Associate Vice President, Major Gifts

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health•Palo Alto, CA

6d•$250,000 - $270,000•Hybrid

About The Position

LPFCH seeks an experienced, collaborative Associate Vice President, Major Gifts to lead the Major Gifts vertical and its fundraising efforts for donors capable of giving between $100,000 and $5 million, while building and strengthening the future major-gift pipeline. Reporting to the Vice President, Major Gifts, this role combines frontline fundraising leadership with team management and plays a critical part in advancing the Foundation’s major-gifts program. The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, oversee complex engagement strategies, and lead a team of gift officers, a program manager, and administrative support team members. The role is based in Palo Alto, California, on a hybrid schedule. The successful candidate must live in the Bay Area. Compensation is $250,000–$270,000 annually. The Associate Vice President will build and advance a personal donor portfolio, develop sophisticated cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, and grow major-gifts revenue. The role includes engaging Foundation and hospital leaders and volunteers in donor activities; organizing events to generate major-gift prospects; mentoring and developing the team; building prospect pipelines; and leading revenue planning, forecasting, portfolio management, and operational improvements. The position requires strong fundraising expertise, strategic leadership, and collaborative donor partnerships that advance institutional priorities and child and maternal health.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 12 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience.
Significant experience securing six- and seven-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals and families.
Prior management and revenue program management experience.
Exceptional relationship management, strategic thinking, and communication skills.
Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative academic medical and philanthropic environment.
Experience partnering with senior leaders, physicians, researchers, and volunteers in donor engagement and fundraising.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple sophisticated fundraising strategies simultaneously.
Ability to collaborate effectively across teams.
Passion for advancing child and maternal health through philanthropy.
Must live in the Bay Area.

Nice To Haves

Experience closing six- and seven-figure gifts, preferably in academic medicine.

Responsibilities

Build, manage, and strategically advance a personal portfolio of donors and prospects capable of gifts between $100,000 and $5 million.
Develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that build lasting donor relationships.
Grow the Major Gifts program’s revenue year over year and contribute to annual and long-term fundraising goals.
Lead and coordinate donor strategies that maximize philanthropy for institutional priorities.
Engage the President and CEO, Foundation Board members, hospital leadership, and volunteers in donor cultivation and stewardship as appropriate.
Initiate and lead events for grateful patient populations and other donors to generate a major-gifts pipeline.
Mentor and coach gift officers, a program manager, and administrative support team members.
Foster collaboration, accountability, strategic thinking, and donor-centered fundraising across the team.
Guide team members on donor strategy, portfolio management, proposal development, and stakeholder engagement.
Establish and refine operating standards, business planning processes, and systems for fundraising execution and donor management.
Lead recruitment, onboarding, professional development, and retention of team members.
Maintain current knowledge of the Foundation’s development priorities and key initiatives to support donor interests.
Collaborate with the Gift Strategy and Operations team to secure approval for gift opportunities and budgets related to funding priorities.
Develop a strategy to identify and cultivate emerging major-gift prospects using grateful patient data, volunteer networks, and broader communities.
Develop long-term engagement strategies to move donors toward increasingly significant and strategic philanthropy.
Evaluate and strengthen portfolio composition and prospect strategy across the major-gifts vertical.
Lead strategic planning for major-gifts revenue forecasting and growth.
Maintain effective portfolio management practices, including contact reports, proposals, and stewardship planning.
Monitor progress toward fundraising and activity goals and adjust strategies to maximize effectiveness.
Ensure fundraising activities reflect the Foundation’s values, standards of excellence, and commitment to donor partnership.
Explore appropriate uses of artificial intelligence to improve work, solve problems, and advance team and organizational goals, while exercising sound judgment and human oversight.

Benefits

Generous leave, including PTO, holidays, Summer Fridays, and a sabbatical after seven years of employment.
Annual bonus opportunity.
Retirement plan with employer match.
Premium medical and dental coverage.
Flexible spending account and dependent care flexible spending account.
Employer-paid life insurance.
Legal services plan.
Commuter benefits, including the CalTrain Go Pass program.
Four weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents.
Stipend for home office and mobile phone.