Major Gifts Professional (Athletics)

The Major Gifts Professional position is responsible for the identification, gift solicitation, and stewardship of major gift donors. As a key member of the Major Gifts team, this individual will represent and promote Arizona Athletics in support of our mission of funding scholarships, programs, and facilites in support of championship athletics.

This position requires the ability work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends, and travel as needed.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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• Build, establish, retain, and manage a portfolio of 150 - 200 major gift donors and prospective donors in an assigned territory.
• Effectively managing relationships with prospects and donors in a collaborative and engaging format, providing support to all donors.
• Utilizing skills and knowledge, and relationship building skills to identify and cultivate new individual, corporate and institutional prospects.
• Work with prospects and donors through the entire gift cycle including research, identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Travel through the assigned territory at least 20 times a year.
• Secure a minimum of 30 substantive face-to-face visits per month.
• Meet or exceed on an annual basis established fundraising goals, solicitations, and donor contacts.
• Designs, delivers, and implements fundraising programming supporting the strategic needs of the department, which includes major gifts, principal gifts, planned gifts, and corporate philanthropy.
• Work collaboratively with leadership within department and foundation in support of the Wildcat Club, Arizona Athletic staff, and coaches to cultivate and solicit donors for fundraising priorities.
• Initiate contact with potential major gift donors; monitor and track all prospect contacts to ensure positive and purposeful prospect and donor relations.
• Develop, design, and manage cultivation strategies for prospects, including working with volunteers, staff, coaches to implement major gift fundraising events and solicitation strategies.
• Move potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and closure of major gifts of $25,000 and higher.
• Maintain stewardship contacts with donors; adhere to the highest ethical standards; demonstrate empathetic disposition, and perseverance; reflect optimistic and positive attitude, and convey sensitivity to needs of the donors.
• Attend events and oversee cultivation of current donors and prospective donors; providing information on advancement efforts to leadership.
• Complete in a timely manner all required job reports, donor contact reports, and attend weekly and monthly meetings as required.
• Design and implement wide ranging fundraising plans, providing reports to leadership.
• Budget accountability.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and has a positive demeanor.
• Demonstrated experience managing value added projects and strategic initiatives.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to problem solve and make decisions.
• Ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Dedication and motivation to initiate, lead and support value-added projects.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Knowledge of NCAA, Big 12, and University of Arizona position related rules and compliance.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including the ability to plan, establish priorities and successfully manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain positive interpersonal relations.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all organizational levels, and project a positive, professional attitude

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Master's degree.
• Experience in a Power 4 Conference.

1. Describe your knowledge and understanding of NCAA and Big-12 rules and regulations, as they pertain to recruitment and regulations?

2. Please list below any experience you have had since 2015 with high school or college student-athletes. This includes working or volunteering in any capacity with a high school, AAU, sports club, junior college or 4-year institution student-athlete, athletics team or department.

3. Applicants for this position are subject to the following NCAA Bylaws 11.4.2, 11.4.2.1, 11.4.2.2, 11.4.3, 11.4.3.1, 11.4.3.2, 11.4.4, 11.4.4.1, and 11.4.4.2. You may be asked about these Bylaws in an interview, and you may be asked to sign a future affirmation confirming the same prior to or upon your employment by The University of Arizona, if you are selected for employment. Do you understand that by submitting your application for employment you are affirming that you have read these Bylaws, and that such Bylaws would not preclude your employment by The University of Arizona?

4. Are you the parent, coach, relative or guardian of a prospective student-athlete (i.e., student in 9-12 grade or 7-12 grade for men's basketball or junior college student) in the sport of men's basketball, women's basketball or football or have any other type of association with any prospective student-athlete in the sports of men's basketball, women's basketball or football? If yes, please explain.

5. Is your potential employment within the athletic department conditioned upon the enrollment of any prospective student-athlete (i.e., student in 9-12 grade, 7-12 grade for men's basketball or junior college) in the sport of men's basketball, women's basketball or football? If Yes, please explain.

6. Do you understand that failure to disclose any information related to your affiliation with a prospective student-athlete (student in 9-12 grade, 7-12 grade for men's basketball or junior college) in the sports of football, men's basketball or women's basketball might render your application ineligible for consideration?