Director of the Lettermans Association

Director of the Lettermen’s Association

Gamecock Club | University of South Carolina Athletics

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer, Gamecock Club 

Supervises: Assistant Director of the Lettermen’s Association

Position Summary

The Director of the Lettermen’s Association will lead efforts to strengthen lifelong connections between South Carolina Athletics and its former student-athletes. Reporting to the CEO of the Gamecock Club, the Director will grow Association membership, build a comprehensive annual giving program, increase philanthropic support, and expand and maintain an accurate database of former student-athletes.

This position will serve as a primary relationship manager for the former student-athlete community, creating meaningful opportunities to reconnect, participate, and give back. The Director’s engagement responsibilities extend to all former student-athletes, regardless of Association membership or giving history, across sports, generations, and geographic locations.

The Director will supervise the Assistant Director and work closely with the Lettermen’s Association Advisory Board to shape priorities and advance the Association’s mission. The Director will lead strategy and coordinate execution through the Assistant Director, Advisory Board, volunteers, and collaboration with Gamecock Club, Athletics, and University partners.

Primary Responsibilities

Membership Growth and Retention

·         Develop and execute a strategic membership plan with measurable goals for recruitment, renewal, retention, and reactivation.

·         Evaluate and strengthen membership benefits, communications, and experiences to provide meaningful value and encourage continued participation.

·         Establish a consistent process for introducing graduating student-athletes to the Association and maintaining their connection to South Carolina Athletics.

·         Recruit and engage former student-athletes as volunteer ambassadors to expand outreach across teams and graduating classes.

Annual Giving and Fundraising

·         Build and manage a sophisticated annual giving program with clear priorities, defined donor segments, coordinated solicitations, and consistent stewardship.

·         Develop an annual fundraising calendar incorporating personal outreach, email, direct mail, digital campaigns, recurring giving, and targeted appeals, in collaboration with Gamecock Club fundraising and communications staff.

·         Grow the number of donors, total philanthropic support, donor retention, and average gift size through strategies tailored to former student-athletes’ interests and connection to the University.

·         Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of former student-athletes and other supporters.

·         Partner with Gamecock Club development staff to identify and advance major gift opportunities, ensuring coordinated prospect management and donor communication.

·         Clearly communicate the distinction between Association membership dues and philanthropic giving, including the purpose and impact of each.

Former Student-Athlete Engagement

·         Develop a year-round engagement strategy that welcomes former student-athletes at every level of involvement.

·         Oversee reunions, recognition activities, athletics-related gatherings, networking opportunities, and other programs, coordinating planning and execution with the Assistant Director and relevant partners.

·         Partner with coaches, sport administrators, and Athletics staff to reconnect former student-athletes with their teams and the broader athletics program.

·         Create opportunities for former student-athletes to support current student-athletes through mentorship, career connections, and other appropriate involvement.

·         Gather feedback to ensure programming reflects the interests and needs of the former student-athlete community.

Advisory Board Collaboration

·         Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Lettermen’s Association Advisory Board, maintaining regular communication and building productive relationships with its members.

·         Work closely with the Advisory Board to shape strategic priorities, gather feedback, and strengthen membership, fundraising, and engagement initiatives.

·         Coordinate meeting schedules, agendas, materials, and follow-up with the Board’s leadership and Assistant Director.

·         Engage Board members as ambassadors, volunteer leaders, and relationship builders who help reconnect former student-athletes and advance Association priorities.

·         Support the recruitment and onboarding of Advisory Board members in accordance with the Association’s governing processes.

·         Translate Board input into actionable plans aligned with Gamecock Club priorities and provide regular updates on progress and results.

Staff Supervision and Collaborative Execution

·         Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Assistant Director of the Lettermen’s Association, establishing clear responsibilities, goals, and professional development opportunities.

·         Delegate responsibilities and coordinate workloads to support effective execution of membership services, outreach, events, communications, and daily operations.

·         Establish clear roles and shared work plans with Gamecock Club staff, Athletics personnel, University partners, and volunteers.

·         Work with the CEO to align priorities with available staffing, resources, and budget.

Database Development and Management

·         Lead a systematic effort to identify, locate, and reconnect with former student-athletes across all sports and eras.

·         Oversee the expansion and maintenance of accurate contact information, sport and participation history, membership status, giving history, and engagement records.

·         Coordinate with Athletics, University partners, and Gamecock Club staff to reconcile records and improve data completeness.

·         Establish consistent processes for the Assistant Director and collaborating staff to record outreach, update information, and track participation within the organization’s designated database.

·         Use data to identify engagement gaps, prioritize outreach, and evaluate membership and fundraising performance.

Communications and Operations

·         Develop an annual operating plan and budget aligned with Gamecock Club priorities.

·         Coordinate with Gamecock Club and Athletics communications staff to develop and distribute compelling content that highlights former student-athletes, promotes involvement, and demonstrates the impact of giving.

·         Oversee a coordinated communications calendar supporting membership, fundraising, events, and broader engagement.

·         Provide regular progress reports to the CEO and Advisory Board on membership, fundraising, database growth, and engagement.

·         Represent the Association and Gamecock Club at events and meetings, including evenings, weekends, and travel as needed.

Qualifications

·         Bachelor’s degree and demonstrated experience in fundraising, alumni relations, membership development, athletics administration, or a related field.

·         Proven ability to build relationships and translate outreach into measurable membership, engagement, or fundraising results.

·         Experience developing annual giving campaigns, soliciting support, and stewarding donors.

·         Demonstrated ability to supervise staff, delegate effectively, and coordinate work across departments.

·         Ability to build productive relationships with advisory boards and volunteer leaders.

·         Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently.

·         Experience using constituent relationship management systems and data to guide outreach and measure results.

·         Ability to work effectively with former student-athletes, donors, volunteers, coaches, and University partners.

·         Sound judgment, discretion, and a commitment to responsible handling of constituent information.

Preferred qualifications: Experience in collegiate athletics or athletics fundraising organization; demonstrated success building or expanding an annual giving program; experience supporting an advisory board; and familiarity with the experiences and interests of former student-athletes.

Measures of Success

The Director will establish annual performance targets with the CEO, including:

·         Growth in active membership, renewals, and reactivated members.

·         Growth in annual philanthropic revenue, donor participation, recurring gifts, and donor retention.

·         Expansion and improved accuracy of the former student-athlete database.

·         Increased engagement across sports, generations, and geographic areas, including participation by nonmembers.

·         Meaningful Advisory Board participation and follow-through on agreed priorities.

·         Effective supervision and development of the Assistant Director and coordination with supporting staff and partners.

·         Development of qualified major gift referrals and coordinated fundraising opportunities.

Consistent delivery of meaningful programs, timely communications, and effective stewardship