Director, Reunion Giving

Swarthmore College; Swarthmore (Delaware County); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Swarthmore College seeks a Director, Reunion Giving to lead the reunion fundraising program and drive strategic engagement with alumni. The role shapes class giving strategies, guides a team of three, and collaborates across Advancement to maximize impact for Swarthmore’s priorities.

The director will oversee 130+ volunteers and influence attendance and participation across 14 classes, advancing philanthropy and long-term engagement with the college community.

Qualifications

• Experience leading major gift fundraising programs.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Proven ability to design and implement fundraising strategies.
• Experience collaborating with alumni engagement and annual giving teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for reunion fundraising across 14 classes with multi-year plans.
• Manage leadership gift prospects and class committees.
• Oversee 130+ reunion volunteers and coordinate solicitation.
• Partner with Alumni Engagement and other divisions to meet attendance and giving goals.

Skills

Fundraising

Leadership

Alumni relations

Budget management

Job description

Position Title:

Director, Reunion Giving

Work Type:

Full time

Location:

Swarthmore College

Approved Location Type:

Hybrid

Work Shift:

Day Shift (United States of America)

Who We Are:

The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.The Office of Advancement manages and maintains alumni, family, and friend records; engages constituents in the life of the College in a variety of ways, contexts, and over time; provides and supports meaningful volunteering opportunities; and partners with the President and Board of Managers to share information about the College and raise critical philanthropic support for the College's priorities and new initiatives. Advancement ensures that alumni and donors are appropriately recognized and informed about the impact of their service and contributions, and manages all gift acceptance and stewardship.

The Opportunity:

The director of reunions leads Swarthmore College's reunion fundraising program, which currently aims to raise $2.7 million annually, including $1.7 million for The Swarthmore Fund, from 14 reunion classes. The director sets reunion fundraising and participation goals, designs class giving strategies, cultivates and solicits leadership gift prospects, manages the reunion giving budget, and supervises a team of three.

To reach these goals, the director leads engagement strategy for more than 130 reunion committee volunteers, whose class outreach drives both giving and attendance. The director approves class committee strategies, with a particular focus on fundraising subcommittees and volunteer-led solicitation, and personally manages the committees for two or more classes, including their leadership gift prospects. The director works in close partnership with Alumni Engagement, which manages the events subcommittees, to set and achieve reunion attendance goals.

Working within Alumni Relations and in close partnership with Annual Giving, Development, Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement, Special Events, and Advancement Marketing, the director ensures that each reunion delivers meaningful philanthropic results, strong participation, and lasting connections to the College. The director plays a key role in strengthening a culture of philanthropy among alumni, cultivating reunion donors and volunteers as long-term partners of the College well beyond their reunion year.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Reunion fundraising strategy and goals
  Designs and leads the reunion fundraising strategy for all 14 reunion classes, setting annual dollar and participation goals that currently total $2.7 million, including $1.7 million for The Swarthmore Fund, and building multiyear class giving plans with clear timelines, segmentation, and benchmarks.
  Sets class-level dollar and participation goals in consultation with Annual Giving, and partners with Alumni Engagement to set attendance goals that reinforce giving.
  Manages the reunion giving budget, allocating resources across classes and solicitation strategies.
  Contributes to the overall strategy of The Swarthmore Fund and provides insight into long-term planning for alumni giving.
• Leadership gift cultivation and solicitation
  Manages a portfolio of reunion prospects, cultivating and soliciting leadership-level gifts that advance class and institutional goals. Personally manages the committees for two or more reunion classes, including their leadership gift prospects, while providing strategic oversight across all reunion classes.
  Partners with Development and Gift Planning on strategy for major and planned gift prospects within reunion classes.
• Volunteer fundraising and committee strategy
  Leads engagement strategy for reunion volunteer committees, which include more than 130 volunteers across 14 classes, with a focus on fundraising subcommittees and volunteer-led solicitation.
  Approves class committee strategies and partners with Alumni Engagement, which manages the events subcommittees, on shared attendance goals and coordinated committee work.
  Directs the recruitment, training, and coaching of outreach and fundraising volunteers, preparing them to solicit their classmates effectively.
  Develops committee structures, volunteer role descriptions, timelines, and solicitation toolkits.
  Establishes volunteer stewardship and recognition practices and builds a pipeline of future class leaders in partnership with Alumni Engagement.
• Staff leadership
  Supervises, mentors, and develops a team of three, setting priorities