Assistant Director, Annual Giving

Position Details

The Office of Development and University Relations at the University of Tampa has an opening for an Assistant Director of Annual Giving. Under the direction of the Director of Annual Giving, this position is responsible for developing and implementing strategic engagement initiatives that increase philanthropic participation, strengthen donor retention, cultivate a culture of philanthropy across campus, and support the University's annual fundraising priorities. The Assistant Director serves as the department's primary lead for employee giving, volunteer engagement, student philanthropy, annual giving participation strategies, and donor engagement initiatives that contribute to long-term fundraising success. This position works collaboratively with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving for Communications to ensure engagement strategies complement the University's communications, solicitation, and stewardship efforts. Occasional regional travel and the ability to work evenings and weekends are required.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Annual Giving Strategy and Engagement

• Partner with the Director of Annual Giving to develop and implement strategic initiatives that increase donor participation, strengthen donor retention, and support annual fundraising goals.
• Collaborate with the Director of Annual Giving to create and develop new engagement strategies, establish annual objectives, evaluate outcomes, and identify opportunities to improve annual giving performance through data-informed decision making.
• Analyze participation trends and constituent behavior to recommend program enhancements that strengthen donor engagement and long-term fundraising success.

2. Employee Giving and Campus Philanthropy

• Lead the University's Faculty/Staff Giving Program by developing year-round strategies that increase employee participation and cultivate a culture of philanthropy across campus.
• Recruit, train, and manage Faculty/Staff Ambassadors while developing resources that empower employees to serve as advocates for philanthropy.
• Coordinate employee engagement events, educational initiatives, stewardship activities, and recognition programs that encourage philanthropic participation. Partner with Human Resources, academic leadership, and administrative departments to increase awareness of employee giving and integrate philanthropy into the employee experience.

3. Volunteer Engagement and Ambassador Programs

• Recruit, train, steward, and recognize volunteers supporting Annual Giving initiatives, including the Minaret Climber and Ambassador programs for UTampa Giving Day.
• Develop volunteer resources, fundraising toolkits, and ambassador engagement strategies that strengthen peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Expand the ambassador program so that volunteer opportunities can be extended beyond the faculty/staff to alumni, parents, students, and friends of the University.

4. Donor Retention, Stewardship, and Giving Day Participation

• Develop and implement donor retention and reactivation strategies focused on first-time, consecutive-year, and lapsed donors.
• Coordinate stewardship initiatives that reinforce donor impact and encourage continued philanthropic support.
• Lead participation strategies for UTampa Giving Day by collaborating with campus partners, ambassadors, alumni, faculty, staff, and student organizations to increase engagement and participation.
• Evaluate UTampa Giving Day participation results and recommend improvements for future campaigns.

5. Senior Class Gift & Student Transition

• Develop, implement, and manage the University's Senior Gift Campaign by creating strategies that educate graduating students about the importance of philanthropy, encourage class participation, and celebrate the transition from student to alumnus/alumna.
• Collaborate with Alumni Relations, Student Government, Student Affairs, Career Services, academic colleges, and other campus partners to promote the Senior Gift Campaign through student engagement opportunities, events, peer-to-peer outreach, and campus traditions that foster lifelong philanthropic involvement.
• Evaluate campaign participation and engagement outcomes, recommend enhancements for future class gift initiatives, and identify opportunities to strengthen long-term alumni engagement and future annual giving participation.

6. Professional Development and Innovation

• Remain current on trends, technologies, and best practices in annual giving, donor engagement, employee giving, volunteer management, and higher education philanthropy.
• Recommend innovative engagement strategies and technologies that strengthen participation, stewardship, and fundraising effectiveness.

7. Other

• Perform other responsibilities and duties as assigned, to include but not limited to event preparation and support for the Annual Giving team and/or office-wide events.
• Contribute to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of all cultures and backgrounds.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience in annual giving, fundraising, alumni relations, higher education advancement, volunteer management, employee engagement, or a related field.
• Excellent written, oral, interpersonal, organizational, and project management skills.
• Proficient computer skills, particularly with donor databases (Raiser's Edge NXT preferred).
• Experience developing employee engagement, volunteer, ambassador, or donor stewardship initiatives preferred.
• Knowledge of or the ability to quickly learn Workday, Microsoft Office, Raiser's Edge NXT, Mongoose, MyEmma, Canva, and other fundraising technologies.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret fundraising data and develop strategic recommendations.
• Willingness to embrace new technologies, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a 60-minute lunch.

Summer: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch.

Evenings/weekends and travel in and outside the State of Florida may be required.

The University of Tampa offers great benefits to include:

• FREE Tuition
• Generous paid leave
• Wellness initiatives
• 100% Employer-Funded Health Reimbursement Account
• 100% Employer-Paid Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer-Funded Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted On-Campus Dining Meal Plans
• FREE On-Campus Parking
• Access to Campus Amenities (pool, library, campus events and more)
• Fitness Center 
• Pet Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• And more

Background Check Requirements:

Finalists may be required to submit to a criminal background check.

Submission Guidelines

To receive full consideration for employment with The University of Tampa, please be sure to submit/upload required documents for this position at time of application submission.  Required documents should be submitted in the attachment box at the bottom of the "My Experience" page of the application before continuing through the application.

Background Check Requirements

Finalists may be required to submit to a criminal background check. Some positions may also require a motor vehicle report and/or a credit report.

Additional Information

This description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not to determine specific duties and responsibilities for any particular position. Essential functions and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific task assigned to the position.