William & Mary Athletics

William & Mary Athletics has chosen Todd McFarlane, an accomplished and strategic fundraising and management executive, as its new Senior Associate Athletic Director for Advancement.  McFarlane, currently in a similar role at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), will begin work with the Tribe on Feb. 10.

"It is a testament to William & Mary's fantastic reputation that we attracted an extremely talented pool of individuals for this position," says Brian D. Mann, director of athletics.  "Even more impressive, it was clear from the outset that Todd's approach to philanthropy and the development of our student-athletes is the right match for the Tribe.  He is a tremendous addition to our Advancement team and he will help us accelerate our successful fundraising trajectory." 

McFarlane says the position at W&M matched his top priorities.  "I love working on behalf of young people, I love helping donor's hopes and dreams come to fruition and I love college athletics."   He adds, "I am incredibly excited to join the wonderful and talented group at William & Mary.  After I did my research and spoke with Brian and his team, I knew this would be a great opportunity for me."

During his career as a leader at nonprofit organizations, McFarlane has managed multi-million dollar operating budgets, raised more than $90 million in private donations, including $25 million through a comprehensive campaign and created partnerships with multiple stakeholders across diverse communities.
 
At VCU since 2022, McFarlane has partnered with head coaches, sport administrators and donors as he helped shift the fundraising culture, strategy and approach from transactional-based to human-centered and philanthropic-based.

Prior to his stint at VCU, McFarlane was with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond (BGCMR), beginning in 1993.  He was named President & CEO in 2006.  At BGCMR he increased board giving by 350 percent with $8.4 million in commitments from 23 individuals during the $25M comprehensive campaign. Working with a volunteer Board of Directors, he helped the organization construct a new facility, create and grow reserve accounts for annual operating and capital maintenance, while moving BGCMR from crisis to financial strength during his tenure as President & CEO.

It was at BGCMR that McFarlane met beloved Tribe football player David Murphy, who passed away in 2022.  "David was my first board chair and he was on the board for roughly 25 years.  During some of our most challenging times as an organization, there was no better partner and no better leader than David," he says.

Throughout his career, McFarlane has been active in the community.  He is a current board member of the Patrick Henry School of Science & Arts and a former board member of the First Tee - Greater Richmond.  He also held several volunteer committee roles at the national level with Boys & Girls Clubs.

He holds a B.A. in history with a minor in business administration, from Davis & Elkins College, where he also played four years of basketball.  His interest in sports came from his parents, he says.  His mother was a college women's basketball coach and his dad coached men's hoops before becoming an athletics director.

While he has retired from the basketball court, McFarlane is already filling his calendar with dates when the Tribe's 23 sports are in action.  "I will be in the stands and looking forward to meeting the Green & Gold community."