Ryan Schulman joined the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) in April 2024 and will be responsible for will managing the day-to-day strategy and operations for all major gift fundraising efforts for VAF, including the implementation, fulfillment, and execution of the Sabre Society, the exclusive philanthropic giving society for UVA Athletics.
Prior to arriving on the Grounds, Schulman spent the last four years as an Associate Director of Development for Major Gifts at the University of Florida and Gator Boosters, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for growing fan, friend, and alumni engagement in critical local and national regions, including Tampa, the West Coast (California, Denver), greater-Chicagoland area, Nashville, and Washington, D.C. metro area.
During his time in Gainesville, Schulman played an integral role in helping to propel Gator Boosters to two of their best fundraising years in the organizations over 50-year history, notching not only seven-figure commitments for a variety of priorities – including Ben Hill Griffin Stadium renovations, the Mike Rickett’s GatorMade / Gator Experience student-athlete development endowment, and Name, Image and Likeness programming – but spearheaded research and analytics efforts that resulted in nearly one-quarter of all new major gift pledges being derived from new, first-time donors.
Before settling into The Swamp, Schulman spent four years at West Virginia University as a member of the Mountaineer Athletic Club where he focused on the leadership annual giving and championship resource development to support WVU's first-ever, broad-based facilities master plan, Climbing Higher, that focused on $100 million of critical infrastructure enhancements at football, men's golf, and Mountaineer Olympic sports.
Schulman's first trip to the Sunshine State was with the University of South Florida during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In his role with the Bulls, Schulman focused on the design, implementation, and coordination of a comprehensive annual giving and engagement program that promoted strategic growth amongst the current membership.
A native of Milwaukee, WI, Schulman earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2012 and continued his educational career at Ohio University where he not only graduated with his MBA and Master of Sport Administration (MSA) in May 2015 but more importantly, went on to meet his future bride. Ryan and his wife, Carly, now reside in Crozet with their son, Easton. They enjoy playing golf, staying active at Orangetheory Fitness, exploring the outdoors, and experiencing all that the Charlottesville area has to offer.