Lead Major Gifts Officer, Athletics

UNC Charlotte; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Charlotte is seeking an Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts to lead frontline fundraising for the athletics department. You will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts of $35,000+ while managing a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and partners.

You will report to the Deputy Athletic Director and work with coaches and advancement colleagues to align campaigns, host donors, and maintain rigorous records in donor systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Three years of frontline major gift fundraising or equivalent experience.
• Experience in intercollegiate athletics development or higher education advancement.
• Ability to travel regionally and nationally, and to work nights and weekends.
• Proficiency with donor databases and fundraising software.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio ownership of 100–125 major gift prospects and securing $35,000+ commitments.
• Conduct high-volume discovery and donor visits to identify new prospects.
• Formulate, execute, and document donor strategies to cultivate, solicit, and close major gifts.
• Align fundraising with department initiatives and capital campaigns.
• Host major prospects and donors at events to deepen engagement.
• Collaborate with University Advancement partners to maximize donor impact.
• Maintain timely records in Paciolan and Ascend; track proposals and pipeline metrics.
• Ensure fundraising activities comply with university, NCAA, and conference rules.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Public speaking

Relationship management

Prospecting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

CFRE designation

Tools

Paciolan

Ascend

MS Office

Job description

University of North Carolina at Charlotte is seeking an Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts to lead frontline fundraising for the athletics department. You will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts of $35,000+ while managing a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and partners.

You will report to the Deputy Athletic Director and work with coaches and advancement colleagues to align campaigns, host donors, and maintain rigorous records in donor systems.