Director of Advancement Events

Director Of Advancement Events

The Director of Advancement Events serves as a senior strategic leader within University Advancement, responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and quality standards for George Mason University's comprehensive portfolio of advancement events. This position provides executive-level oversight of all donor and alumni engagement events, leading through strategic planning, innovation, and data-driven decision making to advance the university's philanthropic goals. The Director leads a team, including an Event Manager, who handles day-to-day execution, allowing the Director to focus on high-level strategy, stakeholder relationships, and ensuring each event serves as a transformative experience that deepens donor engagement and inspires increased philanthropic investment. Working collaboratively with Advancement leadership, academic and non-academic units, and the President's Office, this role shapes how Mason recognizes, cultivates, and celebrates its philanthropic community while positioning the university as a leader in donor engagement experiences.

Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership and Collaboration with Central Advancement, Schools, Colleges, and Units

• Develops and champions a comprehensive 3-5 year strategic events roadmap that advances University fundraising goals, with annual reviews and updates based on campaign progress and institutional priorities;
• Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) for the events portfolio, including ROI metrics, donor engagement scores, pipeline advancement, and alumni participation rates;
• Leads strategic innovation in event design by researching industry best practices, implementing new technologies, and piloting creative formats and best practices from peer institutions and corporate philanthropy leaders to continuously elevate and differentiate George Mason's donor experiences;
• Serves as the senior strategic advisor to the Assistant Vice President of Advancement and President's Office on all donor and prospective donor event strategies, providing recommendations on resource allocation and program priorities;
• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with deans, unit heads, and advancement leaders to ensure events support school-specific fundraising goals while maintaining institutional cohesion;
• Directs the integration of events strategy with broader advancement initiatives, ensuring seamless alignment with annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and campaign strategies;
• Analyzes market trends and competitor approaches to position George Mason's events as best-in-class experiences that attract and retain high-capacity donors;
• Presents quarterly strategic reports to Advancement leadership on event portfolio performance, emerging opportunities, and recommended strategic pivots;
• Co-leads the strategic planning and execution of major university-wide events, and presidential donor and prospective donor engagement programs, such as donor recognition events (celebration of giving, staff / donor appreciation, scholarship breakfast, etc.), donor recognition society events, naming events, reunions, homecoming, alumni awards, presidential events, and campaign milestone celebrations; and
• Works collaboratively with units / schools / colleges, Central Advancement, the George Mason University Foundation, Advancement Donor Stewardship and Communications, and other university stakeholders.

Oversight of Event Planning and Execution

Stakeholder and Donor Engagement

Supervision of Staff

Required Qualifications :