Assistant​/Associate Director of Annual Giving & Class Engagement

The Darden School Foundation at the University of Virginia seeks a highly motivated professional to join its Advancement team. The Assistant/Associate Director of Annual Giving & Class Engagement works with the Senior Director of Annual Giving & Class Engagement and the Advancement and Engagement team to develop and execute strategies to increase donors, dollars and participation for the Darden Annual Fund and other annual giving and engagement priorities.

The position independently manages assigned class, volunteer and donor portfolios, including recruiting, motivating and managing class volunteers; developing fundraising and engagement strategies for assigned alumni groups; coordinating reunion committees and reunion giving activities; and identifying, cultivating, soliciting and closing leadership annual fund gifts.

The Assistant/Associate Director is expected to proactively identify priorities, develop and execute strategies, manage multiple work streams and consistently advance work. The successful candidate is a self-directed relationship manager who combines high-touch engagement with alumni, donors and volunteers with disciplined follow-through, strong organization and a focus on measurable results. The position works collaboratively across Advancement and Engagement and with other Darden partners to advance the School’s engagement and fundraising goals.

At the Associate Director level, the incumbent is expected to demonstrate a high degree of autonomy, initiative and judgment and to independently move complex work from strategy through execution.

The hiring range for the Assistant role begins at $65,000.

• Works with the Senior Director and Advancement and Engagement team to develop, implement and manage the goals and strategies for Darden’s annual giving program.
• Serves as an active contributor to the Annual Giving and Engagement team by sharing strategies, communications, insights and lessons learned; seeking colleagues’ expertise when appropriate; and contributing ideas and resources that strengthen the work of others.
• Proactively recruits, trains, motivates and manages class volunteers, both in and out of reunion years, maintaining consistent and personalized engagement throughout the year. Builds trusted relationships with long-standing volunteers, responds promptly to volunteer needs and follows through reliably on commitments and next steps.
• Develops an engagement strategy and appropriate outreach cadence for assigned classes and volunteers, identifying gaps in volunteer leadership and proactively recruiting and activating new volunteers.
• Proactively develops reunion and milestone class strategies well in advance of the reunion year, including identifying and recruiting committee leadership, establishing engagement and fundraising plans and maintaining consistent communication with volunteers throughout the planning cycle.
• Supports strategic growth of affinity-based volunteer and fundraising campaigns in order to increase overall annual fund support.
• Develops, executes, and manages fundraising and engagement strategies for each class that aim to achieve dollar and participation goals and increase the number of leadership gifts in each class.
• Coordinates Darden Society and Hickory Club communication, activities and events.
• Works to acquire, renew, and upgrade leadership level annual giving donors. Travel will extend to areas where there is the greatest concentration of prospects.
  • Manages a portfolio of annual giving prospects and donors.
  • Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and closes annual fund commitments, with agreed upon yearly proposal submission and close goals.
• Coordinates with the major and principals gifts team on prospect strategy…