Executive Director of Advancement

External Community Memorial Hospital•Hamilton, NY

About The Position

This role leads CMH's advancement strategy, focusing on donor relations, stewardship, and philanthropic growth. The Executive Director will cultivate, solicit, and steward various types of gifts, build and manage a donor pipeline, and develop a stewardship and recognition program. This position serves as the primary liaison to the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and partners with various stakeholders on fundraising priorities. The role also involves identifying and pursuing grant opportunities, strengthening community relationships, guiding advancement communications, establishing goals and metrics, and promoting a culture of philanthropy across CMH. Maintaining confidentiality and ethical fundraising practices is essential. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Executive Director will represent CMH professionally, translate hospital priorities into fundraising opportunities, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced healthcare environment. Responsibilities may include evening, weekend, and local travel for events.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, public relations, nonprofit management, public administration, healthcare administration, liberal arts, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, advancement, foundation management, nonprofit development, healthcare administration, communications, or related leadership work preferred; senior-level fund development experience required.
Demonstrated success with donor cultivation and stewardship, major gifts, annual giving, special events, grants, sponsorships, campaigns, or philanthropic revenue generation.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, organizational, and follow-through skills.
Experience working with donors, boards, volunteers, community stakeholders, leaders, and staff.
Strategic fundraising, donor cultivation, stewardship, relationship-building, and community engagement expertise.
Ability to create donor-focused communications and translate clinical, operational, and community needs into compelling cases for support.
Comfort using data, budgets, donor information, and performance metrics to evaluate progress and report outcomes.
Ability to inspire donors, volunteers, trustees, staff, and community partners around CMH's mission and long-term sustainability.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare philanthropy, rural healthcare, hospital foundation management, capital campaign experience, CFRE, AHP, or AFP affiliation preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead CMH's advancement strategy with donor relations, stewardship, and philanthropic growth as the central priorities.
Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, corporate, planned, annual, and campaign gifts aligned with hospital needs and strategic initiatives.
Build and manage a strong donor and prospect pipeline, including meaningful engagement with major donors, high-capacity prospects, community leaders, and volunteers.
Develop an organized stewardship and recognition program that communicates gratitude, impact, and ongoing connection to CMH.
Serve as primary liaison to the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and partner with board members, trustees, volunteers, and leadership on donor engagement and fundraising priorities.
Identify and pursue grant and strategic funding opportunities in collaboration with hospital leaders, ensuring funding proposals align with organizational priorities.
Strengthen relationships with community organizations, businesses, civic groups, educational partners, and regional stakeholders to advance CMH's visibility and mission.
Guide advancement-related communications, including donor messaging, impact reporting, campaign materials, recognition pieces, public relations opportunities, and community-facing stories.
Partner with marketing and communications staff and outside vendors to ensure hospital messaging is consistent, mission-aligned, and supportive of donor and community engagement goals.
Establish annual goals, budgets, metrics, and reports for advancement, philanthropy, donor engagement, community relations, and related marketing and communications activity.
Promote a culture of philanthropy across CMH by engaging physicians, staff, leaders, board members, and volunteers in shared ownership of donor and community relationships.
Maintain confidentiality, ethical fundraising practices, and compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and professional standards.