Athletics Major Gifts Director

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics; West Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Savings Account

Employer retirement plan

Tuition discounts

Dental & Vision insurance

Paid holidays & vacation

Job summary

The Purdue For Life Foundation seeks a Director of Development - Athletics to lead a portfolio of major gift donors and drive philanthropic support for Purdue Athletics. The role includes strategic donor management, staff supervision, and collaboration across Purdue entities to advance gifts and campaigns.

You will supervise one Athletics Development staff member, craft compelling gift proposals, and coordinate with Varsity P, the John Purdue Club, and other partners to maximize donor impact and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Sports Management/Administration, Hospitality and Tourism management or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of fundraising, sales, marketing, and customer service.
• Customer service focus and background a high priority.
• Athletic fundraising or sales experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage and strategically advance a portfolio of approximately 125 major gift donors and prospects, leading the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual and corporate donors with philanthropic capacity ranging from $50,000 to $2.5 million while aligning donor interests with Purdue Athletics fundraising priorities.
• Achieve and exceed annual fundraising performance metrics, including securing a minimum of $3,000,000 annually in philanthropic support through major gifts, leadership annual gifts, endowment commitments, capital campaign investments, and other Athletics fundraising priorities.
• Support Athletics Alumni Engagement initiatives by developing fundraising strategies and engagement opportunities that strengthen lifelong connections between former student-athletes and Purdue Athletics.
• Develop and execute individualized donor strategies by conducting a high volume of face-to-face visits, virtual meetings, phone calls, and written communications that advance prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, resulting in meaningful philanthropic commitments.

Skills

Superior initiative

Excellent communication

Multitasking

Relationship building

Analytical skills

Phone outreach

Project management

Technology literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Tools

CRM system

MS Excel

Data queries

Job description

The Purdue For Life Foundation seeks a Director of Development - Athletics to lead a portfolio of major gift donors and drive philanthropic support for Purdue Athletics. The role includes strategic donor management, staff supervision, and collaboration across Purdue entities to advance gifts and campaigns.

You will supervise one Athletics Development staff member, craft compelling gift proposals, and coordinate with Varsity P, the John Purdue Club, and other partners to maximize donor impact and