Vice President of Advancement

MassChallenge • Boston, MA

12d • $175,000 - $220,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Advancement will oversee all aspects of MassChallenge’s grant and donor development and mission funding strategy and operations. In addition, this role will serve as a senior external-facing leader responsible for advancing MassChallenge’s philanthropic narrative, strengthening funder and board engagement, and aligning external relationships to support long-term institutional growth.
You will help MassChallenge achieve our five-year vision to be the global destination for innovators solving humanity’s most complex, highly regulated, and system-dependent challenges. Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, the Vice President of Advancement will be responsible for securing mission-aligned funding by developing strong relationships with Local Government, Corporate Foundations, Family Offices, major donors, and Foundations. You will lead the Development team to develop competitive proposals and secure major gifts from these sources.
In this critical role, you will help MassChallenge craft a renewed Development and Donor strategy; one that integrates fundraising excellence with institutional storytelling, senior stakeholder engagement, and long-term advancement priorities to ensure sustained funding for years to come.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of experience in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of government, foundation, major donor, and/or corporate funder relationships, with a proven record of successful proposal submission and grant management
• Proven experience managing a complex funding portfolio with the ability to develop and foster lasting funder relationships
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior external-facing leader, representing an organization with credibility and clarity among philanthropic and institutional partners
• High degree of personal integrity and a passion for wanting to change the world
• Ability to network and build trust-based relationships with funders, board members, and senior stakeholders
• Strong collaborative orientation and ability to work closely across teams and leadership levels
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write and edit clear, structured, and persuasive proposals and reports and prepare budgets
• Ability to handle ambiguity and juggle multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment while maintaining organization and attention to detail

Responsibilities

• In collaboration, create annual development strategy and revenue goals
• Collaborate withMassChallenge’sChief Growth Officer and Chief Executive Officer in building short- and long-range grant strategies with a focus on major and multi-year commitments
• Target, prioritize, and foster relationships with large philanthropic donors, family offices, and public and private foundations
• Serve as a senior steward of MassChallenge’s philanthropic narrative, ensuring that funding strategies, proposals, and funder engagement consistently reflect the organization’s mission, long-term vision, and measurable impact
• Lead our efforts to identify, build, develop, and maintain a global network of leaders, major influencers, thought leaders, and philanthropists who will become advisors, major donors, and brand ambassadors
• Partner with executive leadership to engageMassChallenge’sBoard and senior advisors in philanthropic cultivation, stewardship, and donor relationship-building activities
• Support board members in their roles as ambassadors and champions for MassChallenge’s mission and funding priorities, including preparation for funder meetings and external engagements
• Represent MassChallenge externally with philanthropic, civic, and institutional partners at events, convenings, and meetings, elevating the organization’s visibility among mission-aligned funders
• Partner with internal leaders to translate programmatic outcomes and ecosystem impact into compelling cases for philanthropic investment and long-term partnership
• Design and implement an alumni engagement strategy that fosters stronger donations from successful MC founders and supports our MC Network Team
• Oversee all activities pertaining to grant writing and research for existing and prospective funders, including Federal, State, Foundation, Major Donors, and corporate grant opportunities
• Ensure alignment between MassChallenge’s external funding priorities and its broader growth, innovation, and ecosystem strategy
• Establish, grow, and manage the development team and provide leadership and direction to the team as well as external consultants and freelancers
• Establish and manage the portfolio of grants and steward MassChallenge’s relationships among grantors, including organizing regular exchanges, briefings, and other contacts between relevant MassChallenge staff and funders
• Develop policies, procedures, and communications to administer grants, monitor progress against performance indicators, including required financial and impact reporting, and track cycles and renewals
• Be a thought leader and expert on the changing landscape of philanthropy, government funding, and grant management—ensuring MassChallenge remains ahead of trends
• Coach colleagues and team members on how to effectively manage grants, including their fiscal and programmatic reporting requirements, scope of services, terms, project closeout, and other related activities, specific to each grant, as needed

Benefits

• MassChallenge offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment
• Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with skills and experience

What This Job Offers

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