Director of Development, Southeast

The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked national university and health system with its flagship campus located in idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over 33,000 students — 8,550 of them first in family — across seven campuses, with a legacy of national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers globally advancing discoveries in fields ranging from cancer to AI.

UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top public university with a record number of applications, continued investment in student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the holistic success of student-athletes. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships across all sports. This includes the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship trophies in the last three years.

Guided by the public launch of our most ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn: The Campaign for UConn Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign spans all schools, colleges, campuses, and UConn Health, focusing on four pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its national peers:

Students First: making transformative investments in financial aid, student health, career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and career outcomes.

Academic & Innovation Excellence: driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond.

Health & Wellness of People & Planet: focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes.

Husky Pride: investing in athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes more than 290,000 alumni worldwide.

The campaign will have a profound impact on the University, doubling the number of named scholarships, funding scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies, and engaging UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never before.

We seek the top talent in the country to join The UConn Foundation and help us drive our mission to connect people to the University of Connecticut, growing philanthropy, engaging a thriving alumni and donor community, and building a robust endowment to strategically advance UConn and UConn Health’s educational, research, and service missions.

We are committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher education.

We’re looking for dedicated professionals to drive success and excellence and exemplify our values of Purpose, Excellence, Culture, Communication, and Integrity.

The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every day.

Position Summary
The Director of Development, Southeast is a frontline fundraiser based in Northern Florida and responsible for leading major gift fundraising at the $100,000+ level across Northern Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, and other parts of the Southeast as needed. This role focuses on increasing philanthropic support from UConn alumni, parents, and other stakeholders in the region. The Director partners with alumni relations and principal giving to strengthen a culture of philanthropy, advance campaign priorities, and secure funding aligned with the University’s strategic plan. The role also works closely with Deans and University and Foundation colleagues to achieve fundraising goals, elevate the University’s presence in the region, and coordinate leadership travel, meetings, and events.

Primary Responsibilities

Manage a prospect portfolio of 100+ prospects.

Raise $1-5M per year.

Conduct 20-40 qualification meetings; 15+ solicitations at the $100K+ level; and 100-135 face-to-face, meaningful meetings per year.

Collaborate closely with donors, volunteers, and University leaders to identify new prospects and serve as the Foundation’s Southeast expert.

Perform administrative duties related to advancement work including documenting activity, writing proposals, inputting engagement plans in relationship management database, and adhering to Foundation policies.

Contribute to the overall productivity and efficiency of the Division/Department’s development staff, by meeting or exceeding goals in a metrics-driven environment.

Collaborate with the development leadership team to develop and support clearly defined and strategic personal fundraising priorities within the campaign and articulate compelling cases to advance these priorities.

Model and articulate the Foundation’s organizational core values at all times.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Major, Leadership, and Principal Gift Fundraising
Demonstrate the ability to personally solicit gifts of $100,000 and above, while advancing the number and quality of principal ($5M+) and leadership ($1M+) gift conversations in partnership with the principal gifts team.

Potential Donor Discovery
Collaborate with the Prospect Management and Research team to increase and grow the major gift pipeline and overall fundraising success.

Engagement
Collaborate with Stakeholder Engagement to steward donors, engage with alumni, and support events specific to your unit.

Leadership
Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as development management meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

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