Chief of Philanthropy

HSSV•Milpitas, CA

10d

About The Position

Reporting directly to the President & Executive Director, the Chief of Philanthropy serves as a key member of HSSV’s executive leadership team, providing strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s high-impact fundraising and donor engagement efforts. This leader will guide the development and execution of long-term philanthropic strategies that generate sustainable revenue, deepen donor relationships, and align philanthropic support with HSSV’s strategic priorities. The Chief of Philanthropy will play a critical role in advancing HSSV’s mission while fostering a strong organization-wide culture of philanthropy. The Chief of Philanthropy will personally cultivate and steward a targeted portfolio of high-value donors and prospects while providing strategic leadership for the Philanthropy team. The role will oversee individual and major giving, annual giving, planned giving, endowment, institutional giving and grants, donor stewardship, partnerships, and major and principal gift prospects. As a senior leader and visible ambassador for HSSV, this individual will also build strong relationships throughout the community to advance the organization’s philanthropic goals. The ideal candidate is a strategic, results-driven, and highly collaborative fundraising leader who can translate organizational priorities into clear, measurable philanthropic goals. They will foster a culture rooted in transparency, accountability, partnership, and continuous learning while embedding philanthropy as a shared responsibility across the organization. This leader will bring proven success managing multi-channel fundraising programs, developing data-informed multi-year strategies, cultivating high-capacity donors, and inspiring teams to achieve ambitious goals in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Requirements

Proven success and results-driven experience in strategic leadership with multi-channel fundraising programs; nonprofit organization a must.
Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, with a demonstrated ability to inspire collaboration, drive results, and foster a culture of accountability and excellence.
Proven leadership experience (or capabilities) with cross-functional teams working in a highly collaborative environment.
Ability to develop a multi-year fundraising strategy that includes a strategy that is well supported by analytics and business cases that lead to success.
Deep passion for the mission of HSSV: to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.
Must excel in key competencies: strategic thinking, integrity and ethical decision-making, strong interpersonal skills, accountability, transparency, and adaptability.
Proven ability to lead change initiatives and cultivate resilient, high-performing teams that adapt to evolving organizational needs.
Exceptional ability to pivot planning between strategy and operations.
Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrates sound professional judgment, maintains a high level of confidentiality, and applies strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve results.
Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, engage internal and external audiences, and influence outcomes with stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Animal welfare experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the strategic direction and execution of HSSV’s multi-year philanthropy strategy, aligning fundraising initiatives, organizational leadership, operational execution, strategic partnerships, and innovative funding opportunities with HSSV’s mission and strategic priorities to drive sustainable revenue growth and maximize philanthropic impact.
Build strong cross-functional partnerships across HSSV, leverage organizational expertise and shared insights to strengthen donor experiences, advance fundraising efforts, and achieve collective goals.
Cultivate, develop, and empower a high-performing team to achieve fundraising goals and ensure long-term success within an inclusive, collaborative, and mission-driven culture.
Direct the development and execution of capital campaigns and other special fundraising initiatives as needed, building the strategy, infrastructure, and leadership necessary to secure philanthropic support for HSSV’s highest-priority needs. This includes partnering with the President & Executive Director, Board, and key stakeholders to develop compelling cases for support, engage lead donors, and drive campaigns to successful completion.
Develop and implement a results-driven framework that establishes clear goals, measures impact, and fosters accountability, excellence, and continuous learning.
Maintain a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, with direct responsibility for achieving an annual individual fundraising goal through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity philanthropists and strategic partners.
Develop and oversee a culture of philanthropy that strengthens and grows individual giving, major gifts, annual giving, endowment, planned giving, institutional giving, and grants while building a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support.
Champion a culture of philanthropy across HSSV by fostering cross-functional collaboration, engaging staff and leadership in fundraising efforts, and embedding philanthropy as a shared organizational responsibility.
Build and steward a robust donor engagement strategy that cultivates lifelong supporters, philanthropic leaders, and community ambassadors who advance HSSV's mission and long-term sustainability.
Provide strategic financial leadership by overseeing budget planning and financial management to maximize fundraising effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Provide strategic oversight of Philanthropy operations to ensure an exceptional donor experience through seamless stewardship, effective talent development, and consistent operational excellence.
Lead the strategic use of data, technology, and analytics to strengthen decision-making, enhance fundraising effectiveness, and drive measurable results.
Model and promote the highest standards of ethical fundraising by ensuring compliance with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Code of Ethical Standards and Professional Practice.
Serve as a champion and ambassador for HSSV, representing the organization at community events, public forums, and key stakeholder engagements.
Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with community leaders, animal welfare organizations, and other nonprofit organizations to expand upon a culture of philanthropy.