Chief Advancement Officer

Glenside, Pennsylvania

Arcadia University seeks a seasoned, creative, successful, and strategic advancement professional to serve as the next Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). Reporting to the President, the CAO will partner closely with the President, the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, alumni, and other key institutional partners to create and implement a bold philanthropic vision for Arcadia, tied deeply to the institutional mission and the adaptive strategic plan, Arcadia 2030.

The CAO, inspiring alumni, friends, foundations, corporate partners, and others to invest in or deepen their commitments to the world-ready education that Arcadia provides, will build upon the most successful fundraising year in Arcadia’s history, while creating new and innovative pathways for those wanting to invest in Arcadia’s present and future. The CAO will be innovative, an enterprising team leader, and a compelling and persuasive storyteller who is energized by building meaningful and authentic relationships with current and future supporters of Arcadia.

• Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Advancement Strategy
  The CAO will design and execute an integrated plan that reflects the University’s strategic priorities and distinctive mission and supports a culture of philanthropy. There is opportunity ahead to increase the engagement of alumni and donors, the number of donors, and the enhancement of existing donor philanthropy.
• Optimize Major and Principal Gift Fundraising
  In addition to graciously stewarding annual giving at all levels, the CAO will personally identify and cultivate a portfolio of existing and prospective high-capacity donors and organizations through sustained and genuine engagement, sharing the extraordinary capacity of major gifts to advance and sustain Arcadia’s deeply held mission to uplifting students.
• Expand Alumni Giving
  The CAO will develop a full life-cycle strategy for engaging the significant percentage of alumni who have yet to donate to Arcadia. Beginning with the creation and fostering of a culture of institutional affinity and support (friend raising) targeting current students, and progressing throughout the alumni lifecycle - from young alumni, to established older alumni, to senior alumni who may be positioned for planned giving - targeting giving in staged levels, the CAO will lead an effort of lifetime engagement with Arcadia.
• Assess Campaign Capacity and Readiness
  In partnership with the President and Board of Trustees, and informed by a full assessment of advancement operations, relevant data, and the market, the CAO will assess the institution’s future campaign readiness and will develop a strategy and timeline for a future campaign.
• Increase Corporate and Foundation Partnerships
  The CAO will partner with the President and Provost, as appropriate, to identify and steward the development of partnerships with key foundations or corporate partners who share a strong mission alignment with Arcadia, and whose philanthropic interests align with Arcadia’s goals.

Arcadia’s deeply held mission vision, and lived values require a Chief Advancement Officer who has a demonstrated commitment to excellence, integrity, innovation and creativity. The ideal candidate will be a strategic and accomplished fundraising leader who combines strong relationship-building skills with organizational leadership and operational excellence. They will possess the experience, judgment, and confidence necessary to effectively and meaningfully engage philanthropists, foundations, corporate partners, and volunteer leaders while serving as a trusted advisor to the President and Board of Directors.

Successful candidates…