Senior Director, Transformational Giving

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

21h•$225,000 - $280,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Foundation seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and highly collaborative Senior Director, Transformational Giving to lead strategy and fundraising for a portfolio of the Foundation’s highest-capacity donors and prospects. Reporting to the Vice President, Transformational Giving, this role will focus on securing transformational philanthropic investments of $25 million and above, while building and strengthening the long-term pipeline of principal and transformational gift opportunities across Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. The Senior Director will serve as a senior fundraising strategist and relationship builder, partnering closely with Foundation leadership, researchers, hospital and university leaders, volunteers, and donors to develop and execute sophisticated engagement strategies that inspire visionary philanthropy. This position is both externally facing and deeply strategic, requiring exceptional donor engagement skills, institutional fluency, and the ability to align donor interests with the organization’s highest priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of 12–15 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including significant experience securing principal and transformational gifts from high-net-worth individuals and families.
Demonstrated success closing complex gifts at the $10 million+ level, with experience leading or contributing to $25 million+ philanthropic opportunities strongly preferred.
Exceptional strategic thinking, relationship management, and donor engagement skills.
Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with organizational leaders, physicians, researchers, senior executives, volunteers, and colleagues across a complex academic medical environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing donor strategies, proposals, and executive briefings.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple sophisticated fundraising strategies simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and execution.
Sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle highly confidential information.
Passion for the mission of improving child and maternal health through philanthropy.

Nice To Haves

Proven success shaping and advancing complex philanthropic opportunities of $25 million and above, connecting donor vision with breakthrough initiatives in research, clinical care, and innovation.
Exceptional skill building trusted relationships with ultra-high-net-worth donors, family foundations, volunteers, and institutional leaders, resulting in meaningful engagement and long-term philanthropic partnerships.
A talent for crafting compelling narratives, proposals, and engagement strategies that inspire visionary philanthropy and influence diverse stakeholders, including donors, board members, physicians, researchers, and senior executives.
Sophisticated understanding of academic medicine, research, and healthcare philanthropy, with the ability to translate complex institutional priorities into compelling donor opportunities.
A collaborative leadership style that fosters alignment across Foundation teams, faculty, physicians, researchers, executives, and volunteers to advance shared fundraising goals and donor strategies.
Demonstrated success identifying, cultivating, and advancing transformational giving prospects through disciplined portfolio strategy, thoughtful relationship building, and proactive opportunity development.
A forward-looking approach to philanthropy that identifies emerging opportunities, embraces creative funding models, and develops innovative strategies to deepen donor engagement and accelerate impact.
Sound judgment, adaptability, and a results-oriented mindset, with the capacity to navigate complexity, manage competing priorities, and execute at a high level in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Build, manage, and strategically advance a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and family foundations with the capacity to make gifts of $25 million or more.
Develop and execute sophisticated cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that result in transformational philanthropy and long-term donor engagement.
Partner with physicians, faculty, researchers, and senior institutional leaders to develop and shape compelling philanthropic opportunities aligned with organizational priorities that resonate with ultra-high-net-worth donors and families.
Participate in and lead select donor events and volunteer engagement opportunities.
Engage President and CEO, Foundation Board members, hospital leadership, and volunteers in cultivation and stewardship activities that strengthen donor relationships and advance fundraising goals.
Serve as a consistent revenue producer and contribute significantly toward ambitious annual and multi-year fundraising goals.
Lead content expertise and program building efforts for philanthropic priorities in order to support donor interest.
Develop compelling gift opportunities and complex proposals in partnership with faculty and senior leaders and ensure each proposal is appropriately scoped, vetted, well-crafted, and meets the priorities of both the donor and the organization.
Shape board meeting content and strategic discussions that advance fundraising priorities and institutional goals.
In collaboration with Gift Strategy and Operations team, create business plans and budgets for funding priorities.
Maintain a current body of knowledge about the Foundation’s development priorities and key content areas.
Identify, qualify, and cultivate future transformational giving prospects from grateful patient relationships, volunteer networks, and external communities.
Develop and implement proactive strategies to deepen donor engagement and move prospects toward larger and more strategic philanthropic investments.
Advance new referrals and introductions from board members and institutional leaders.
Develop creative and nontraditional funding strategies, including consortium philanthropy, family office engagement, and nationally or internationally focused initiatives.
Lead strategic alignment meetings with institutional and volunteer leadership to strengthen donor strategy and pipeline development.
Partner closely with Prospect Development and Foundation leadership to evaluate pipeline strength, portfolio composition, and growth opportunities.
In partnership with operations and administrative staff, maintain robust donor strategy documentation and portfolio management practices, including contact reports, proposals, stewardship plans, and forecasting.
Contribute to strategic planning efforts related to transformational philanthropy, planning, and revenue growth.
Monitor progress toward fundraising and activity goals and adjust strategies as needed to maximize results.
Ensure a donor-centered approach that reflects the Foundation’s values and commitment to excellence.

Benefits

Generous leave, including PTO, holidays, Summer Fridays, and a sabbatical (after 7 years of employment)
Annual bonus opportunity
Retirement plan + employer match
Premium Medical and Dental coverage
FSA + dependent care FSA
Employer-paid life insurance
Legal services plan
Commuter Benefits, including CalTrain “Go Pass” Program
4-week paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
Stipend for home office and mobile phone