Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts & Stewardship

Colorado Christian University•Lakewood, CO

16d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Major Gifts & Stewardship reports to the Vice President of Advancement with the primary responsibility of managing a strategic major gifts effort and leading a team of gift officers that generates 60-70% of the university’s annual comprehensive raise and stewards donors’ giving with a thank you and recognition program that deepens the donors’ relationships with CCU. The AVP of Major Gifts & Stewardship is also responsible for building and carrying a personal donor portfolio of about 100 donors and generating in excess of $2 million. The AVP serves as a senior leader within University Advancement, responsible for designing, leading, and executing a comprehensive major gifts strategy that advances the mission and strategic priorities of the University. The AVP also serves as a thought partner to the Vice President for Advancement on matters related to major and planned gift philanthropy, moves management for major gift strategy, engagement events, and annual giving strategy that feeds major gift efforts. This role provides leadership for all philanthropic processes related to identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and planned gifts, typically at the level of $25,000 and above, with particular emphasis on six- and seven-figure commitments aligned with institutional priorities, capital projects, endowment growth, and strategic initiatives. In addition to managing a personal portfolio, the AVP will model actively researching and cultivating prospective donors, creating face-to-face donor proposals and presentations for the Major Gifts team, and collaborate with strategic engagement activities related to tracking and identifying a pipeline of annual donors capable of making major gifts. The AVP will be accountable for ambitious multi-year revenue goals and for providing leadership to the University Advancement team to collaboratively build a sustainable major gift pipeline that supports both near-term and long-term institutional health. The AVP helps foster a donor-centric culture of generous, joyful, and sacrificial giving that is rooted in a biblical understanding of stewardship and generosity.

Requirements

Personal and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, with a clear testimony of faith and a lifestyle that reflects biblical values and Christian maturity.
Master’s degree preferred or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field (e.g., nonprofit management, business, theology, higher education administration).
Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, or a closely related field, with significant experience in major gifts and campaigns.
Demonstrated success in personally securing multiple five, six, and preferably seven figure gifts.
Proven experience supervising and developing fundraising professionals, setting goals, and managing toward results.
Strong understanding of fundraising best practices, portfolio management, and donor-centered philanthropy, including planned giving concepts.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate a compelling Christian vision for generosity and Christian higher education.
Ability and willingness to travel frequently and work occasional evenings and weekends, as donor and event schedules require.
Experience in Christian higher education, faith-based nonprofits, or church-related ministries.
Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge or comparable advancement CRM and with prospect research tools.
Experience in leading or playing a primary role in a comprehensive or capital campaign efforts.
Demonstrate a desire to continually learn about the philanthropic community and emerging complex non-cash asset and estate planning strategies.

Responsibilities

Providing spiritual and organizational leadership that shapes a culture of Christ-honoring philanthropy among staff, volunteers, and donors.
Ensuring that all major gifts activity reflects and advances the University’s theological commitments, Statement of Faith, and strategic priorities as set by the Board of Trustees, President, and senior leadership.
Serving as a visible ambassador of the University’s mission to alumni, parents, friends, churches, and ministry partners, modeling a life of faithful stewardship and Christian witness.
Develop, lead, and continuously refine a comprehensive major and planned gifts strategy that supports the University’s strategic plan, capital campaigns, and endowment growth objectives.
Partner closely with the Vice President for Advancement, President, and Cabinet to translate institutional priorities into compelling cases for support and clear fundraising goals.
Establish annual and multi-year revenue targets for the major gifts and planned giving programs, including goal setting by officer, segment, and initiative.
Works collaboratively up and down the pipeline, assisting both the CCU Endowment Foundation and the Annual Giving Program to ensure that donors are encouraged and nurtured in their engagement with CCU.
Assist with the design and execution of major fundraising campaigns (comprehensive, capital, endowment, and special initiatives), including prospect strategy, volunteer leadership structures, timelines, and milestone metrics.
Use data-informed decision-making and portfolio analytics to drive strategy, resource allocation, and performance management across the major gifts program.
Ensure that CCU’s University Advancement team excels in thanking, recognizing, informing, engaging, and retaining major donors so they feel valued, understand their impact, and are inspired to continue or deepen their support, referrals, and long-term loyalty.
Provide Christ-centered leadership, coaching, and accountability for the major gifts team, which may include senior and regional major gift officers, planned giving efforts, and support staff.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing advancement team with a strong emphasis on spiritual maturity, professional excellence, and donor-centric practice.
Set clear performance expectations and metrics for individual gift officers (e.g., portfolio size and composition, visits, proposals, closes, and dollars raised) and regularly review progress.
Facilitate regular team meetings, portfolio review sessions, and strategy conversations to shape cohesive, collaborative, and mission-aligned fundraising efforts.
Model and reinforce best practices in portfolio management, moves management, and donor stewardship across the team.
Oversee the portfolio management of the President, Vice President for Advancement, and other executive leaders who carry strategic donor portfolios, providing guidance on strategy, preparation, and follow-up.
Personally manage a select portfolio of 80-100 high-capacity major and principal gift donors and prospects, focusing on six- and seven-figure commitments.
Lead by example in all aspects of the donor cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, including face-to-face visits, proposals, and presentations.
Collaborate with deans, faculty, coaches, and program leaders to connect donors to high-impact giving opportunities aligned with their interests and the University’s strategic priorities.
Regularly travel for donor visits, events, and strategic cultivation activities in key geographic regions.
Work collaboratively across the Advancement pipeline—Annual Giving, Alumni and Parent Engagement, Church and Ministry Relations, and the University’s Endowment/Foundation—to ensure an integrated and seamless donor experience.
Oversee the systematic movement of donors from annual giving and mid-level portfolios into major and planned giving portfolios, ensuring appropriate hand-offs and continuity of relationship.
Partner with Advancement Services to ensure data integrity, prospect research, and reporting support robust prospect identification and portfolio optimization.
Coordinate with marketing and communications to develop major gifts collateral, campaign materials, proposals, and digital content that articulate a compelling vision for generosity.
Ensure that all major gift officers attend to prescribed database practices and systems (e.g., timely contact reports, proposal tracking, pledge reminders) and make effective use of the institution’s CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge or equivalent).
Develop and maintain dashboards and regular reports on key performance indicators, including visits, proposals, gift closures, and revenue by initiative.
Use analytics to evaluate program effectiveness, identify opportunities for growth, and recommend course corrections in strategy or resource deployment.
Uphold the highest standards of ethical fundraising, confidentiality, and professional conduct consistent with Christian character and industry best practices.
Serve as a key member of the Advancement leadership team, contributing to division-wide planning, budgeting, and goal setting.
Represent the Advancement division in cross-campus committees and initiatives as assigned by the Vice President for Advancement.
Collaborate with Finance, Enrollment, Academic Affairs, and Student Life to ensure alignment between philanthropic priorities and institutional needs.
Participate in University events, advancement gatherings, and donor recognition activities as an ambassador and spokesperson for Advancement.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Vice President for Advancement in support of the University’s mission and strategic priorities.