Vanderbilt University

Director of Development - Alumni Engagement at Vanderbilt University

Senior Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives

Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives

Director of Development - Alumni Engagement

In my role with Belmont, I worked to strengthen the Belmont connection with alumni and parents throughout the southeast through philanthropy and engagement. This included building a major gift portfolio, and connecting with alumni and parents through local and regional events. I worked with colleagues across campus to develop strategy around mini-campaigns to raise funds honoring faculty and alumni. I also assisted in onboarding new gift officers with training and mentorship.

Belmont University

Director of Development

As the Director of Development, I established and cultivated corporate partnerships throughout the community; collaborated to plan our overall fundraising strategy throughout the year; and oversaw annual Walk for Wishes.

Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee

As the first Director of Leadership Annual Giving at The Ohio State University, I worked to strategically build a brand new Leadership Annual Giving program from the ground up. By working with colleagues across campus, we established the parameters, metrics, and infrastructure for the program. Leadership Annual Giving Officers are tasked with a high volume of visits and annual gift asks in order to increase alumni and friend engagement and giving across the university. This team will not only foster the development pipeline at The Ohio State University, but will be a knowledgeable resource for our fellow advancement professionals.

The Ohio State University

Director of Leadership Annual Giving

As a Major Gift Officer for the College of Arts and Sciences, I primarily focused on meeting Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni in the state of Ohio, as well as all alumni of the College in the Southeast. I worked to strengthen the alumni network throughout the country by meeting alumni, sharing the new developments on campus, and re-engaging them in the Buckeye community.

Associate Director of Development, Arts and Sciences

Leadership Annual Giving program was established in July, 2011. As one of the first three employees on this team, throughout the first twenty months of the Leadership Annual Program, I met with approximately 350 alumni and raised over $488,000 in annual support of gifts $1,000 and up. Through these visits, I worked to establish relationships between the university and its alumni that had not yet been previously solidified. In doing so, the university's overall alumni participation rate increased by 3% over two years.

Primary responsibilities:
•	Research, cultivate, solicit and steward leadership annual gifts of $2,500 and up
•	Travel frequently to meet 180-210 alumni and parents per year throughout the country
•	Partner with major gift officers and advancement staff to move prospects through development pipeline

Associate Director, Leadership Annual Giving

Program Coordinator: Supported Associate Vice Chancellor, University Initiatives; Coordinated proposal grant writing and submission; Assisted four School Development Offices, Corporate Foundation Relations, Planned Giving, and Libraries; Planned strategic initiatives with university leadership, centers, institutes, and transinstitutional departments.

Program Coordinator, Development

Administrative Assistant: Assisted the Associate Vice Chancellor, Alumni Relations; Coordinated alumni events throughout the year; Managed office and budget of approximately $500,000; Hired and oversaw student workers within the office.

Alumni Relations

Student Worker in the Resident Office. Completed data entry and analysis, tested new programs to help improve current methods, and played integral role in improving overall efficiency of office during four years of undergraduate studies.

Meghan Backes Russell