Johnny Garvilla

Recognized for building trust before making the ask, developing high-performing teams, supporting coaches and frontline fundraisers, and connecting generous people to missions that transform lives.

• Contributed individually and through teams led to more than $100 million in philanthropic support, sponsorships, gifts-in-kind, capital investments, and planned giving commitments across colleges, universities, foundations, athletics, and youth sports.
• Negotiated more than $25 million in contracts, corporate partnerships and sponsorships, naming-rights agreements, and strategic partnerships supporting institutional growth and athlete and student success.
• Managed more than $60 million in operating and scholarship budgets and helped produce more than $100 million in cumulative economic impact through championship events, tournaments, and major athletics programming.
• Served on presidential cabinets at Lassen College and Central Christian College, partnering directly with presidents and board members on advancement, foundation, athletics, and institutional priorities.
• Coached and mentored Major Gift Officers in portfolio development, cultivation, solicitation planning, stewardship, and relationship-centered fundraising.
• Led collegiate athletic departments and supported coaches while aligning athletics with enrollment, philanthropy, student development, institutional visibility, and mission.
• Authored Earn the Ask, an Amazon #1 Best Seller presenting a trust-based, relationship-first philosophy of philanthropy.

1. Vice President of Philanthropy

   2026 – Present

   Greenville University · Greenville, Illinois

   • Coach Major Gift Officers in portfolio development, donor strategy, cultivation, solicitation planning, and stewardship.
   • Help strengthen corporate giving and transition the function to sustainable long-term leadership.
   • Collaborate with the Director of Athletics and coaches on fundraising initiatives supporting institutional and student-athlete priorities.

2. Associate Director of Athletics, External Affairs

   2021 – 2026

   Greenville University · Greenville, Illinois

   • Led two athletics facility campaigns and helped secure support for a fieldhouse, athletics museum and hall of fame, locker rooms, stadium enhancements, press boxes, synthetic turf, a performance training center, and an athletics healthcare facility.
   • Established the Orange & Black Athletics Annual Fund and strengthened alumni, donor, and corporate engagement.
   • Mentored Major Gift Officers in cultivation, solicitation strategy, portfolio management, and stewardship.

3. Principal Consultant

   2007 – Present

   ProServe Consulting / John Garvilla LLC · Greater St. Louis

   • Advise colleges, universities, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations on advancement strategy, donor relations, campaign planning, athletics annual funds, corporate partnerships, alumni engagement, and long-term philanthropic development.
   • Created comprehensive development and athletics advancement plans for institutions including Maryville University and Mid-Continent University.
   • Directed major celebrity, alumni, hall of fame, and sports-related advancement events while helping leaders build sustainable systems rooted in trust, mission clarity, and follow-through.

4. Director of Development, Alumni & Community Relations

   2019 – 2020

   Lassen College & Lassen College Foundation · Susanville, California

   • Served on the President's Cabinet and partnered directly with the President and Foundation Board on advancement strategy and donor engagement.
   • Created annual giving and corporate partnership and sponsorship programs and secured a partnership with Banner Health.
   • Instituted facility naming-rights opportunities to expand foundation development.

5. Director of Athletics / Foundation Leadership

   2018 – 2019

   Central Christian College of Kansas & Foundation · McPherson, Kansas

   • Served on the President's Cabinet and worked directly with the President and board members on athletics, foundation, advancement, and institutional priorities.
   • Developed a comprehensive athletics strategic plan and established an Athletics Annual Fund.
   • Negotiated a 10-year renewable Coca-Cola distributorship agreement, directed the 75th anniversary of intercollegiate athletics, and helped reinstitute the Hall of Fame.
   • Developed and implemented a comprehensive naming-rights program that expanded major gift and donor recognition opportunities.

6. Director of Athletics

   2017 – 2018

   Truett McConnell University · Cleveland, Georgia

   • Provided executive leadership for the athletics department and supported coaches while aligning athletics with institutional mission, enrollment, student development, and strategic priorities.
   • Developed an athletics strategic plan and secured trustee and administrative approval for proposals and budgets supporting five new programs.
   • Founded the Student-Athlete Advisory program and strengthened academic monitoring and holistic student-athlete development.

7. Executive Director

   2011 – 2014

   St. Louis Youth Soccer League · St. Louis, Missouri

   • Led one of the Midwest's largest youth sports organizations, serving more than 15,000 participants and 1,000 teams annually.
   • Increased enrollment by 25%, oversaw a 104-acre complex with 17 fields, and secured tournaments generating more than $50 million in cumulative economic impact.

8. Director of Athletics

   2007 – 2009

   University of Missouri–St. Louis · St. Louis, Missouri

   • Led the athletics department and supported coaches while advancing enrollment, fundraising, community engagement, student-athlete success, and institutional visibility.
   • Created a corporate sponsorship and naming-rights strategy that more than tripled corporate giving compared with the previous 42 years.
   • Developed the department's first policy and procedure manual and co-hosted the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship.

9. Director of Athletics

   2004 – 2007

   Belhaven College · Jackson, Mississippi

   • Led a department-wide turnaround from zero winning seasons to 17 winning campaigns in three years while increasing athletics-related enrollment by 25%.
   • Built the Blazer Club fundraising and sponsorship program and secured support for synthetic turf football and baseball fields and a performance training center.
   • Negotiated a partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center that added two full-time athletic trainers and created the Blazers Built For Others service leadership program.

10. Director of Athletics Promotions

    2002 – 2004

    Troy University · Troy, Alabama

    • Built and managed a U.S. Army Recruiting Command partnership and developed a 64,000-constituent athletics communications platform.
    • Coordinated the ESPN March Madness Selection Show featuring Dan Patrick and supported activation for the final Blue-Gray Bowl.

11. Head Men's & Women's Soccer Coach / Director of Athletics Annual Fund

    1997 – 2002

    Milligan College · Milligan, Tennessee

    • Won five conference championships, achieved national rankings of No. 10 and No. 11, and earned two Regional Coach of the Year and three Conference Coach of the Year honors.
    • Recruited and developed three future FIFA World Cup participants, two Olympians, and 12 All-Americans.
    • Revitalized the Buffalo Club annual fund and led fundraising for a new two-field lighted soccer complex.

• Regional Sales Manager, Battery Outfitters (2020–2021) — ranked No. 1 in new accounts among 12 regional managers during the first month.
• Regional Sales Manager, MH Equipment (2014–2017) — ranked No. 2 in sales during the second year.

Author of Earn the Ask, an Amazon #1 Best-Selling book on trust-based, relationship-first fundraising, donor stewardship, and mission-driven generosity. Available for consulting, leadership advising, fundraising strategy, advancement team coaching, and speaking engagements for schools, universities, nonprofits, ministries, and athletics organizations.