Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising

East Bay Community Foundation•Oakland, CA

7d•$150,000 - $170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising is responsible for strengthening relationships that increase EBCF’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. This role is intentionally designed to serve as a senior, strategic advisor and fundraiser for EBCF’s largest and most complex philanthropic partners, including individual, corporate, and institutional funders, in service of EBCF’s mission of advancing a Just East Bay. The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising will manage a portfolio of top-tier donor accounts and bring deep listening, analytical rigor, and strategic insight to help donors clarify and realize their long-term philanthropic vision. This work goes beyond identifying organizations to fund. It includes co-creating philanthropic strategies—such as multi-year impact plans, budget scenarios, and tailored approaches to achieving outcomes. EBCF is seeking an experienced fundraiser who can confidently cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts in support of both the Foundation’s core operations and its local priority initiatives. This person will understand how to align donor interests with organizational needs, build trust with a range of philanthropic partners, and translate EBCF’s mission and strategy into compelling opportunities for investment in the East Bay. They will also help expand EBCF’s reach by identifying and engaging new donors aligned with emerging campaign priorities. This role will often partner closely with relationship managers across teams, helping to co-develop strategy, support implementation, and ensure philanthropic and revenue generating strategies remain aligned, actionable, and on track over time. Depending on donor and team needs, the Senior Director may lead or support advising engagements, with flexibility around relationship ownership, and will contribute to a coordinated, organization-wide approach to prospect development. At a pivotal moment for the organization, EBCF is engaging a firm to support the development of a feasibility study and campaign plan for our 100th Anniversary in 2028. This position will play a supporting role in that effort—helping to inform strategy, identify and engage prospective donors, and advance new business development opportunities that strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising pipeline and long-term growth. The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising will manage a portfolio of donors and play a key role in driving revenue growth through increasing assets under management, securing major gifts, and contributing to new donor acquisition. This role will work closely with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Philanthropy team, and colleagues across the organization to support both current fundraising goals and future campaign success.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years of experience in philanthropic advising, fundraising, management consulting, or related strategic advisory work, with demonstrated success securing and stewarding six- and seven-figure commitments and/or managing complex client or donor relationships.
Demonstrated success in donor prospecting, pipeline development, and new business development, ideally in support of campaign or organizational growth initiatives.
Senior-level strategic judgment and analytical capability, with the ability to design, synthesize, and present sophisticated philanthropic strategies for individual, corporate, and institutional partners.
Financial and philanthropic planning expertise, including the ability to discuss investment strategies and navigate conversations around wealth management, estate planning, and charitable giving vehicles.
Strong project and strategy management skills, including translating high-level strategy into actionable plans and contributing to complex, multi-year initiatives such as feasibility studies and campaign planning.
Executive-level communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex ideas, build trust with sophisticated stakeholders, and influence without direct authority.
Relationship builder with presence and credibility, capable of engaging both existing donors and new prospects, and contributing to a culture of collaboration across teams.
Demonstrates a strong grasp of racial equity principles, including structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.
Understands how race and bias affect relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
Regularly evaluates the racial impact of decisions and policies, with attention to intersectionality.
Adheres to equity-focused practices in hiring, retention, and promotion, and actively works to identify and disrupt bias.
Effectively encourage people to have honest conversations about racial equity, and accept feedback openly, non-defensively, and from a posture of learning.

Nice To Haves

Experience advising donors through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and/or working within a community foundation or philanthropic advising institution.
Designing and supporting complex philanthropic strategies for individual, corporate, and institutional funders.
Advising individuals and families—particularly major donors—on matters of wealth, values, and social justice-aligned giving.
Knowledge of and relationships within the East Bay philanthropic ecosystem, with the ability to leverage those networks for donor prospecting and engagement.
Experience contributing to or supporting capital campaigns, feasibility studies, or large-scale fundraising initiatives.
Experience partnering with or maintaining relationships with professional advisors (financial planners, wealth managers, attorneys, accountants).
Comfort engaging donors in thoughtful, sometimes challenging conversations about race, class, power, and systems of oppression.
Demonstrated adaptability and collaboration, with comfort operating in a dynamic, cross-team environment and contributing to organization-wide fundraising and growth strategies.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of fund advisors and donors (including individual, corporate, and institutional funders), providing high-quality service, strategic partnership, and responsive support.
Serve as a senior strategic advisor on EBCF’s largest and most complex donor relationships, bringing structure, analysis, and judgment to philanthropic decision-making.
Support strategy implementation and accountability, translating donor strategies into actionable plans, coordinating across teams, and tracking progress toward agreed-upon goals.
Advance fundraising and revenue goals by strategically engaging donors to deepen their giving, including securing new six- and seven-figure commitments and identifying opportunities for fee-for-service engagements.
Contribute to new business development efforts by identifying, cultivating, and engaging prospective high net-worth individual and institutional donors aligned with EBCF’s campaign priorities and long-term growth strategy.
Support the organization’s feasibility study and campaign planning work by helping assess donor interest, inform strategy, and build a strong pipeline of prospective supporters.
Partner with relationship managers across teams to co-create philanthropic strategies, advise on approach and structure, and support implementation and follow-through over time.
Grow Assets Under Management by building trusted relationships that motivate donors to increase their philanthropic investment and consolidate additional charitable assets with EBCF.
Provide values-aligned philanthropic advising that centers social justice principles, community needs, and impact.
Develop and execute tailored donor stewardship plans, while also identifying opportunities to introduce donors to broader campaign initiatives and organizational priorities.
Partner closely with teams across EBCF—including Grants Management, Community Investments & Partnerships, and Marketing & Communications—to ensure donor strategies and campaign-related efforts are implemented effectively and consistently.
Contribute to EBCF’s evolving donor engagement and prospecting strategy in ways that honor racial equity, community-led decision-making, and long-term relationship building.
Support the development of a feasibility study and campaign plan for our 100th Anniversary in 2028. Identify and engage prospective donors, and advance new business development opportunities that strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising.
Depending on future organizational and team needs, may take on supervisory responsibilities, including coaching staff, supervising consultants, supporting work planning, and fostering a collaborative, values-aligned team culture.