College Philanthropy Director Associate

Job Title
College Philanthropy Director Associate

Requisition Number
RE53369

Working Title
Director of Philanthropy - Lewis Honors College

Department Name
14000:Office Of Philanthropy

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

The University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College, Gaines Center and the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement seek to hire a Director of Philanthropy to lead the College’s and Center’s fundraising efforts, steward donor relationships, and deepen alumni engagement. Managed jointly by the Lewis Honors College and the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, the Director will be responsible for managing and actively participating in all initiatives related to the Gaines Center and Lewis Honors College’s donor portfolio, including sustaining alumni relationships, corporate participation, annual giving, and legacy giving, as well as other funding opportunities like grants, galas, event sponsorships, and major gifts. With a primary focus on major gift fundraising at high giving levels, the incumbent will engage in progressively more sophisticated philanthropic giving conversations with major gift donors and prospects of greater capacity.

The College and Center strives to nurture a culture of giving among our stakeholders, strengthen relationships with donors and prospective donors, and think creatively about new funding opportunities. We are looking for candidates with significant experience relevant to the above who can share fundraising knowledge with a capable, engaged staff and leadership team, and help to shape fundraising strategy for the College and Center well into the future. Additionally, we seek a leader who utilizes the components of design thinking—is ready to seek to understand our college, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and identify alternative strategies and solutions that are both novel and effective.

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
03/25/2026

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.