Intercollegiate athletics and fundraising expectations, at institutions of higher education, continue to increase and the pressure on athletic fundraisers has never been greater. There has been little study on the effects of organization structure and design and its effect on fundraisers that work to raise funds for the athletic department. This study sought to explore the factors that contribute to athletic fundraising organization structure at NCAA Division I institutions. Using a survey and a semi-structured qualitative interview, with NCAA Division I head athletic fundraisers, research questions were crafted to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to organization structure. The researcher found that most athletic fundraising organizations in this study are organized in a hybrid organizational structure, are typically smaller than three employees, and are organized with the athletic director being the most influential leader in the organization design. As this paper was exploratory in nature, there are significant opportunities for additional research including a deeper understanding of the relationship between the university president, the athletic director, and the leader of university fundraising. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]