Description

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Colby College (Waterville, Maine), one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, seeks an inspirational and highly motivated Director of Athletics and Recreation Development to bring the athletics and recreation fundraising program to the next level of excellence, building on a strong foundation of annual, endowment, and capital gift performance to become a top 10 program in the Division III Learfield Director’s Cup Standings.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Giving and working in close collaboration with the Harold Alfond Director of Athletics, the Director of Athletics and Recreation Development will drive fundraising strategy for the program and build alumni, parent, and volunteer enthusiasm for an athletics program that has climbed from 133rd in 2019 to most recently 33rd in the Learfield Cup rankings.

As a highly visible and engaging representative of the College, the Director of Athletics and Recreation Development creates and cultivates external relationships with alumni, families, donors, and prospects in support of Colby Athletics. Working closely with philanthropic leaders, the individual in this role focuses on the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and principal gift prospects, implementing a strategic and effective plan to build excitement and enthusiasm, grow participation, and increase support from prospects at all levels in support of athletics.

 The successful candidate will have a proven record of accomplishment in building collaborative relationships across organizations and deep connections with key constituencies (coaches, families, alumni, and advancement colleagues). The Director must have a deep appreciation for and understanding of collegiate athletics, the liberal arts college experience, and a strong personal commitment to Colby’s core values. The Director role manages two staff members: a leadership annual gift officer and an assistant director of athletics fundraising.

• At least 7 years of experience in advancement (or a closely related field) is required.
• A bachelor’s degree is required.
   

Colby College Athletics is currently in an era of unprecedented growth and excellence, anchored by the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. Opened in 2020, this 350,000-square-foot, LEED Platinum-certified masterpiece is widely regarded as the premier sports facility in Division III. It houses the only Olympic-sized Myrtha pool in the Northeast, the 1,400-seat Jack Kelley Rink, a state-of-the-art 200-meter indoor track, a basketball stadium, fitness center, erg room, and nine championship squash courts. Designed with an emphasis on transparency and natural light, the center serves as a high-performance hub that unifies the campus community and provides student-athletes with an elite environment for training, recovery, and competition.

The program’s success is reflected in its recent competitive achievements and a growing list of accolades. In 2024 alone, Colby athletes secured 50 All-Conference awards, the highest tally in the College's history since joining the NESCAC. Academically, the program is equally rigorous; Colby regularly places dozens of student-athletes on the NESCAC All-Academic teams, with individuals frequently earning prestigious honors like the NCAA Elite 90 Award for maintaining the highest GPA at national championship events. 

With 32 varsity teams, Colby Athletics is committed to a culture of “competitive excellence” that balances elite athletic performance with the College’s world-class academic standards. The program’s upward trajectory (from 133rd in 2019 to most recently 33rd in the Learfield Cup rankings) is fueled by a significant investment in coaching and infrastructure, ensuring that every Mule has the resources to compete at the highest level.

The Director of Athletics and Recreation Development will build on the existing success of the development support of Athletics by collaborating with and inspiring all Advancement and Athletics staff, including frontline fundraisers, coaches, and leadership. Since the creation of this role in 2022, annual support has grown 78% (to $2.4M raised in FY26 to date) and donor headcount has grown 29%. In recent years, endowment support has also grown, with funds created to support football, soccer, lacrosse, and the Colby Woodsmen, among others. And the work is far from over: in addition to the existing facilities investments, there remain opportunities for capital projects and endowments to support coaches and assistant coaches. Fundraisers, coaches, and College leadership are eager to continue working with this role to continue to meet the department’s aspirational goals.

The following are the essential duties and responsibilities of this role:

• Oversee all aspects of growing principal, major, leadership, and annual gift fundraising for athletics and recreation, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects and donors for the program.
• Establish revenue projections for each team and execute the fundraising strategy to achieve set goals by working in close collaboration with the Harold Alfond Director of Athletics and head coaches.
• Lead prospect managers in solicitations and other guidance for athletics prospects, partnering on establishing solicitation targets and strategies, and driving the total pipeline for Athletics fundraising. Support coaches in solicitations, fundraising strategy, and engagement of alumni and families who support their teams.
• Manage, attend, and network at several athletics-oriented and team-based events throughout the year, including, but not limited to, home games, select away games, alumni days, engagement events, and other key events. In partnership with athletics, identify opportunities for key celebratory events that will unlock philanthropic support.
• Lead and elevate the management, stewardship, and solicitation activity of 20+ philanthropic varsity boards, activating their full potential to grow peer-to-peer fundraising and enhance athletics, and maintaining a pipeline of potential board members with philanthropic capacity and inclination.
• Oversee marketing and communication strategies to continuously promote opportunities for communicating the priorities of Colby Athletics and Recreation to a broad audience of prospects and donors.
• Proactively manage a portfolio of high-level prospects and donors.
• Oversee and maintain a robust stewardship program to appropriately recognize and thank all donors.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
   

The preferred candidate will possess many of the following:

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and long-term while successfully attending to more immediate goals and tasks; strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to motivate and inspire donors, volunteers, coaches, and colleagues.
• Possesses a “can-do” demeanor that conveys confidence and enthusiasm.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including superb relationship skills and ability to network with people across a wide range of levels of power and influence. The successful candidate will be comfortable meeting and engaging with parents and alumni to develop rapport in informal settings.
  Exceptional organizational skills, ability to consistently meet simultaneous deadlines and follow through on assignments promptly, and attention to detail
• Able to handle confidential information tactfully and exercise discretion
• Strong, self-motivated work ethic; flexibility; and proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively and constructively as a member of a diverse community
• Highly developed computer skills including experience using Microsoft Office Suite; Google Suite; email, web, and database applications, as well as an interest in and ability to learn new computer programs with ease and in a self-guided manner; experience with fundraising software
• A focus on teamwork, collaborative leadership, strategic thinking, workflow and the ability to effectively manage time and multiple tasks are essential
• Willingness to travel and to work hours outside the normal working day to be present and networking at games and events (i.e. nights and weekends)
• Valid driver’s license required and must meet the College’s Fleet Safety Policy requirements
• An entrepreneurial spirit and a positive attitude
   

The Director will thrive in Colby’s special culture: collegial, collaborative, student-centric, achievement-driven, and typified by alumni loyalty. A leader who is collaborative, collegial, transparent, and oriented toward teamwork will have the greatest opportunity for success in this culture.

The Director will understand the characteristics of a successful leader: integrity, judgment, creativity, positivity, and humor.

Required Qualifications

• At least 7 years of experience in advancement (or a closely related field) is required, with proven experience managing a portfolio, closing major and leadership gifts, and managing staff; experience in soliciting athletics prospects or otherwise managing an athletics fundraising program is preferred.
• Flexibility to travel and work evenings or weekends.
• A bachelor’s degree is required.
• Valid driver’s license required and must meet the College’s Fleet Safety Policy requirements.