Vice President for Advancement and President of the Concordia University Chicago Foundation

Concordia University, Chicago • River Forest, IL

50d • $190 - $215

About The Position

The Vice President for Advancement and President of the Concordia University Chicago Foundation (VPA) is the University's chief advancement officer, providing strategic leadership for fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations, stewardship, communications, and philanthropic initiatives. The VPA develops and executes a comprehensive advancement strategy to increase philanthropic support for scholarships, capital projects, endowment growth, academic programs, faculty excellence, athletics, student success initiatives, and other institutional priorities. The role builds relationships with alumni, donors, parents, regents, community partners, foundations, corporations, and other supporters.

The VPA also serves as President of the Concordia University Chicago Foundation and as a member of the President's Executive Cabinet. Reporting directly to the President, the VPA supports and advises the President, exercises executive-level leadership, and works with Cabinet colleagues to advance the University's mission, strategic priorities, financial sustainability, and long-term reputation.

The VPA leads fundraising campaigns and giving programs, manages principal gift prospects, and partners with the President and Board of Regents on donor engagement. The position also oversees alumni and church relations, University Communications, advancement events, Foundation governance, advancement services, and the advancement team. The role requires a commitment to the University's Christian mission and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod identity, as well as willingness and ability to travel and work nights and/or weekends as necessary.

Requirements

• Be a committed Christian actively involved in a congregation and highly familiar with the Lutheran faith; active membership in an LCMS congregation is preferred.
• Demonstrate commitment to advancing the University, its mission and identity, and its relationships with LCMS institutions and people.
• Have strong understanding of higher education fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations, advancement operations, campaign management, ethical fundraising, donor confidentiality, stewardship, donor intent, and student-centered philanthropy.
• Be able to build authentic relationships with donors, alumni, faculty, trustees, and campus partners.
• Demonstrate entrepreneurial thinking, adaptability, and willingness to pursue new donor-engagement approaches, and be able to translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
• Have superior interpersonal skills.
• Have strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Have strong administrative skills, including planning, analysis, and problem-solving, and the ability to build and manage effective, collegial teams.
• Demonstrate executive presence, sound judgment, discretion, and political acumen.
• Be willing and able to travel and work nights and/or weekends as necessary.
• Have significant progressively responsible experience in advancement, development, fundraising, alumni relations, or related nonprofit leadership.
• Demonstrate success cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding major gifts.
• Have experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Have experience supervising advancement professionals and leading high-performing teams.
• Have a bachelor's degree.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a senior advancement role at a college or university.
• Successful experience planning, launching, and completing a comprehensive or capital campaign.
• Experience working closely with a president and board on major gift strategy.
• Experience with advancement databases, CRM systems, prospect research tools, donor analytics, and moves management.
• Knowledge of CASE standards, fundraising best practices, and current trends in higher education philanthropy.
• Active membership in an LCMS congregation.

Responsibilities

• Serve on the Executive Cabinet and contribute to institutional strategic planning, policy development, and governance with the Board of Regents.
• Champion the University's Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod identity and Christian mission in external engagement.
• Design, lead, and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies, including capital and comprehensive campaigns, major and planned giving, annual giving, and corporate and foundation relations.
• Manage a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects and partner with the President and Board of Regents to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors.
• Establish annual and multi-year philanthropic goals with metrics, benchmarks, and accountability systems.
• Lead alumni, parent, and family relations to foster lifelong engagement and a campus-wide culture of philanthropy.
• Develop partnerships with LCMS congregations, church-related entities, and mission-aligned organizations through Church Relations strategies.
• Represent the University at major church, alumni, civic, and donor gatherings.
• Oversee University Communications, safeguarding the brand, managing public and crisis communications, and aligning messaging with enrollment and institutional goals.
• Guide the Advancement Events team in delivering signature events that elevate the University's profile and deepen constituent engagement.
• Serve as President of the University Foundation, plan and facilitate Board of Directors meetings, engage directors as donors, and align Foundation efforts with the Board of Regents.
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing, mission-driven advancement team.
• Oversee advancement services, database integrity, prospect research, stewardship reporting, and budget allocation to ensure strong return on investment.
• Maintain compliance with CASE standards, gift acceptance policies, ethical fundraising practices, and applicable state and federal laws.

Benefits

• Health, disability, and retirement plan enrollment for full-time employees and eligible dependents.
• Tuition benefits for employees and their qualified dependents.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive