The University has appointed Sarah Jarman as its new Director of Development and Alumni Relations.
Sarah takes up her post in late April and will head the development and alumni relations functions for the University鈥� as well as overseeing volunteer fundraising activity.
Sarah joins Southampton from the University of Bristol鈥� where she has been Acting Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations鈥� and previously Deputy Director of Campaigns and Alumni Relations and Head of Major Gifts. She has led the major gift fundraising effort at Bristol鈥� including its 拢100m Centenary Campaign鈥� resulting in sustained income growth.
Sarah has over 13 years鈥� experience in fundraising and a further 12 in sales鈥� marketing and commercial procurement. To date鈥� her fundraising achievements include a $9m grant from a US foundation and multiple six鈥揻igure donations and grants from individuals鈥� companies鈥� trusts and foundations鈥� totalling in the region of 拢11m.
鈥淪arah comes to Southampton with an exceptional track record in fundraising and management,鈥� said Professor Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton. 鈥淯nder Sarah’s leadership, we have ambitious plans to achieve a step change in University fundraising that will support further development of our world-class research and open up opportunities for students to study at Southampton.鈥�
Sarah Jarman adds: 鈥淪outhampton is a world-class university and I am delighted to accept the role as Director of Development, at a time when the importance of alumni relations and philanthropy to higher education is becoming increasingly recognised, not least by the Vice Chancellor.
鈥淚 thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bristol preparing for and launching their 拢100M Centenary Campaign. I am now looking forward to building on Southampton鈥檚 philanthropic history, by leading the development strategy to significantly increase engagement with alumni and philanthropic support to the University.鈥�
The University began actively seeking philanthropic donations in the mid 1980s. Signalling the importance of these activities and their growing success, the Southampton University Development Trust was established in 1986. Recent successes include the University鈥檚 largest-ever philanthropic gift, received for the new Life Sciences Building, and an ongoing campaign to raise 拢2.85m to purchase the Broadlands Archives, an exceptional collection of manuscripts shedding light on the history of the UK and its relations with its colonies and foreign powers, in order to assure the future of the collection.
With over 160,000 alumni based around the world and a growing group of supportive friends, trusts, foundations and corporations, the University now raises well over 拢2m annually 鈥� a figure that is anticipated to rise to 拢3m over the coming year. As higher education faces increasing cuts and traditional funding sources become more competitive, the impact of philanthropic support to the University and future generations of students will become much greater.