Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Seminary of the Southwest

Austin, TX

The Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations provides strategic and operational leadership for Seminary of the Southwest's Annual Fund while strengthening lifelong alumni relationships and managing a focused portfolio of leadership annual giving and major gift prospects.

This position plans, manages, and executes a comprehensive annual giving program that increases unrestricted support, donor participation, donor retention, alumni giving, and overall revenue. The Director develops data-informed fundraising strategies, writes and coordinates compelling appeals, manages segmented campaigns, tracks progress toward goals, and works closely with Advancement and Communications colleagues to build a consistent culture of philanthropy.

The Director also advances alumni engagement by supporting alumni volunteers, strengthening student-to-alumni connections, planning alumni events, and ensuring alumni communications serve both relationship-building and philanthropic goals. The position requires strong project management, excellent writing, creativity, data analysis, technical aptitude, attention to detail, and clear, persuasive communication with donors, alumni, colleagues, volunteers, and church leaders.

• Annual Giving: 60%
• Alumni Relations: 30%
• Major Gifts and Leadership Annual Giving: 10%

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of the Annual Fund, with responsibility for growing unrestricted giving, participation, retention, and revenue.
• Develop and manage an annual giving calendar including direct mail, email appeals, digital giving, giving days or focused campaigns, stewardship touches, phonathon or personal outreach as appropriate, and year-end and fiscal-year-end solicitations.
• Create segmented fundraising strategies for alumni, trustees, former trustees, parents, friends, faculty and staff, clergy, bishops, parishes, and institutional supporters.
• Write and coordinate Annual Fund copy, including appeal letters, emails, giving forms, stewardship messages, impact stories, talking points, and campaign updates.
• Partner with Communications to ensure fundraising messages are timely, mission-centered, visually consistent, and aligned with the seminary’s brand, voice, and priorities.
• Use donor data to analyze giving patterns, identify acquisition and renewal opportunities, improve segmentation, and recommend strategies to increase revenue and participation.
• Monitor Annual Fund progress and report on revenue, donor counts, retention, LYBUNT/SYBUNT performance, pledge fulfillment, alumni giving, and other key metrics.
• Develop strategies for monthly giving, recurring gifts, pledge reminders, donor upgrades, lapsed donor reactivation, and leadership annual giving.
• Coordinate timely and meaningful stewardship for Annual Fund donors.
• Identify donors with capacity to move from occasional giving to consistent annual support, leadership annual giving, planned giving, major gifts, or campaign support.
• Evaluate campaign performance and recommend improvements to strategy, messaging, timing, segmentation, and return on investment.
• Work closely with the Database Manager to improve data integrity, segmentation, reporting, and campaign processes.
• Maintain strong organization and project management across multiple deadlines, campaigns, audiences, vendors, and collaborators.

• Develop and implement annual and multi-year alumni engagement strategies that strengthen alumni connection and support a growing culture of alumni philanthropy.
• Strengthen the Southwest Alumni Association through volunteer engagement, leadership development, regional activity, alumni recognition, and programs that foster pride in the seminary.
• Plan and manage signature alumni events, including the Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation, regional gatherings, alumni receptions, and other events that support community-building and stewardship.
• Engage alumni across all…