September 25, 2008

Ginther to assist with fundraising for athletics

by Greg Scott

kevin ginther

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A professional who helped Boston College raise a school-record $21 million for its athletic programs last year has been hired to assist in its fundraising efforts for the SIU Carbondale athletic department.

Kevin Ginther assumed his new role with Saluki Athletics on Sept. 15. Ginther previously served as assistant director of the BC Athletics Flynn Fund since 2005, assisting the institution in establishing fundraising records each year. Additionally, Ginther was part of a fundraising team that secured more than 100 donor commitments of at least $100,000 during the last two years, endowing multiple athletic scholarships.

“Southern Illinois University is appealing because it shares many of the same values as Boston College,” Ginther says. “SIU places a strong emphasis on academics and community, in addition to athletics. I am looking forward to utilizing my previous experience at Boston College and playing an integral role in the continued success of Saluki Athletics.”

The new appointment is a homecoming to the Midwest for Ginther, a native of Michigan City, Ind. He attained his bachelor’s degree in finance at Indiana University in 2000 and earned a master’s in sports management and a master’s in business administration, both from the University of Massachusetts, in 2005.

As assistant athletic director for development and associate director for institutional advancement, Ginther is charged with cultivating and securing annual and major gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations in support of Southern’s athletic programs.

SIU Carbondale Athletics Director Mario Moccia says Ginther’s appointment is vital to the University’s Saluki Way initiative. Unveiled in 2005, Saluki Way is Southern’s long-range plan to reorganize the campus around a central core. Two components of the plan include constructing a new football stadium and renovating the SIU Arena; both are scheduled to be completed in 2010. Saluki Way broke ground this fall.

“We are fortunate to have someone of Kevin Ginther’s caliber assisting our fundraising efforts,” says Moccia. “As we continue our quest to bring Saluki Way to fruition, the experience and knowledge Kevin acquired at Boston College will be an asset for us. Kevin’s contributions will be essential to Saluki Athletics and the University as we move forward.”

Jeff Lorber, associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement and executive director of development for the SIU Foundation, says, “Kevin was clearly integral to Boston College’s fundraising efforts and we are confident that he will attain similar success at Southern. Saluki Athletics and the University community will benefit as a result. We welcome Kevin to the Saluki family.”

At Boston College, Ginther managed a donor-privileged parking process for athletic events, assisting the University in raising $7 million in unrestricted contributions last year. He also collaborated on the design and implementation of a new donor-based seating process for men’s basketball and football, resulting in $2 million in incremental, annual donations to the Flynn Fund, Boston College’s athletics scholarship fund.

Additionally, Ginther supported the solicitation and recognition of 400 former Boston College football student-athletes, who contributed to the $27-million Yawkey Athletics Center, the first privately-funded building on the BC campus.

Kevin and his wife, Trinity, and their six-month-old daughter, Addison, currently live in Herrin.