Favorite Parts Of Working In The Athletic Development Industry As An Assistant Athletic Director Annual Giving
Mattie enjoys the collaborative nature of athletic development fundraising, noting a "free sharing of ideas" among colleagues at different universities because "it's not a competitive industry." This allows for continuous learning and innovation, as Mattie actively seeks external ideas to refine and implement strategies that keep their institution "on the forefront of innovation."
Fundraising, Collaboration, Innovation, Higher Education, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mattie Fowler Burkhardt
Assistant Athletic Director - Annual Giving
University of Nebraska Athletic Department
University of Nebraska, 2015
MBA, University of Nebraska
Finance
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking, Sports & Fitness
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. The collaborative nature of the industry allows for free sharing of ideas and best practices among colleagues at different universities.
2. The field is not competitive in terms of donor acquisition, fostering a supportive environment for innovation and growth.
3. Staying ahead of the curve and embracing innovation are crucial for success in this dynamic field.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
Something that's really interesting about working in athletic development, specifically in fundraising and revenue generation, is the free sharing of ideas among colleagues from other universities. It's not competitive; a donor for Penn State isn't going to suddenly become a donor for Nebraska.
So there's no blocking or holding back of ideas. When we go to conferences, I'm constantly calling colleagues around the country to ask, "What are you doing to address this situation?" Or, "Have you rolled out a new planned giving group that's really exciting, and what are you doing in that space?"
Wealth transfers are a hot topic right now, and nobody's afraid to share information about it. It's not a competitive industry in that way because your donors are your own. We're all elevating our institutions through this.
That's been fun because it's very collaborative. I like that sharing of ideas because you only know what you know. When you can take something from the outside, refine it, and put your own spin on it that works for your university, I think that's really important.
We don't want to stay stagnant; we want to keep growing. The greatest threat is not changing. So we've got to always be aggressive in our planning and make sure we're staying on the forefront of innovation.