Hannah Gambrell

Hannah Gambrell

Director of Development
985-290-9665
hgambrell@lsufoundation.org

Hannah Gambrell joined the LSU Foundation in June 2022 as a director of development. In her role, Hannah gets to work with alumni and donors primarily from the College of Human Sciences & Education, LSU Law Center, Vet Med, and College of Agriculture. She enjoys exploring the philanthropic interests and passions of her donors and helping them make their greatest impact. Hannah has a Bachelor of Science in sports administration and a Master of Science in human resource leadership development, both from LSU. 

 

MY LSU 

Why did you choose to build a career with the LSU Foundation?
LSU has always held a special place in my heart. With two LSU parents, and my dad being a football letterman, I grew up making frequent trips to campus and to Baton Rouge. I knew from a young age that LSU was the school for me. I spent five and half years on campus earning my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I also worked for the LSU Athletics Department for five years during that time. I moved away to Texas in 2016 for my first full-time job, and it was always my plan to return home to Louisiana one day. When I was offered a position at the LSU Foundation, it felt like a dream come true. Not only was I able to come home and be closer to my family, but it also meant I got to serve my alma mater, which has done so much for me in my lifetime. As someone who spent ten years working in collegiate athletics, I was thrilled to have an opportunity to work on the academic fundraising side of LSU. I love being able to showcase all the amazing work being done by our students and faculty/staff and to help support their efforts. In short, I love this University, and I want to help make it the best it can be!

What does a typical day look like for you?
Depending on the time of year, my day-to-day activities can look very different! I typically start every morning by looking through my emails and checking our CRM system to see if any gifts came in since the day before. If so, I will reach out to that donor to thank them. I try to spend the mornings doing electronic or mail outreach to my donor portfolio. In the afternoons I make phone calls to donors or strategize for whatever my next outreach effort will be. Outreach and communication are the name of the game!

Tell us about your favorite work win or moment when you truly felt the impact of your work.
I work with a donor who had two dogs who were patients at the LSU Vet School. This donor and their partner purchased a brick at the new Stephenson Pet Clinic in memory of their two dogs, who have passed away in the last few years. I invited the donor on a tour of the new clinic, and they were able to see their brick in person and look behind the scenes at the department from which their dogs received the most care. The donor was emotional at seeing their brick, and they said that the tour made them consider getting another dog for the first time since 2016. I was so moved by their still-strong connection with their pets and at seeing how much the Vet School meant to them not only when the dogs were alive, but even now after they’ve passed.

Where is your favorite place on campus?
I love going and sitting in front of Mike the Tiger’s habitat. Sometimes I will take my lunch out there and just watch him roam around. My mom, dad, brother, and I all graduated from LSU, so we purchased a family brick outside of Mike’s habitat. It’s always so special to go and see it and feel so proud to be a part of a Tiger family!