Brian Brunner Email & Phone Number

University Center, Mi, Us

Saginaw, Mi, Us

St. Charles, Mo, Us

Leads and actively manages the front-line fundraising units, including annual giving, leadership gifts, gift and legacy planning, and foundation and corporate giving.Develops and executes a comprehensive plan to maximize the success of the University's fundraising efforts. Provides oversight on all major and principal giving activity for the university while also managing a personal portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects and secures significant philanthropic resources for top institutional fundraising priorities.Serves as a key member of the Advancement and Communication leadership team and actively partners with academic and administrative leaders across the institution to help fulfill the University’s mission and ambitious goals. Provides key input in support of the Vice President for Advancement and Communications and the President in planning and executing the University’s first comprehensive campaign.Key Accomplishments:-Onboarded and actively manages the department's relationship with Gonser Gerber, a third-party fundraising consultant.-Oversaw the creation of the Lions Booster Club, the philanthropic arm of LU Athletics which works to cultivate, solicit and retain donors in support of Lindenwood student-athletes-Oversaw the creation of the 1827 Society, the leadership annual giving society for Lindenwood University.-Stopped a three-year downward trend and grew overall fundraising revenue by 4 percent in Fiscal Year 2021

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Us

Oversaw the major gift operations for Central Michigan University athletics. This included managing a portfolio of roughly 150 prospects and soliciting over $2 million annually in major gifts ($25,000+ with an emphasis on $100,000+ gifts). I also served as a member of the athletics department and development team's senior leadership team and coordinated efforts between athletics and advancement as part of the university's comprehensive campaign.In four years with CMU, I solicited over $8 million in gifts and closed $7.2 million in support of numerous capital projects and initiatives with the majority directed toward the funding of a new end zone facility. Included in that number are two $1 million solicitations, a $500,000 solicitation and multiple solicitations between $100,000 and $250,000. I played an instrumental role in developing a vision for athletics' capital campaign initiatives including the plans for the $30 million Chippewa Champions Center. I have also had the unique opportunity to use my writing background to support our sports information team in producing content publicizing leadership gifts to the campaign in support of athletics and our proposal writing team in developing the written content for major gift solicitation proposals.

Brookings, South Dakota, Us

Charged with oversight of the day-to-day operations of our annual fundraising efforts for athletics as well as sport supervision of our men's and women's golf programs. Solicitor on multiple capital projects and also responsible for managing a portfolio of over 150 major gift prospects.Led our annual fund to two consecutive record-breaking campaigns in Fiscal Year 2015 ($1.04 million) and Fiscal Year 2016 ($1.33 million) representing a near 70 percent increase in annual dollars in just two years.Served as Summit League Conference Representative for NAADD.Member of Inaugural NAADD Executive Mentor Program

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Us

Responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of CMU Athletics' annual fundraising efforts, overseeing our staff and executing all annual campaigns and programs including the Chippewa Club, Chippewa Champions, the 1100 Club and the annual Chippewa Challenge Golf Outing and Dinner Celebration. In addition, I am directly responsible for the fundraising efforts of our football, volleyball, track & cross country and soccer programs.

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Us

Cultivated relationships and executed solicitations with an annual donor base of almost 3,000 people that helped secure over $1.2 million in funds last fiscal yearSingularly conceptualized and executed a naming initiative that brought in over $50,000 from former football players and coaches in just under five monthsFor our annual golf outing, I managed one of three courses and helped solicit and secure over $150,000 worth of revenueHelped lead an integrated marketing committee that revamped the social media presence and the communication techniques of not only the athletic department, but also our 16 varsity teams

I was the starting quarterback for the Schwaebisch Hall Unicorns, a successful franchise in the German Football League's South Division.

Us

I blogged in a variety of capacities for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. These included live blogs duing the WIAA State Football Playoffs in 2009 and 2010. My most extensive work was a sports/culture blog I maintained called "Playing for Schnitzel" during my time playing professional football in Germany.

I developed and executed training programs for a wide variety of adults in the Germantown area. My clients' ages ranged from 18-72 and their fitness levels from slightly over/under weight to severely obese.

Green Bay, Wi, Us

Evaluated both professional and college football prospects for the Green Bay Packers under the supervision of both college and professional personnel directors as well as regional scouts. Helped organize and execute live player try outs. Developed positive relationships with various departments in the organization.

Covered a vast array of news subjects in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Also wrote a weekly sports column called "On the Brun."

M.S.A., Public Administration

B.S., Journalism, English, Sport Studies