Title: Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement
Department: Alumni and Donor Engagement
Campus Location: Normal, IL
The Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement provides enterprise leadership for an integrated engagement strategy that advances Illinois State University’s mission, strengthens alumni connection, and drives measurable engagement and philanthropic outcomes.
Building on a strong foundation of alumni engagement programming and volunteer leadership, annual giving solicitation and stewardship, and major gift/planned gift donor stewardship and engagement, this role leads an integrated engagement ecosystem connecting more than 245,000 alumni to the University through coordinated alumni engagement, annual giving, and donor stewardship strategies.
Recognizing that alumni and donors of Illinois State interact and engage with the University in various and sometimes multiple ways, the AVP advances Illinois State’s engagement and philanthropic priorities through a strategic, metrics-driven approach that strengthens the alumni and donor experience across multiple platforms and touchpoints. This role positions Illinois State for continued growth in alumni engagement and fundraising and campaign success through a strategic, collaborative, and relationship-centered approach.
The AVP is accountable for translating engagement into measurable performance, expanding alumni engagement, increasing donor participation and retention, strengthening stewardship and recognition, and building a scalable pipeline for philanthropic support.
This role aligns strategy, execution, communications, stewardship, and performance management across three core functions:
• Alumni Engagement (connection and affinity)
• Annual Giving (participation and donor growth)
• Donor Stewardship (retention and lifetime value)
The Assistant Vice President reports to the Vice President for University Advancement, serves on the Advancement Leadership Team, and partners broadly across campus to strengthen the University’s culture of engagement and philanthropy.
$165,000 - $180,000 annually
- Insurance benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life
- Retirement and supplemental retirement planning options
- Tuition waiver benefits available to staff as well as their eligible dependents
- Paid holidayadministrative closures during Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
- Paid benefit time
Additional University Benefit information, including information regarding eligibility to participate in the State Universities Retirement System and the State of Illinois Group Insurance program, can be reviewed here: https://hr.illinoisstate.edu/benefits/
1. Bachelor's degree
2. Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advancement, alumni engagement, annual giving, donor relations or related fields.
3. Demonstrated record of delivering measurable results, including growth in alumni engagement, donor participation, annual giving performance, stewardship effectiveness, and/or pipeline development.
4. Proven ability to design and execute integrated engagement strategies that translate constituent connection into institutional outcomes. 5. Demonstrated ability to manage volunteers and volunteer boards/committees.
6. Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including organizational design, talent development, and performance management.
7. Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership, boards, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
8. Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in complex environments and build collaborative relationships across units and constituencies.
9. Demonstrated ability to use data, analytics, and performance metrics to guide strategy, decision-making, and disciplined execution.
10. Willingness and ability to travel and work evenings and weekends as required.
1. Advanced degree.
2. Significant experience in higher education advancement.
3. Experience leading integrated alumni engagement, annual giving, and/or donor stewardship functions.
4. Familiarity with CASE engagement metrics and advancement best practices.
5. Experience with enterprise CRM platforms such as Salesforce or similar systems.
6. Experience supporting or leading comprehensive campaign efforts.
7. Experience working with volunteers and advisory boards.
8. Experience leading engagement-related communications, events, or donor experience initiatives.
A fast-paced, productive office environment where work demands may extend beyond traditional hours of operation of 8am-4:30pm, M-F.
Must be able to complete the following with or without a reasonable accommodation:
1. Remain at a workstation for extended periods
2. Move about in various locations on and off campus as needed to complete day-to-day work
3. Effectively communicate on a daily basis
TBD
Resume / C.V.
Cover Letter
Reference List - (specifically, the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of at least three professional references)
Please Note These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"
Applicants for this position must be authorized to work in the U.S. without ISU sponsorship. Sponsorship for work authorization will not be considered for this position.
Erin Watts
emwatts@ilstu.edu
This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.
Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383 The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.
If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311
