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The Assistant/Associate Director of Annual Giving will play a key role in advancing the mission of Hobart and William Smith by developing and executing strategies to increase young alumni and undergraduate giving participation and engagement. Reporting to the Executive Director of Annual and Athletic Giving, this position will lead initiatives to foster a culture of philanthropy among graduates of the past ten years (GOLD alumni) and current students, with an emphasis on sustaining long-term relationships and building a strong pipeline of future leadership donors.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Program Development

• Design and implement annual giving strategies to increase participation and retention rates among young alumni and graduating seniors.

• Develop targeted solicitation campaigns (print, email, text, peer-to-peer) tailored to the interests and behaviors of young alumni.

• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving Communications to create messaging and content that resonates with younger donors.

• Analyze giving trends and participation data to identify opportunities and adjust strategies in real time.

Engagement & Relationship Building

• Establish and manage programs that connect young alumni and students to the HWS, including volunteer opportunities, events, and digital engagement.

• Recruit, train, and support young alumni volunteers and HWS Forever student ambassadors to serve as advocates for annual giving.

• Partner with the Alumni Relations team to integrate philanthropic messaging into regional events, campus events and affinity-based programming.

• Collaborate with campus partners (career services, athletics, student affairs) to link alumni and student engagement with current campus experiences.

Student Philanthropy

• Lead the Colleges’ student philanthropy program, HWS Forever, to educate and inspire seniors about the impact of giving and staying engaged after graduation.

• Supervise and mentor student leaders and ambassadors who promote philanthropy and participation among peers.

• Coordinate HWS Forever campaigns and events to encourage a culture of giving before graduation.

• Build connections between student philanthropy efforts and long-term alumni engagement strategies.

Solicitation & Stewardship

• Oversee multi-channel campaigns targeting GOLD alumni, including recurring giving drives and giving day challenges.

• Personally, solicit gifts from a portfolio of young alumni prospects, with an emphasis on leadership annual donors.

• Design and implement creative stewardship practices for young donors and students (social media highlights, personalized videos, digital thank-you campaigns).

• Collaborate with stewardship colleagues to showcase the impact of young alumni and student support.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a thought leader on best practices for engaging young alumni and students in philanthropy.

• Work closely with Advancement Services to maintain accurate young alumni and student donor data, improving segmentation.

• Collaborate with colleagues in Mid-Level and Major Gifts to identify and cultivate future leadership and campaign donors.

Other Information:

This is a full-time, 12-month, benefits-eligible position. This position description is not all-inclusive as other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year, with a possible shortened workweek during the scheduled summer hours’ time period.

Annual salary range is $62,000 - $70,000.

About HWS

A liberal arts and sciences institution, Hobart and William Smith is known for consistent success in preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures. Our nationally ranked faculty are accessible teachers and scholars known for the impact of their research and distinguished by the depth of their mentorship. World challenges are studied in the classroom where critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills are honed. In the field, knowledge turns into discovery. In office hours, plans are carefully crafted to tie interests and talents to an academic path that motivates beyond graduation.

Our location in the heart of the Finger Lakes allows faculty, staff and students to live and work collaboratively on the banks of a resource-rich lake. Student-athletes play for 30 varsity teams boasting 24 national titles, including the 2023 and 2024 NCAA DIII Men’s Ice Hockey Championships. With three graduate programs, students can build on their undergraduate degree with a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership, Master of Arts in Teaching, or a Master of Science in Management. Together, the experiences and mentorship at HWS prepare students to lead lives of consequence.

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• 3–5 years of experience in fundraising, annual giving, alumni relations, or related field (for Assistant Director: 2–3 years; for Associate Director: 5+ years).

• Demonstrated success in managing fundraising or engagement initiatives, with measurable outcomes.

• Strong communication skills, including the ability to write persuasively and present confidently to diverse audiences.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience supervising volunteers or student workers preferred.

• Commitment to the mission and values of Hobart and William Smith.

The final title (Assistant or Associate Director) will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

The Colleges are an equal employment opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment in their programs and activities against employees or applicants based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, caregiver status, military status, including past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, social class, or any other category or characteristic protected by applicable law.