Associate Director of Annual Giving for Campus Partnerships & Digital Campaigns

This is an exciting time to join the University of Vermont Foundation. As UVM prepares to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign in support of the university’s ambitious “Green, Gold & Bold” strategic vision, we’re seeking a collaborative, creative, and results-driven professional to help expand philanthropic engagement across campus.

As the Associate Director of Annual Giving, you’ll partner with academic units, student organizations, and athletics to design and execute impactful fundraising initiatives, lead innovative digital campaigns, and build meaningful connections between donors and the people and programs they care about most. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape campaign momentum, elevate donor participation, and contribute directly to the future success of UVM.

If you’re energized by relationship-building, strategic communication, data-informed decision-making, and mission-driven work, we invite you to join our team in Burlington, Vermont and help advance one of the nation’s leading public research universities.

REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Annual Giving

EXPECTED SALARY RANGE: $70,000 – 75,000, plus The University of Vermont Foundation’s progressive benefits package, which includes a comprehensive health plan; dental, vision, and life insurance; a robust paid time off package; a 403(b) plan with immediate vesting and contributions; and tuition remission.

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 1, or a mutually agreed-upon start date

FTE: Full-Time

LOCATION: Burlington, Vermont

JOB TYPE / HOURS: Hybrid. This role aligns with the UVM Foundation’s Hybrid schedule policy which allows for a two work-from-home days per week. The specific schedule will be finalized in cooperation with the hiring manager.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Associate Director of Annual Giving for Campus Partnerships and Digital Campaigns assists with the direct marketing fundraising program that supports the strategic objectives of The University of Vermont Foundation and the philanthropic priorities of the University of Vermont.

This role provides direct support to 30-50 campus partners as they fundraise each year, including full-service appeal development, and manages two large-scale digital crowdfunding campaigns for athletics and student organizations. This role also assists the Director of Annual Giving with large, multi-channel annual campaigns as needed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

45% Plan, strategize, write, and deliver targeted fundraising solicitations for 30-50 Foundation and campus partners, including but not limited to: academic programs and departments; university centers and institutes; student support and student life programs; intercultural centers; and UVM Hillel and the UVM Catholic Center.
Utilize digital outreach and direct mail strategies to generate year-over-year growth in donor count and dollar amount for restricted gifts.
In collaboration with the Executive Director of Annual Giving, establish audience and pipeline development strategies to ensure that solicitations are appropriately targeted for highest ROI.
Expand and improve the major and principal gift pipeline for these areas in coordination with campus partners and the relevant gift officer(s).
Develop and strengthen relationships with campus partners and serve as their primary contact at the Foundation.
Manage audience data and track overall campaign performance as well as individual donor results and create actionable strategies for improvement.

20% Manage Catamount Challenge, our primary Athletics annual giving campaign, in partnership with: UVM Athletics; the Director of Major Gifts, UVM Athletics; and the Marketing and Communications team.
Plan and execute Catamount Challenge, a campaign to raise $500,000+ for UVM Athletics, including a digital-first communication strategy, targeted outreach based on team/program affinity and affiliation, and coach and athlete involvement.
Develop a robust annual giving, leadership annual giving, and major giving pipeline, and upgrade support from individual donors year-over-year.
Manage audience data and track overall campaign performance as well as performance at the team/program and individual donor levels.

20% Manage LUVMyClub, our primary student organization annual giving campaign, in partnership with Alumni Relations, the Student Alumni Association, the Student Government Association, and the Marketing and Communications team.
Plan and execute LUVMyClub, a campaign to raise $300,000+ for registered student organizations, including a digital-first communication strategy, targeted outreach based on club/organization affinity and affiliation, and student leader involvement.
Develop a robust annual giving, leadership annual giving, and major giving pipeline, and upgrade support from individual donors year-over-year.
Manage audience data and track overall campaign performance as well as performance at the club/organization and individual donor levels.

10% Assist the Director with large-scale solicitations through mail, email, text, and social media. Assist with strategy discussions, developing content and materials, coordinating timelines and audiences with targeted solicitations, and project management.

5% Perform other duties as assigned
Specific standards of performance will be established through annual business plan metrics.

DESIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES

Experience creating and executing fundraising solicitations or comparable strategic communications, including hardcopy letters, emails, crowdfunding campaigns, texts, and reply cards.
Strong technical skills and ability to learn new applications: demonstrated knowledge of Ellucian Advance CRM, other fundraising-focused CRM, or comparable database platform; proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office suite applications; proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and/or Canva preferred.
Excellent written communication skills.
Collaborative, team-oriented approach with a strong desire to partner with others.
Highly detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills.
Self-starter with a demonstrated ability to take initiative and achieve results.
Effective problem-solver who can adapt in a complex and evolving environment.
Proven ability to work collaboratively toward shared goals.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the ability to apply these principles in strategy and execution.

MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree and two or more years of fundraising experience within a higher education or non-profit setting, or a combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities can be demonstrated.