Senior Associate Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement, the Senior Associate Vice President (SAVP) is the second most senior development officer within Institutional Advancement. The SAVP is responsible for direct oversight of all fundraising programs, including principal, major and planned giving, annual giving, alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, donor communications, stewardship, prospect research, and the operations that support fundraising activities.

The SAVP will manage the Institutional Advancement team, with four direct reports, anticipated to grow to six in the next two years. The SAVP will carry and cultivate a small portfolio of leadership giving prospects. The primary focus of the SAVP is to develop fundraising plans and through execution of those plans, establish a sound infrastructure for the Institutional Advancement team.

They will also implement new metrics established by Meharry to evaluate the performance of individual gift officers and the entire Institutional Advancement team. Additionally, they will build on and expand Meharry’s culture of philanthropy and help maximize the internal capacity and fundraising results delivered by the Institutional Advancement team. With the Senior Vice President, the SAVP will advise on fundraising strategies for the College, including Campaign 150, the College’s $350 million cReporting to the Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement, the Senior Associate Vice President (SAVP) is the second most senior development officer within Institutional Advancement.

The SAVP is responsible for direct oversight of all fundraising programs, including principal, major and planned giving, annual giving, alumni relations, corporate and foundation relations, donor communications, stewardship, prospect research, and the operations that support fundraising activities.

The SAVP will manage the Institutional Advancement team, with four direct reports, anticipated to grow to six in the next two years.
The SAVP will carry and cultivate a small portfolio of leadership giving prospects. The primary focus of the SAVP is to develop fundraising plans and through execution of those plans, establish a sound infrastructure for the Institutional Advancement team. They will also implement new metrics established by Meharry to evaluate the performance of individual gift officers and the entire Institutional Advancement team.

Additionally, they will build on and expand Meharry’s culture of philanthropy and help maximize the internal capacity and fundraising results delivered by the Institutional Advancement team. With the Senior Vice President, the SAVP will advise on fundraising strategies for the College, including Campaign 150, the College’s $350 million capital campaign, which is scheduled to close in 2026, the 150th anniversary of Meharry.
Within the first 12 to 18 months, the SAVP will work to build a robust Institutional Advancement team that includes frontline officers as well as advancement operations and other supporting functions. This will include evaluating the team’s current capacity and making the necessary adjustments that will help to ensure high performance. Additionally, the SAVP will optimize Institutional Advancement’s organizational structure and establish aspirational yet attainable goals for each team member.

• Provide guidance and strategic direction for Institutional Advancement, including structure, staffing, goals, and professional development.
• Oversee the planning and implementation of all programs and activities designed to enhance philanthropic support of the College, including the Campaign 150, by helping to establish goals for all units, and by directing the strategic implementation…