Following graduation, Jo worked as a Stage Manager in theatres across the country and the West End before moving into event management and charity fundraising.

In 2004, Jo joined the University of Essex as the Annual Fund Officer, doubling the size of the team. Jo established an Alumni Relations office at Essex and grew this new team by 500% in 5 years. Jo progressed to lead the team as Head of Alumni Relations, introducing personalised communications for alumni and membership programmes for small alumni groups.

In 2014 Jo became the Director of Advancement at Essex, leading a team of 15, covering Philanthropy and Alumni Relations. Her current role is driving the direction of Advancement in line with the Universities strategic priorities. Her role also involves researching, planning and delivering the Vice Chancellors advancement overseas visits, developing close working relationships with colleagues across professional services and academic departments to ensure opportunities for collaborative working are maximised and leading on stewardship. Jo has a particular interest in Crowdfunding and international volunteering.

Jo Donahoe is the Director of Development & Alumni Relations at the University of Southampton. She is also a Consulting Vice President with GG+A's UK/Europe team. Jo brings 20+ years of global experience in advancement services, fundraising, alumni management, board relations, and comprehensive campaigns. At the University of Southampton, she oversees all aspects of philanthropic income generation, alumni relations and supporter engagement, and data analytics and operations. Her team are now preparing for a £100m campaign.