Asst Director of Development, Athletics

USF Advancement connects the university with donors who want to make a difference by providing philanthropic support to promote student success, research, academic excellence and other strategic priorities. With an endowment that now exceeds $700 million in value, our dedicated team of approximately 200 professionals, including 60 fundraisers, encompasses alumni, development and foundation operations. The team is responsible for raising more than $150 million annually and has broken records year after year with more than $184 million raised in fiscal year 2025.

The Assistant Director of Development, Annual Giving serves as a key member of the USF Athletics Development team and is responsible for leading annual giving strategy, donor engagement, and operational support for the Bulls Club. This position drives philanthropic support through direct marketing, personal solicitation, stewardship, donor benefits administration, and data-driven fundraising initiatives designed to increase annual fund revenue and donor participation.

The Assistant Director oversees the day-to-day administration of Bulls Club membership and benefits while developing and executing comprehensive annual giving strategies that cultivate, solicit, retain, and upgrade donors at all giving levels. Working collaboratively with Athletics, Advancement, Ticket Operations, and external stakeholders, this position ensures exceptional donor experiences while building a pipeline of future major gift prospects in support of USF Athletics priorities.
 

The role combines frontline fundraising, annual giving operations, donor relations, analytics, and strategic communications to increase unrestricted philanthropic support and strengthen long-term donor engagement with USF Athletics.

Employees of USF Advancement live out the values of responsibility, innovation, service, and excellence in each of its highly collaborative departments. We use trusted data and ethical AI to enhance decision-making, strengthen engagement, and enable our teams to focus on what matters most: relationships and impact.

     Annual Giving Strategy & Fundraising

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of all annual giving initiatives supporting the Bulls Club Annual Fund.
• Design and implement multi-channel fundraising campaigns including direct mail, email marketing, digital outreach, phone solicitation, text messaging, social media engagement, and special appeals.
• Develop annual fundraising strategies focused on increasing donor participation, donor retention, donor upgrades, and unrestricted giving.
• Personally solicit annual gifts and leadership annual fund gifts while identifying prospects for major gift cultivation.
• Partner with development officers to transition qualified prospects into major gift portfolios.
• Develop donor-specific strategies that advance relationships and maximize philanthropic support.
• Assist with capital campaign, premium seating, and priority seating fundraising initiatives when appropriate.

Bulls Club Operations & Membership Management

• Serve as the primary operational lead for daily Bulls Club functions and membership administration.
• Coordinate with Athletics and Advancement partners to administer donor benefits and membership fulfillment.
• Oversee annual donor benefit allocation processes, including seating, parking, and priority ranking programs.
• Ensure accurate processing, allocation, and reconciliation of gifts associated with donor benefits and ticket-related programs.
• Work collaboratively with Athletics ticketing and fan engagement personnel to ensure a seamless donor experience..
• Assist with game-day operations and donor hospitality initiatives.

Data Analytics & Performance Management
 

• Maintain comprehensive and accurate donor records within CRM systems.
• Utilize data analytics, reporting tools, and fundraising technology to guide donor strategy and campaign performance.
• Analyze giving trends, donor behavior, renewal rates, segmentation strategies, and fundraising outcomes.
• Develop reporting and forecasting tools to measure progress toward annual fundraising goals.
• Maintain exceptional data hygiene standards and ensure timely recording of donor activity and strategy updates.
• Leverage data to identify prospects for leadership annual giving and major gift cultivation.

This position requires a Bachelor's degree and three years of experience related to development or other appropriate professional experience.