagement opportunities that advance the Division's strategic priorities and enhance the student-athlete experience. As Penn Athletics continues to invest in its programs, facilities, and student-athletes, the Penn Champions Club plays a critical role in securing the resources necessary to sustain excellence across all 33 varsity sports. We strive to create transformational opportunities for current and future student-athletes, empowering them to become champions in the classroom, in the community, and in competition.

Job Description

Position Overview

The Assistant Director of Annual Giving is a member of a Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) team focused on achieving the fundraising and constituent relations goals of the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA). Under the supervision of the Director of Development, the Assistant Director plans, administers, coordinates, and implements fundraising and constituent relations activities within DRIA's DAR. The Assistant Director serves as a frontline fundraiser and works collaboratively on fundraising activities for approximately six varsity programs and their respective sports boards.

Areas of focus include annual and major gift fundraising; planning and implementation of sport-specific events; development and execution of annual fund marketing and fundraising initiatives; preparation and distribution of sport-specific communications; and direct engagement with coaches, sports boards, and leadership donors to build meaningful relationships and philanthropic support.

This role offers a unique opportunity for an emerging fundraising professional to gain broad exposure to annual and major gift fundraising within a nationally recognized Division I athletics program while helping advance strategic fundraising priorities and enhance the student-athlete experience at Penn.

Job Responsibilities

• Maintain a rigorous local, regional and national travel schedule, meeting with current donors and prospective new constituents. Document visit activity with detailed contact reports in Atlas.  
• Working with the Sr. Associate Athletics Director, Development and Alumni Relations, the Director of Development and Director of Annual Giving, engage in all aspects of Penn Athletics DAR marketing communications including determination of target audience and creative theme, production of materials and delivery to constituent audiences via direct mail, e-communication, etc.
• Collaborate with the Sr. Associate Athletics Director, Development and Alumni Relations, the Director of Development, and Director of Annual Giving to develop, plan, and execute the Athletics Annual Fund marketing plan, creating messaging and “appearance” of all direct mail, email and telephone annual fund solicitations.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development and Assistant Director of Events to create and execute a schedule of events throughout the year for assigned sports. Assist in coordinating logistics including catering, venue, creation of event bios and appropriate post event follow-up.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 annual giving and leadership annual giving prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Assist and execute all activities related to Penn Athletics Sports Board oversight. This includes, but is not limited to, scheduling board calls/meetings, developing agendas/supporting documentation, performing key research, taking meeting minutes, managing any necessary follow-up action items, and being an active participant during board proceedings.   
• Establish and maintain direct contact with leadership donors, building individual relationships and relationships with Penn Athletics.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development on prospect research and compile and prepare various data for reports and analytics relative to assigned sports.
• Coordinate with the Senior Associate Director of Administration & Volunteer Management on effective donor stewardship.
• Perform other coordinator duties in the department that are not sport-specific and therefore not expressly assigned to another staff member.
• Work effectively with Central Development resources of the University.

Volunteer Management
Identify, recruit, train, and support volunteers. Cultivate volunteers for future leadership roles on Department advisory boards and other alumni leadership activities. Responsibilities include:

• Work closely with volunteers as door openers and special event hosts.
•  Engage volunteers in prospect identification and evaluation process.
• Oversee select prospect assignments to volunteers, including, the provision of pre-and post-contact support and, as appropriate, accompany volunteer members on cultivation/solicitation visits.
• Keep volunteers informed about the Department and its fundraising priorities.
• Work closely with sports boards formulating board strategies and tactics.
• Jointly develop events calendar for assigned sports.

Collaboration with University Development Staff
Work closely and in collaboration with Athletics Development staff, including but not limited to Director of Development, Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Assistant Director of Events, and other Athletics gift officers on individual prospects, special events and development of overall strategic plan for the department. Collaborate with on-campus fundraising staff, including colleagues in central development office (Principal Gifts, Leadership Gifts, Major Gifts (Regional), Planned Giving, and Annual Giving/Reunion Program as well as School/Center development directors and Alumni Relations staff).  Responsibilities include:

• Conduct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits at the request of and/or in combination with colleagues in central development and Schools/Centers.
• Staff fundraising visits by Athletic and University leaders, e.g. President, Athletic Director, coaches and senior development officers.
• Work closely with other Major Gift Officers and on-campus Alumni Relations colleagues in the development of on-campus events and programs that will lead to increased high-level involvement of prospects and donors.
• Collaborate with central fundraising staff, including Principal Gifts, Leadership Gifts, Major Gifts, Penn Fund Reunion, Planned Giving and School/Center Development Directors.

The University of Pennsylvania’s and the Penn Champions Club’s success depends on great minds that represent a wide array of perspectives and backgrounds, and our pursuit of equity and inclusion is infused in every aspect of its work—from teaching and learning to campus life, from research to practice, from patient care in our health system to welcoming patrons through our arts and culture centers. Penn is dedicated to making a meaningful impact locally, nationally, and globally, to benefit society and the world and to improve lives. Our work in Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) upholds this University-wide effort through our every interaction with alumni, parents, friends, and donors; through the connections we foster with our colleagues; and through the initiatives and programs that our work supports. The work of DAR is rooted in relationship building, in cultivating trust through respectful, honest exchanges, and inspiring engagement and philanthropy through sharing bold ambitions to shape a better world in which all people may thrive. We believe that authenticity, transparency, and empathy are critical to create an inclusive environment in which our staff as well as Penn’s alumni, parents, donors, and other friends can feel they belong. As a team, we draw our strength from our diversity, and we achieve outstanding results through our collective dedication to Penn’s mission to create a more just and equitable world.  

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• One to three years of professional experience in fundraising, alumni relations, athletics administration, event management, sales, marketing, customer relationship management, or a related field is preferred. Outstanding organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Experience in fundraising and/or event planning and/or marketing communications and a passion for athletics strongly preferred. Demonstrated ability to work independently, and in collaboration with other staff, handling multiple diverse projects.
• Excellent computer skills including word processing (Microsoft Word for Windows), spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel), graphics design software tools (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) and web design (HTML).

• In and out-of-state travel, evenings/weekend/holiday work will be required as schedules dictate. Valid driver’s license required. 

• Please provide a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this role. Please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of the application prior to submitting.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Division of Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics

Pay Range

$55,962.00 - $69,870.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement:  Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work:  Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance:  In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development:  Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources:  As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:  Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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