Spider Athletic Fund Staff - University of Richmond Athletics

Associate Athletic Director
for Development
804.289.8092
bhodgins@richmond.edu

Brandon Hodgins is in his first year as Associate Athletics Director for Development in 2022-23 and leads the Spider Athletic Fund that has posted consecutive years of record-breaking years in annual giving.

Hodgins brings 10 years of collegiate experience to the Spiders working in development and annual giving. He spent five years at Syracuse (2018-22) as the Director of Development, and a member of a record-breaking fundraising team that raised $40 million. He managed the overall and execution of the annual fund responsible for 11,000 donors.

In his role, the team achieved record levels of support, most notably He strategically implemented and managed the given society consisting of $5.8 million in new unrestricted funding in fiscal year 2022, a 429% increase from 2019. He directed all efforts of the $7.9 million seat-related giving and the Donor Rank system for Syracuse.

Hodgins spent three years (2016-18) at the University of Missouri as the Director of Development – Major Gifts. He was a member of a highly productive fundraising team that raised a record $50.4 million in total for the 2017 fiscal year.

Katherine Bulifant

Assistant Athletic Director
for Annual Giving
804.287.1283
kbulifan@richmond.edu

Katherine Bulifant was named the new Assistant Athletic Director for Annual Giving November 1, 2021 and will handle all day-to-day efforts in annual giving for athletics.

Bulifant joins the Spiders after spending the past two years at Collegiate School in Richmond, spending the past year as the Annual Giving Officer. She was the Chair of Collegiate's annual day of giving, Cougar Pride Day, which resulted in over 950 gifts and raising over $330,000 in donations, a 136% increase from the previous year. She also spent a year at Collegiate as the Associate Director of Annual Giving (2019-20).

Bulifant spent five years in the Longwood University Office of Development, spending her final two years as the Director of Annual Giving (2017-19). She managed a portfolio of over 70 prospects and coordinated four marketing campaigns in the fiscal year. She chaired Longwood's annual day of giving, Love Your Longwood Day, resulting in 2,800 total gifts and raising over $325,000. Her work helped the annual day of giving see a 86% increase in faculty and staff giving and a 134% in student giving.

Chris Mereen

Director of Athletic Development
804.287.6845
chris.mereen@richmond.edu

Chris Mereen joined Richmond Athletics as the Director of Athletic Development in February 2023 to work with major and leadership annual donors to the Spider Athletic Fund. In his role, Mereen engages alumni, former athletes, parents of current student athletes, fans and friends of the University.

Mereen came to Richmond following eight years of development and annual giving experience. He spent four years (2019-2023) at VCU Massey Cancer Center where he was a member of a record-breaking team that raised over $43 million towards cancer research over three fiscal years. Mereen's final role at VCU Massey was Assistant Director of Development, overseeing Massey’s leadership annual giving society and helping it grow to $1.6 million.

Mereen spent three years (2016-2019) as the Assistant Director of Annual Giving for The Fund for Catholic University where he retained 89% of annual fund donors and helped increase overall contributions by 32%.

Mereen spent two years (2014-2016) at his alma mater Randolph-Macon College on the Annual Giving team where he was responsible for the classes of 1980-1989, 2013 and 2014. He also recruited, trained, and supported 23 Class Agents, two reunion committees, and the Senior Class Gift campaign.

Calendar

Upcoming Events