Saint Mary’s Tom Carroll ’04, MA ’07 Named Athletics College Fundraiser of the Year

The National Association of Athletic Development Directors heralds the work Caroll has done at SMC, including leading work on a record-breaking year raising support for SMC Athletics.

by SMC Athletics | April 22, 2024

The National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) has named Saint Mary's Associate Vice President for Advancement Tom Carroll ’04, MA ’07 the College Fundraiser of the Year.

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Tom Carroll '04, MA '07 with daughter Aubrey, son Cooper, and wife Stacey Carroll '03 in front of Men's Basketball digital screen
Celebrating with the West Coast Conference champs: Tom Carroll with daughter Aubrey, son Cooper, and wife Stacey Carroll ’03 / Photo courtesy Tom Carroll

Carroll is a Gael through and through: He earned his bachelor's in Sports Management and his master's in Kinesiology from SMC. In his graduate studies, he benefited from the NAADD postgraduate scholarship. He has been a part of the Saint Mary's Athletic Department since 2006 and a member of the development team since 2008, and he now serves as the Associate Vice President for Advancement. Carroll continues to lead Athletic Development on all athletics fundraising, including annual giving, major and principal gifts, endowments, and capital projects, while also serving as the primary liaison from the Advancement Office to Athletics. He has also served as the sport supervisor for Baseball, Golf, Men's Soccer, and Women’s Soccer teams.

You'll also find Carroll and his family at Gaels games at home and on the road. He and his wife, Stacey Carroll ’03, have two children, Aubrey and Cooper, and live just up the road in Concord.
 

Winning Season

Over the last year, Carroll has led not only a record-breaking year for Athletics fundraising at Saint Mary's, he has also taken on leadership over campus's major giving and leadership giving units. Under his leadership, gift frequency and volume have grown significantly, propelling SMC to new successes. 

Carroll was the primary fundraiser for the recently-completed Brother Ron Gallagher Stadium, a $3 million project that provides a dazzling new home for Gaels Baseball. Carroll also led the fundraising efforts for the UCU Pavilion for Men's Basketball and other important campus-wide efforts—including just this month, One Day One SMC, the annual Saint Mary’s day of giving.

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Pitcher Preston Howey winds up against Gonzaga, March 2024
Home of the Gaels: Pitcher Preston Howey in the new Brother Ron Gallagher Stadium / Photo by Tod Fierner

As for the award, Carroll is quick to credit the partners and supporters of the Gaels: donors, alumni, colleagues, coaches, corporate partners, leadership, colleagues, and mentors. “Thank you all of you that have been impactful to me throughout my career at Saint Mary's,” he wrote. “I am truly appreciative of even being nominated, let alone to be acknowledged as the NAADD College Fundraiser of the Year.”