Director of Annual Giving

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous vacation and holidays

Competitive insurances and retirement benefits

Season tickets for varsity sports

Job summary

A prestigious academic institution in Madison is seeking a Director of Annual Giving to lead fundraising strategies and enhance donor engagement for athletic programs. The role requires strong leadership and relationship-building skills to inspire contributions and support Wisconsin student-athletes. Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree and have experience in developing fundraising initiatives. This position offers a starting salary of $70,000 and comprehensive benefits including vacation and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to develop and implement successful fundraising strategies.
• Experience managing donor relationships and driving donor engagement.
• Strong communication skills for effective collaboration and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual giving strategy to increase donor participation.
• Oversee annual campaigns and sport-specific fundraising initiatives.
• Manage communications and appeals for donor engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Relationship-building

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Overview

Join to apply for the Director of Annual Giving role at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Job Details

• Job Category: Academic Staff
• Employment Type: Regular
• Job Profile: Annual Giving Manager

Responsibilities

Wisconsin Athletics is seeking a dynamic and strategic advancement professional to serve as the Director of Annual Giving. With general oversight from the Associate Athletics Director-Development and direct oversight from the Assistant Athletic Director-Development, this position plays a critical leadership role in designing, implementing, and managing annual giving programs that drive philanthropic support for Wisconsin Athletics. The Director will lead the planning and execution of comprehensive annual giving strategies to expand donor participation, increase contributions, and strengthen overall engagement. This includes overseeing annual campaigns, premium seating contributions, ticket-related giving, sport-specific fundraising, and other donor acquisition and retention initiatives. The position will also collaborate closely with the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA), Athletics colleagues, and campus partners to integrate Wisconsin Athletics’ annual giving efforts with broader institutional priorities.

The successful candidate will combine strong leadership, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills to inspire donors and enhance support for Wisconsin student-athletes. This position requires the ability to analyze donor trends, develop innovative programs, manage events, and oversee communications that foster long-term donor loyalty. Evening, weekend, and occasional regional or national travel are required.

Key Areas of Focus

• Lead annual giving strategy by developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive programs to increase donor participation and annual contributions.
• Oversee select premium seating contributions and ticket-related giving, ensuring alignment with donor levels, points systems, and Wisconsin Athletics priorities.
• Direct annual campaigns and sport-specific fundraising initiatives, collaborating with WFAA and internal partners to maximize outreach and participation.
• Analyze donor trends and leverage data-driven insights to identify opportunities for donor acquisition, retention, and growth.
• Collaborate across teams including Major Gifts, Stewardship, Brand Marketing, Communications, Ticketing, and WFAA to deliver integrated donor experiences.
• Lead annual giving events and engagement activities designed to build loyalty, recognize donors, and enhance long-term relationships.
• Manage communications and appeals to effectively engage donors through website, email, social media, print, and other outreach channels.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on annual giving strategies, advising Athletics leadership on best practices and innovative approaches.
• Promote the student-athlete experience in all initiatives, ensuring alignment with the mission and values of Wisconsin Athletics.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Oversee select premium seating products operations
• Develops and schedules operational work plans for unit programs and events in support of strategic plan
• Successful management of cultivated and assigned donor portfolio
• Identifies opportunities for new programs and events to increase donor contributions, and serves as a subject matter on annual giving strategies
• Assists with implementing the unit personnel resource allocation plan including hiring, training, supervision, and resolution of non-routine personnel issues to ensure that work culture is customer service-oriented, productive, valuing of diversity, and fosters employee engagement and development
• Plans and directs staff implementation of the annual giving campaign and corresponding special events
• Evaluates existing donor strategy and makes recommendations to unit leadership for program enhancement
• Effectively solicit and procure major gifts ($25K+), annual fund gifts, and premium seating sales, and gifts for special campaigns/ initiatives.

Department

Wisconsin Athletics, Development Department

Compensation

The starting salary for the position is $70,000 (negotiable based on experience and qualifications).

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as:

• Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off
• Competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits
• Badger gear & season tickets for Badger football, men's basketball and men's hockey, and/or the varsity sports pass

More Benefits information can be found at the UW-Madison benefits site.

Education

Bachelor’s degree required

How to Apply

Click the "Apply" button to start the application process.

You will be prompted to upload the following documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Applicants should attach a cover letter and resume detailing their training and experience relating to the required and preferred qualifications referenced above. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine which qualified applicants will advance in the recruitment process.

Contact Information

Tianwei Miller, [e-mail], 608-265-4138

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Diversity and Equal Opportunity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.