Virginia Tech
Associate Director of Major Gifts, Virginia Tech Athletic Fund
🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $65K - $75K
💻 Other
🗓️ July 14th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
Virginia Tech is hiring an Associate Director of Major Gifts for the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund. The role involves developing and implementing major gift fundraising strategies, managing a portfolio of 100-125 prospects with solicitation ranges between $100,000 and $1,000,000+, and traveling frequently to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors while collaborating with advancement and athletic departments to support fundraising priorities.
Highlights
- Manage a portfolio of 100-125 major gift prospects with typical solicitation ranges of $100,000 to $1,000,000+.
- Close $2,000,000 in major gifts annually using a three-year rolling average, making 15 major gift asks and closing 12.
- Develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies aligned with athletic and university priorities.
- Frequent regional and national travel required, averaging five to eight days per month, including nights and weekends.
- Required qualifications include a Master’s degree or Bachelor’s with extensive experience, demonstrated fundraising or related experience, strong communication, and ability to motivate volunteers and donors.
- Preferred qualifications include proven success in major gift fundraising, experience in higher education or athletic fundraising, and ability to build long-term relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Salary range is $65,000 to $75,000 annually with a 40+ hour workweek.
- Must maintain a safe driving record and pass a criminal conviction check; unable to sponsor work visas.
- Collaborate closely with the Associate Athletics Director, central advancement office, collegiate development staff, and volunteers.
- Position is exempt from overtime and requires participation in university programs as possible.
Associate Director of Major Gifts, Virginia Tech Athletic Fund Full Description
Job Description
This highly motivated athletics professional will report to the Associate Athletics Director, Major Gifts and assist in the Hokie Club in carrying out the designated duties and responsibilities for the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund. The selected candidate will be involved with the planning and implementation of the fundraising efforts in support of priorities designated by the department of athletics. They will fulfill the duties under the direction of, and in close cooperation with, the Associate Athletics Director, Major Gifts and the university’s central advancement office.
Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Associate Director, Major Gifts will:
• Develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies which include building, managing, and soliciting a portfolio of major gift prospects.
• Travel, on average, five to eight days per month to cultivate, solicit, steward, and identify prospects.
• Have a portfolio of between 100 – 125 prospects.
• Have typical solicitation ranges of $100,000 to $1,000,000+.
• Close $2,000,000 per year using a three-year rolling average.
• Make 15 asks at major gift level and close 12 gifts at major gift level.
• Establish strong working relationships with other central advancement, collegiate and constituent development officers and staff to foster a productive work environment.
Regional and national travel is required for the purposes of conducting field research, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, which may include overnights and weekends. The associate director must have the ability and willingness to travel utilizing standard, commercial, and/or personal modes of transportation. Additionally, the ability to work nights and weekends, and participation in college or university programs when possible is necessary.
Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Associate Director, Major Gifts will:
• Develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies which include building, managing, and soliciting a portfolio of major gift prospects.
• Travel, on average, five to eight days per month to cultivate, solicit, steward, and identify prospects.
• Have a portfolio of between 100 – 125 prospects.
• Have typical solicitation ranges of $100,000 to $1,000,000+.
• Close $2,000,000 per year using a three-year rolling average.
• Make 15 asks at major gift level and close 12 gifts at major gift level.
• Establish strong working relationships with other central advancement, collegiate and constituent development officers and staff to foster a productive work environment.
Regional and national travel is required for the purposes of conducting field research, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, which may include overnights and weekends. The associate director must have the ability and willingness to travel utilizing standard, commercial, and/or personal modes of transportation. Additionally, the ability to work nights and weekends, and participation in college or university programs when possible is necessary.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree or Bachelor’s with extensive experience.
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising, sales/marketing, advertising, public relations, communications, or experience in cold calling.
- Demonstrated professionalism with strong communication skills and the ability to motivate volunteers as well as donors.
- Ability to understand and articulate the importance of higher education in addition to the critical role and priorities of both the university and the athletic program.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work as a team member in a complex organization.
- Willingness to travel on a frequent basis.
Preferred Qualifications
- Successful track record in major gift fundraising.
- Demonstrated experience in higher education fundraising, athletic fundraising or other related experience.
- Previous experience representing a Division I athletic department to external audiences.
- Proven success in building productive, long-term relationships with key business leaders, faculty, staff, institutional boards, volunteers, and/or donors.
Overtime Status
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Regular
Salary Information
$65,000 to $75,000
Hours per week
40+
Review Date
August 3, 2025
Additional Information
Safe driving record.
Routine Travel or Telework – (50% or more travel).
Unable to sponsor work visas.
Routine Travel or Telework – (50% or more travel).
Unable to sponsor work visas.
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Advancement Human Resources at advhr@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Similar Jobs
Assistant Principal (SY 25-26)
KIPP Chicago
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
Student Achievement Coach
Arizona College of Nursing
🇺🇸 Tucson, AZ
Administrative Specialist
University of North Texas
🇺🇸 Denton, TX
Academics Coordinator
Adtalem Global Education
🇺🇸 Philipsburg, PA
Director of Fundraising - Campus.org
Campus
🇺🇸 Hybrid - New York, NY
