40 Under 40: Cindy Rivelli Senior Associate Vice President, Development and Principal Gifts, UNLV Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement

Cindy Rivelli

Cindy Rivelli is a seasoned fundraiser and manager who found her calling while studying and working abroad. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she taught English in Lille, France, before moving on to pursue her master’s degree in international relations at King’s College London. While there, Rivelli stumbled into fundraising after taking a job at UNICEF UK.

Rivelli went on to spend several years as a campaign fundraising consultant before moving to Las Vegas in 2011 to work at UNLV. “Not only do I love the mission of UNLV and the students we serve, I have had so many opportunities to see the impact of the work I am doing change lives,” Rivelli said. “The biggest challenge is probably that every day is different. It makes for really fun, dynamic work, but no two days are ever the same.”

Under Rivelli’s leadership, more than $50 million was raised during the 2021-2022 fiscal year, with an additional $13 million in gifts of service and in-kind donations. She is described as innovative and visionary in her quest to create an advancement model that other universities can adopt as well. With two young daughters at home, Rivelli looks forward to traveling the world with them and her husband.

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