The posting
Position Title:
Director, Reunion Giving
Work Type:
Full time
Location:
Swarthmore College
Approved Location Type:
Hybrid
Department:
Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)
Who We Are:
The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.
The Office of Advancement manages and maintains alumni, family, and friend records; engages constituents in the life of the College in a variety of ways, contexts, and over time; provides and supports meaningful volunteering opportunities; and partners with the President and Board of Managers to share information about the College and raise critical philanthropic support for the College's priorities and new initiatives. Advancement ensures that alumni and donors are appropriately recognized and informed about the impact of their service and contributions, and manages all gift acceptance and stewardship.
The Opportunity:
The director of reunions leads Swarthmore College’s reunion fundraising program, which currently aims to raise $2.7 million annually, including $1.7 million for The Swarthmore Fund, from 14 reunion classes. The director sets reunion fundraising and participation goals, designs class giving strategies, cultivates and solicits leadership gift prospects, manages the reunion giving budget, and supervises a team of three.
To reach these goals, the director leads engagement strategy for more than 130 reunion committee volunteers, whose class outreach drives both giving and attendance. The director approves class committee strategies, with a particular focus on fundraising subcommittees and volunteer-led solicitation, and personally manages the committees for two or more classes, including their leadership gift prospects. The director works in close partnership with Alumni Engagement, which manages the events subcommittees, to set and achieve reunion attendance goals.
Working within Alumni Relations and in close partnership with Annual Giving, Development, Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement, Special Events, and Advancement Marketing, the director ensures that each reunion delivers meaningful philanthropic results, strong participation, and lasting connections to the College. The director plays a key role in strengthening a culture of philanthropy among alumni, cultivating reunion donors and volunteers as long-term partners of the College well beyond their reunion year.
Essential Responsibilities:
Reunion fundraising strategy and goals
- Designs and leads the reunion fundraising strategy for all 14 reunion classes, setting annual dollar and participation goals that currently total $2.7 million, including $1.7 million for The Swarthmore Fund, and building multiyear class giving plans with clear timelines, segmentation, and benchmarks.
- Sets class-level dollar and participation goals in consultation with Annual Giving, and partners with Alumni Engagement to set attendance goals that reinforce giving.
- Manages the reunion giving budget, allocating resources across classes and solicitation strategies.
- Contributes to the overall strategy of The Swarthmore Fund and provides insight into long-term planning for alumni giving.
Leadership gift cultivation and solicitation
- Manages a portfolio of reunion prospects, cultivating and soliciting leadership-level gifts that advance class and institutional goals. Personally manages the committees for two or more reunion classes, including their leadership gift prospects, while providing strategic oversight across all reunion classes.
- Partners with Development and Gift Planning on strategy for major and planned gift prospects within reunion classes.
Volunteer fundraising and committee strategy
- Leads engagement strategy for reunion volunteer committees, which include more than 130 volunteers across 14 classes, with a focus on fundraising subcommittees and volunteer-led solicitation.
- Approves class committee strategies and partners with Alumni Engagement, which manages the events subcommittees, on shared attendance goals and coordinated committee work.
- Directs the recruitment, training, and coaching of outreach and fundraising volunteers, preparing them to solicit their classmates effectively.
- Develops committee structures, volunteer role descriptions, timelines, and solicitation toolkits.
- Establishes volunteer stewardship and recognition practices and builds a pipeline of future class leaders in partnership with Alumni Engagement.
Staff leadership
- Supervises, mentors, and develops a team of three, setting priorities and holding staff accountable for fundraising, participation, and volunteer management results.
Cross-divisional collaboration
- Collaborates with colleagues across Advancement, including Annual Giving, Development, Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement, Special Events, and Advancement Marketing, to align reunion fundraising, communications, volunteer, and event plans with institutional priorities and deliver a seamless reunion experience.
Data and reporting
- Partners with Data Intelligence to track gift pipelines and progress toward dollar, participation, and attendance goals, using data to evaluate results and adjust strategy in real time.
Representation
- Serves as a visible representative of Advancement at Alumni Weekend, reunion volunteer gatherings, donor meetings, and other key events.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Three staff members on the Reunions team;
- 1 full-time Associate Director
- 2 full-time Assistant Directors
Who you are:
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Exceptional organizational and analytical skills.
- A collaborative spirit and demonstrated ability to work across departments and functions.
- Commitment to the mission and values of a liberal arts education and Swarthmore College.
What you bring:
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and at least ten years of related experience in fundraising, alumni relations, volunteer management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated success developing and carrying out strategic fundraising plans and meeting annual dollar and participation goals.
- Proven track record cultivating and soliciting leadership-level gifts.
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, and lead volunteer fundraising committees, and to engage and inspire alumni volunteers.
- At least three years experience supervising, mentoring, and developing staff.
- Experience using CRM and fundraising databases (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Slate).
- Valid U.S. driver’s license and willingness to travel occasionally.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience with reunion fundraising or class-based campaigns.
- Familiarity with Swarthmore College’s alumni community or a similar liberal arts college environment.
- Direct experience using Slate, Swarthmore’s CRM and fundraising database.
Physical Demands
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position, working at a computer, for extended periods.
- Moves around campus and event venues during Alumni Weekend and other events, sometimes for several hours at a time.
- Occasionally positions oneself to access file cabinets, remove files, and transport them.
Working Conditions
- This position follows a hybrid work model, with the flexibility to work remotely and on campus as determined by the vice president for advancement.
- Evening and weekend hours are required to support Alumni Weekend, volunteer committee meetings, and other key events and programs, with extended on-campus hours during Alumni Weekend.
- Occasional travel to meet with volunteers and donors.
What You Will Get:
You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.
The market range for this position is $120,000-$130,000 per year, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.
PA Criminal Clearance Required
Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.
MVR Clearance Required by Position
Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of employment.
Education Verification Required by Position
An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.
Applications received are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. An optional cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position is preferred. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).
Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.
Swarthmore Benefits and Programs
Retirement Plans
Tuition Grant Program
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Paid Time Off (Staff)
Holiday Schedule
Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.
