Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving JOB SUMMARY

The Assistant Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving is a senior advancement leader responsible for setting the strategic direction, execution, and performance outcomes for a comprehensive alumni engagement and annual giving enterprise.

As a key member of the Advancement leadership team, the AVC designs and operationalizes integrated engagement and solicitation strategies that advance institutional priorities, strengthen alumni affinity, increase philanthropic participation, and build a sustainable donor pipeline in support of campaign and long-term fundraising goals.

This role provides leadership for alumni relations, annual giving, digital engagement, volunteer management, and participation-based fundraising initiatives, aligning these programs with institutional strategy, campaign priorities, and industry best practices.

The AVC serves as a strategic partner for university leadership and as the primary liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Directors, ensuring strong governance, volunteer leadership development, and alignment with institutional advancement objectives.

• Develop and lead a comprehensive, multi-year strategy for alumni engagement and annual giving aligned with institutional priorities and campaign goals.
• Integrate alumni engagement with the full advancement continuum (annual/major/principal giving) to strengthen donor pipeline development.
• Develop and manage annual business plans, budgets, and resource allocations for alumni engagement and annual giving.
• Provide administrative supervision to 6 employees, with responsibility for hiring, setting performance expectations, conducting annual reviews, performance management, coaching & discipline, and managing other employee relations matters.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior university leadership on engagement, participation, and philanthropic growth strategies.
• Represent Advancement on institutional committees and external engagement events and programs.

• Oversee the design and delivery of innovative, comprehensive, and scalable alumni engagement strategies across lifecycle segments (students, recent graduates, alumni, retirees, parents, and friends).
• Lead programming including reunions, regional engagement, affinity groups, volunteer engagement, and lifelong connection strategies.
• Partner with advancement communications to align storytelling, brand, and digital engagement with fundraising outcomes.

• Direct a data-informed annual giving program, including segmentation, multichannel solicitation, digital campaigns, leadership annual giving, and mid-level giving strategies.
• Establish and drive measurable KPIs, including donor participation, acquisition, retention, upgrade rates, and revenue performance.
• Lead institution-wide participation initiatives (e.g., giving days, reunions, crowdfunding, and affinity-based campaigns).
• Manage a portfolio of 50–60 leadership annual giving prospects, with defined performance expectations for qualification, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Serve as primary staff liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
• Provide oversight of board governance, recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, and policy compliance.
• Strengthen volunteer leadership pipelines that contribute to fundraising, advocacy, and engagement goals.

As with all positions, other job-related responsibilities may be performed as needed to support departmental and campus-wide needs.

• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Data-Informed Decision Making
• Relationship Building & Influence
• Fundraising Acumen & Donor Psychology
• Organizational Leadership & Talent Development
• Change Management & Innovation

Work is performed in a variety of environments with regular interaction with alumni, current and prospective donors, and community leaders. The role requires travel, evenings and weekends, and ability to maintain…