Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations

The Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations provides leadership for a comprehensive annual giving and alumni engagement program that increases philanthropic support, grows participation from alumni, parents, friends and industry, strengthens leadership and annual giving pipelines, and fosters lifelong relationships with alumni and friends. The Director, under the guidance of the VPIA, oversees the strategy, execution, and evaluation of annual giving, alumni relations, advancement communications and cornerstone engagement events in support of institutional priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive multichannel annual giving program, including digital, direct mail, email, events, texting, and engagement-based fundraising
• Lead annual Giving Day strategy and execution, including goal-setting, volunteer engagement, stewardship, and post-campaign analysis
• Grow unrestricted annual giving, alumni participation, donor retention, and the recurring giving program
• Develop and manage leadership annual giving programs, including acquisition, upgrade, and retention strategies
• Strengthen participation in the Admiral's Council (donor $1,000+) through targeted engagement and stewardship efforts
• Develop targeted giving programs for key constituencies such as athletics, parents, students, affinity groups, and recurring donors
• Work collaboratively with campus partners in planning and executing cornerstone annual events, integrating donor engagement and fundraising opportunities into programs such as the Admiral's Dinner, Homecoming, and Athletic Hall of Fame
• Use data, analytics, and prospect research to guide strategy, segmentation, and pipeline development
• Partner with the Major Gift Officer to support reunion class giving campaigns and identify prospects for ongoing cultivation
• Promote a culture of philanthropy through initiatives such as a student-led thank-a-thon and senior class giving program
• Other duties as assigned

Alumni Relations:

• Lead alumni engagement strategies that build lifelong relationships and support philanthropic participation
• Coordinate class-based reunion engagement and fundraising programs
• Collaborate with class representatives to plan and execute milestone reunions, including committee meetings and volunteer engagement
• Engage leadership of upcoming reunion classes early to strengthen participation and giving outcomes
• Partner with Marketing and Communications on segmented alumni messaging, storytelling, and engagement calendars
• Provide oversight of alumni-focused events, ensuring alignment with engagement, fundraising, and stewardship goals
• Support alumni-facing initiatives that advance engagement, philanthropy, and institutional branding

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in annual giving, alumni relations, or related advancement work
• Demonstrated success managing annual giving or engagement programs with measurable results
• Excellent communication, project management, and collaboration skills
• High level of proficiency working with Raiser's Edge/NXT and other fundraising platforms
• Flexible, adaptable and ability to work across all areas of institution

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in annual giving, alumni relations, or related advancement work in higher education

Classification/Salary Range: The Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations is a UUP position. The anticipated salary range for the position is $75,000 - $90,000 annually, with an outstanding benefits package. For more information please see the UUP-FT-Benefits-at-a-Glance-Jan-. Review of applications to commence immediately and conclude when the position is filled.

Special Notes: This is a full-time calendar year (12 month) appointment UUP Position. Fair Labor Standard Acts (FLSA) Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Internal and external search to occur simultaneously.

Budget Title:
Staff Associate
Local Title: Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations
Line #: 00555

SUNY Maritime College is an Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disabled/Affirmative Action employer, committed to recruiting, supporting and fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff and students. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. For our full non-discrimination statement, see:

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