Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Position Summary:

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.

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.

Develop and execute the University's comprehensive advancement strategy in alignment with the University's Strategic Plan and long-term institutional priorities. Establish multi-year fundraising goals, campaign strategies, financial projections, and measurable performance metrics that support sustainable philanthropic growth. Lead strategic planning for fundraising, alumni engagement, donor pipeline development, and campaign readiness while creating the organizational infrastructure necessary to support increasing levels of philanthropic investment.

Serve as the University's chief fundraising strategist and lead fundraiser by developing and executing comprehensive fundraising plans that achieve annual and long-term philanthropic goals. Personally manage a portfolio of the University's highest-capacity major and principal gift prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, negotiation, and stewardship. Partner closely with the President in developing and executing strategies to secure transformational gifts.

Provide strategic leadership for all fundraising programs, including:

• Annual Giving
• Leadership and Major Gifts
• Principal Gifts
• Planned Giving
• Corporate and Foundation Relations
• Government Grants
• Donor Stewardship
• Campaign Giving
• Special Events

Establish measurable fundraising objectives, monitor portfolio performance, and ensure accountability through prospect management, pipeline development, and performance metrics.