Description

Reporting directly to the President and a member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement (VPIA) serves as the University's chief advancement officer and cultivates an institution-wide culture of philanthropy. The VPIA provides strategic leadership for all fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations, advancement operations, and campaign initiatives while fostering an institution-wide culture of philanthropy that advances the University's mission and strategic priorities. The Vice President is the University's lead fundraiser, responsible for personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding the institution's highest-capacity major and principal gift prospects. Working in close partnership with the President, Board of Trustees, and University leadership, the VPIA develops and executes comprehensive fundraising strategies that secure transformational philanthropic investments and position the University for long-term financial strength. The Vice President leads a team of advancement professionals while building the organizational capacity, systems, talent, and accountability necessary to support sustained fundraising growth and a successful comprehensive campaign.

Requirements

The Vice President for Institutional Advancement (VPIA) must meet the following requirements and expectations:

• Be an ambitious, visionary, and relationship-driven advancement executive who inspires a strong culture of philanthropy across the University. 
• Demonstrate a distinguished record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major and principal gifts, including transformational philanthropic investments. 
• Serve as the University's lead fundraiser by managing a portfolio of the institution's highest-capacity donors and prospects while partnering closely with the President on cultivation and solicitation strategies. 
• Lead the planning, readiness, execution, and successful completion of comprehensive capital campaign initiatives. 
• Build and strengthen advancement operations by developing high-performing fundraising systems, prospect development strategies, stewardship programs, portfolio management practices, and fundraising accountability measures. 
• Partner effectively with the President, Board of Trustees, senior leadership, faculty, alumni, and volunteers to advance institutional priorities. 
• Demonstrate creativity, strategic thinking, innovation, and collaborative leadership. 
• Possess a deep passion for higher education and the transformational impact Mount St. Joseph University has on students, alumni, and the community. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred. 
• Minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in institutional advancement, philanthropy, or nonprofit fundraising, including management of professional advancement staff.
• Demonstrated record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major and principal gifts, including seven-figure or transformational philanthropic investments. 
• Successful experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies that achieve ambitious philanthropic goals. 
• Demonstrated leadership in planning, launching, and executing comprehensive or capital campaigns. 
• Experience partnering effectively with presidents, governing boards, campaign volunteers, and senior institutional leaders. 
• Demonstrated success building high-performing advancement organizations through talent development, fundraising accountability, prospect management, stewardship, and operational excellence. 
• Experience with advancement technology, donor databases, fundraising analytics, and constituent relationship management systems.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree. 
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
• Successful advancement leadership experience within private higher education. 
• Understanding of Catholic higher education and mission-driven institutions. 
• Experience leading organizations through significant fundraising growth and campaign expansion. 
   

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three professional references using the Apply button above. We also encourage you to review the full job description through the same link before submitting your application.

Questions 
Gonser Gerber LLP is assisting Mount St. Joseph University with this executive search. For questions about the application process, please contact Gonser Gerber Search at search@gonsergerber.com.