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Pitzer College · 6 hours ago

Assistant Vice President for Advancement

Claremont, CA

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

$160K/yr - $175K/yr

10+ years exp

Pitzer College is seeking a strategic and accomplished development professional to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Advancement (AVP). This senior leadership role involves overseeing the philanthropy team, formulating fundraising strategies, and engaging the Pitzer community in the fundraising process to ensure operational stability and growth in philanthropic support.

Education

No H1B

Responsibilities

Serve as a key member of the Vice President for College Advancement’s (VPCA) senior leadership team, overseeing the philanthropy team responsible for frontline fundraising

Translate the VPCA’s vision into real and relevant goals for fundraising including annual, major, principal and planned giving programs, and securing corporate and foundation grants

Help establish annual goals and metrics to ensure operational stability with sustainable long-term growth; manage and effectively allocate human and fiscal resources

Execute planned giving, major gifts, annual giving, and corporate and foundation relations plans and propose and implement strategies that will increase philanthropic support

Collaborate closely with academic partners to increase engagement in the fundraising process

Collaborate with the Alumni and Family Engagement programs to provide outreach to alumni, parents and friends in support of the goals and priorities of the College; utilize annual giving as a pipeline for major and planned giving prospects

Work closely with the Marketing/Communications team to ensure that internal and external communications incorporate appropriate and consistent development messages that align with the College brand and vision

Provide senior leaders with clear and consistent data-driven communication on the activities and metrics of College Advancement including progress toward established goals

Retain existing donor relationships while systematically and strategically identifying, cultivating and soliciting new individuals and institutional donors capable of making significant contributions to Pitzer, grow the pipeline of “friends” to increase philanthropic support among this audience

Work closely with the Prospect Management, Research and Analytics team to establish a data-driven approach to identifying, qualifying and engaging prospects; provide opportunities for the fundraising team to strategize on prospects and share ideas on appropriate ways to cultivate and solicit potential donors; through the use of data analysis of giving patterns and other factors, determine new markets where Pitzer can expand its development efforts

Demonstrate effective and efficient follow-up to requests from the president’s office, the vice president and other senior staff, the advancement leadership team, donors and trustees. Promote a culture of trustworthiness and accuracy in all business relationships with the aforementioned groups and individuals

Lead by example with a positive attitude, a collaborative approach to sharing credit, and accountability for individual and shared metrics of success

Supervise staff in major/planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, annual fund, and administrative support

Recruit, train, mentor, and retain a committed and productive team of professional staff that is well prepared to meet the ongoing challenges and aspirations for the College; set high standards, clear expectations and metrics for success. Meet regularly to discuss progress toward goals and hold staff accountable for individual and team goals

Ensure fundraising staff execute effective moves management strategies that result in meaningful engagement and successful solicitation of donors

Foster a positive and supportive environment that strives for excellence through best practices and the implementation of new ideas utilizing the skills of individual staff members and creating a collaborative work environment

Partner with the VPAC, the president, trustees, and senior staff to identify, engage, and steward major and principal gift prospects

Personally cultivate and solicit major and principal gift prospects from a portfolio of 75-100 current and prospective donors, both individual and institutional; actively engage and interact with all members of the College community

Formulate a keen understanding of the priorities and funding needs of the academic groups, and business units at Pitzer and help to articulate those priorities in clear and compelling cases for support

Conduct a minimum of 75 visits per year and submit a minimum of 30 proposals resulting in a minimum of $1,000,000 in personally secured gifts

Engage with volunteers; facilitate discussion among trustees and committee members to ensure that any initiatives undertaken align with the goals and objectives set forth by Advancement, the VPAC, and Pitzer leadership toward the betterment of the College

Ensure continuity and capability in the volunteer pipeline, identifying alumni and friends who have demonstrated an interest in supporting the College, are prominent in their fields and who may be willing to serve on panels, committees, boards or in other capacities

Convey to volunteers that their service is valued by the College and their support is appreciated; demonstrate to volunteers the impact of their contributions to the College

Support and regional engagement events, interact and inform attendees about Pitzer programs and activities, and cultivate support for the College

Attend and support major campus-wide events including Orientation, Family Weekend, Alumni Weekend and Commencement in which potential donors are interacting with faculty, staff, and students

Participate in staff committees and contribute to campus life and activities as needed

Other duties as assigned

Qualification

Fundraising strategiesData analysisMajor gifts solicitationTeam managementCampaign planningCorporate relationsPlanned givingCommunication skillsExcel proficiencyCollaborationProblem-solvingInterpersonal skillsAttention to detailPositive attitudeIntegrityTime managementWritten communicationLeadershipCreativityStrategic thinking

Required

Bachelor's degree required

A minimum of ten years of successful and progressively responsible leadership in all aspects of a mature development program

Strong experience in using data and interpreting analytics in a fundraising environment

Demonstrated ability and experience building existing development programs, including individual and institutional philanthropy that increases support

Success in increasing the effectiveness of a development program and staff through established objectives and performance standards

Personal success in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major individual and institutional donors at the six- and seven-figure levels

Ability to inspire high-capacity individuals and major foundations and corporations to philanthropic leadership

The ability to analyze information and think strategically, critically, and creatively

An approach to management that brings out the best in staff and yields pride, ownership and a sense of team effort

Collaborator who works across an institution and educates and engages stakeholders in the fundraising process

Excellent writer, editor, and communicator

Strong leadership and collaboration skills with a commitment to a team-based work environment

Natural aptitude for technology and expertise with MS Office, including expert level use of Excel

Ability to problem-solve and use analytical skills to develop and implement creative solutions

Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail

Ability to take initiative to work proactively, meet deadlines, organize and prioritize multiple projects, think strategically, and work with numbers and data

Exhibit personal integrity and ability to appropriately handle confidential and sensitive information

Exhibit a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and sound professional judgment