Thomas D. Brush Jr.
Parkton,MD
Summary
Higher-education advancement and organizational-change consultant with more than 25 years of experience in advancement leadership, alumni and constituent engagement, revenue strategy, operational assessment, and stakeholder facilitation. Committed to aligning resources with institutional priorities to enhance governance, fundraising readiness, and operational effectiveness.
Overview
1
1
Certification
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Founder & Principal Consultant
ADVANCEMENT DESIGNS
04.2018 - Current
- Lead a consulting practice that helps nonprofit executives, boards, and leadership teams assess organizational realities, clarify priorities, strengthen governance and revenue strategy, and implement sustainable change.
- Design and lead organizational assessments, strategic-planning processes, board retreats, executive advising engagements, resource-development plans, and leadership-development programs for organizations ranging from emerging nonprofits to institutions with more than $60 million in annual revenue.
- Advised executives and development leaders on strategies for fundraising readiness, diversified revenue, donor stewardship, board engagement, and alignment of resources with institutional goals.
- Navigated complex environments, gathered qualitative and quantitative data, facilitated cross-functional conversations, identified operational and relationship barriers, and translated findings into actionable recommendations and implementation priorities.
- Serve as an Associate Consultant with Maryland Nonprofits, facilitating five cohorts to help growing organizations develop fundraising plans and deliver governance, standards for excellence, and strategic-planning engagements.
Director, Alumni Relations
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND
04.2015 - 03.2018
- Directed strategy for engaging more than 65,000 alumni; led a four-person team and partnered across University Advancement, Admissions, Career Development, Athletics, academic units, and other campus functions.
- Initiated alumni engagement-scoring project to quantify participation and identify opportunities, expanding programming for recent graduates, young families, and historically underrepresented alumni.
- Increased Milestone Reunion participation by 20% through program redesign and enhanced volunteer leadership, integrating reunion giving strategies.
- Led cleanup and redesign of iModules alumni website and improved data-gathering practices, resulting in over 2,500 alumni address updates in one year.
Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND
03.2013 - 03.2015
- Cultivated corporate and foundation relationships, developed and submitted grant proposals, and aligned external funding opportunities with institutional, faculty, student, research, and community priorities to enhance support for key initiatives.
- Strengthened proposal development by realigning responsibilities, streamlining processes, and improving collaboration with sponsored research, academic leaders, and campus partners.
- Established Corporate Partnership Roundtable to connect Athletics, Career Development, Alumni Relations, and other units, coordinating relationships and identifying broader engagement and support opportunities.
Senior Associate Athletic Director, External Affairs
TOWSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
07.2007 - 11.2010
- Increased external revenue 39% to more than $1.55 million while growing philanthropic support 28%, annual giving 21%, donor participation 8%, and ticket sales 30%.
- Led 13-person external-relations and revenue team across development, corporate partnerships, alumni and media relations, marketing, promotions, and ticketing to enhance overall organizational outreach.
- Created Alumni Athlete Challenge, generating 245 gifts totaling over $65,000, while strengthening Tiger Club booster organization and expanding alumni engagement efforts.
- Led a transition to a new web provider and integrated content, email, social media, sponsorship, and ticketing strategies to improve engagement, attendance, and revenue.
Assistant Athletic Director, Development
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
08.1997 - 06.2007
- Grew annual fundraising 900%, from approximately $60,000 to more than $600,000, while expanding donor participation and organizational capacity.
- Secured $250,000 Aquatic Center naming gift, $100,000 golf leadership gift, and eight endowed scholarships, contributing to $250,000 group naming commitment.
- Redesigned the annual golf tournament, more than doubling participation to 244 golfers and increasing proceeds more than fivefold; guided the Athletics Club Board and supervised development staff.
- Developed athletic development operation from inception, establishing strategy, systems, staffing, volunteer leadership, annual giving, major gifts, stewardship, and events to enhance fundraising capacity.
Advancement, Alumni Relations & Communications Roles
HAMILTON COLLEGE
06.1990 - 07.1997
- Advanced through roles including Associate Director and Acting Director of Alumni Affairs, Director and Assistant Director of Regional Campaigns, and Assistant Director of Sports Information and Media Relations, gaining comprehensive expertise in alumni engagement.
- Secured over $6 million through regional campaign efforts, leveraging direct mail, individual solicitations, peer-to-peer outreach, and alumni volunteers during Campaign for the ’90s, contributing to overall $72 million raised.
Education
Master of Business Administration - Sport Administration
Saint Leo University
Bachelor of Arts - Government; Minor in English
Hamilton College
Skills
- Organizational Assessments
- Campaign Strategy
- Revenue Planning
- Major Gifts & Annual Giving
- Corporate relations
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Constituent engagement
- Organizational development
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Process optimization
- Executive training
- Volunteer leadership
Certification
- Licensed Standards for Excellence Consultant
- Association of Fundraising Professionals
- CASE conference presenter and former District II planning committee member
Higher Education Technology
Salesforce, Ellucian Colleague, Advance, iModules, and Ticketmaster. Senior functional user of advancement, constituent-engagement, and ticketing systems; served as iModules process owner at Loyola University Maryland. Experienced in connecting technology, data quality, user workflows, communications, reporting, and revenue operations. Functional and operational experience rather than programming or IT administration.
Consulting And Functional Expertise
- Advancement Operations & Assessments
- Alumni & Constituent Engagement
- Major Gifts & Annual Giving
- Corporate & Foundation Relations
- Campaign Strategy
- Revenue Planning
- Stakeholder Facilitation
- Organizational Change
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Process Improvement
- Staff & Volunteer Leadership
- Training & Executive Advising
Timeline
Founder & Principal Consultant
ADVANCEMENT DESIGNS
04.2018 - Current
Director, Alumni Relations
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND
04.2015 - 03.2018
Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND
03.2013 - 03.2015
Senior Associate Athletic Director, External Affairs
TOWSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
07.2007 - 11.2010
Assistant Athletic Director, Development
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
08.1997 - 06.2007
Advancement, Alumni Relations & Communications Roles
HAMILTON COLLEGE
06.1990 - 07.1997
Master of Business Administration - Sport Administration
Saint Leo University
Bachelor of Arts - Government; Minor in English
Hamilton College