Associate Vice President, Philanthropy

University of Memphis•Memphis, TN

About The Position

The Associate Vice President for Philanthropy is a senior advancement leader responsible for shaping and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that drives major, principal, and planned giving in support of institutional priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, engagement, fundraising, or related fields, including leadership experience.
Demonstrated experience leading complex teams and managing multiple functional areas.
Proven ability to design and implement strategic engagement initiatives that drive measurable outcomes.
Strong leadership, communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills.
Experience working across functions and building collaborative partnerships.
Proficiency with CRM systems and data-driven decision-making.
Ability to travel and participate in evening and weekend events as required.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.
We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Responsibilities

Provide Strategic Leadership for Major Gift Philanthropy: Serve as the senior leader responsible for defining and advancing a major gift philanthropy strategy. Ensure alignment across fundraising functions to support institutional priorities and long-term philanthropic growth.
Lead Strategy Development and Execution: Design and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies that drive revenue growth, expand the donor pipeline, and strengthen long-term donor engagement.
Translate Strategy into Execution: Ensure fundraising plans, donor strategies, and team activities are intentional, coordinated, and outcomes-driven, moving beyond transactional fundraising to meaningful, relationship-based philanthropy.
Integrate Philanthropy Functions: Align the work of Directors of Philanthropy, Planned Giving, and the Associate Director for Philanthropy to ensure a cohesive and coordinated fundraising approach that supports donor progression and maximizes impact.
Strengthen the Donor Pipeline: Collaborating with advancement leadership team, establish strategies that build and sustain a strong pipeline from major through planned giving, ensuring long-term growth and depth in donor relationships.
Utilize Data and Analytics for Decision-Making: Leverage data, metrics, and performance reporting to evaluate portfolio health, guide strategic decisions, and drive continuous improvement across philanthropy programs.
Lead and Develop High-Performing Philanthropy Team: Serve as the senior leader responsible for building, leading, and mentoring a high-performing team across the major gifts team.
Establish Performance Expectations: Working with the director of advancement research and strategy, define clear portfolio standards, fundraising goals, and performance expectations aligned with Advancement priorities and institutional outcomes.
Drive Team Strategy and Accountability: Collaborate with team members to develop and implement strategic fundraising plans that align with institutional goals and donor interests, regularly reviewing progress and adjusting approaches as needed.
Provide Leadership and Coaching: Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-expectation environment that supports innovation, professional growth, and team effectiveness.
Manage Talent and Performance: Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and professional development, ensuring a strong and sustainable fundraising organization.
Promote a Culture of Collaboration: Encourage teamwork and alignment across philanthropy and the broader Advancement division, modeling core values of integrity, collaboration, accountability, respect, and excellent communication.
Develop Prospect Strategy: Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing personalized strategies to cultivate relationships and inspire major gift commitments.
Drive Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship: Create and implement engagement and fundraising plans that align donor interests with university and team-based initiatives. Conduct regular in-person or virtual donor visits, cultivation and solicitation activities, and stewardship interactions to strengthen relationships.
Partner with Institutional Leadership: Collaborate with deans, faculty, and university leadership to develop funding priorities and advance donor strategies that support academic and institutional goals.
Support Complex and Blended Gifts: Work closely with Planned Giving to identify and execute opportunities for blended, deferred, and estate gifts that strengthen long-term philanthropic impact.
Elevate the Donor Experience: Ensure donors receive a thoughtful, coordinated, and high-quality experience across all stages of engagement, from cultivation through stewardship.
Meet performance metrics: Consistently meet or exceed annual individual and team performance goals, which include substantive visits, qualification visits, proposals presented, commitments secured, and dollars raised.
Drive Cross-Functional Alignment: Serve as a key partner in ensuring philanthropy strategies are aligned with engagement efforts, campaign priorities, and institutional goals.
Lead Collaborative Planning and Execution: Work across Advancement and academic units to coordinate fundraising strategies, ensuring consistency, alignment, and impact across initiatives.
Strengthen the Constituent Experience: Build strong partnerships that create a seamless experience from initial engagement through solicitation and stewardship.
Contribute to Enterprise Strategy: Participate in campaign planning, principal gift strategy, and prospect management discussions to support long-term philanthropic growth.
Serve as Strategic Advisor: Provide insight and counsel to senior leadership on donor strategy, pipeline development, and fundraising performance. Model Advancement core values—Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Excellent Communication—in all interactions.
Ensure Operational Excellence: Oversee the effective use of advancement systems, CRM tools, and reporting processes to support major gift philanthropy strategy and execution.
Monitor Program and Portfolio Performance: Track individual and team fundraising progress, pipeline health, and resource allocation to ensure efficiency and effectiveness across all areas.
Support Planning and Performance Processes: Lead goal-setting, forecasting, and performance review processes for major gifts philanthropy programs and staff.
Other Duties as assigned