College Philanthropy Director Associate

Job Title
College Philanthropy Director Associate

Requisition Number
RE52579

Working Title
Director of Philanthropy - Lewis Honors College

Department Name
14000:Office Of Development

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Grade Level
48

Salary Range
$62,941-103,834/year

Type of Position
Staff

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Required Education

BA

Click here for more information about equivalencies:
https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies

Required Related Experience

7 yrs

Required License/Registration/Certification

None

Physical Requirements

Ability to travel for meetings and conferences.

Shift

Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
With some evenings and weekends

Job Summary

Managed jointly by the UK Philanthropy Office and the Lewis Honors College, the Philanthropy Director Associate (Director of Philanthropy) serves as the lead fundraiser dedicated to advancing the mission, vision, and priorities of the Lewis Honors College. With a primary focus on major gift fundraising at higher giving levels, this position is responsible for building and managing a robust portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, developing individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies, and engaging in progressively more sophisticated philanthropic conversations with individuals of significant capacity. The Director will be expected to maintain an active schedule of meaningful donor visits, generate strong proposal activity, and sustain a healthy pipeline of future philanthropic support.

As a key member of the Dean’s senior leadership team, the Director of Philanthropy provides strategic counsel on all matters related to philanthropy in the Lewis Honors College. The incumbent will be actively engaged in the daily life of the colleges philanthropic activity by collaborating with associate deans, faculty, staff, and college administration to align fundraising efforts with academic and student success initiatives, and managing a volunteer philanthropy leadership council to deepen engagement and advocacy. This role is ideal for a strategic, relationship-driven fundraiser who is inspired by high-achieving students and eager to secure transformative support that shapes the future of the Lewis Honors College.

The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT– Collaboration, Communication, Mission Driven, Mutual Respect, Innovation and Transparency.

By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team!

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

The ideal candidate will be a strong, collaborative leader with a proven record of success in building and sustaining relationships that foster major gift giving. This position requires an individual who understands person-to-person relationships and has the ability to convincingly articulate the vision and priorities of the College and University and match them to the interests of prospective donors. Familiarity with planned giving, charitable gift arrangements as well as demonstrated experience in marketing, philanthropic messaging and persuasive writing is also desirable. This person will have experience managing and developing a fundraising team in the environment in which accountability-based metrics are used as benchmarks for performance.

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Deadline to Apply
01/04/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.