Description

Western University is seeking an Executive Director, Principal Gifts to lead the design, implementation, and management of principal gift strategies, with a focus on seven-figure gifts and a particular emphasis on opportunities of $5M+ across the university. In addition to managing and soliciting a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects, the Executive Director will develop and manage an ecosystem that cultivates and strengthens fundraisers skills, expanding capacity and enabling excellence in performance, while fostering strong partnerships and service across university units.

As our ideal candidate you will have significant experience fundraising within a university or other complex nonprofit environment along with experience executing gifts at the $1 million dollar plus level, as well as gifts that are complex, multi-divisional, and/or pan-institutional. You will have significant leadership experience in a fundraising, or revenue-generating portfolio with multi-million-dollar targets, with accountability for leading staff, budgets, and projects associated to those targets. 

This position will report to and work closely with the Associate Vice-President (Development), as well as providing support and partnership to the Vice President (Advancement) and the President of the University on cultivation and solicitation for their principal gift prospects. The Executive Director, Principal Gifts will also engage with and support university volunteers such as the Chancellor, members of the Board of Governors, campaign cabinet and advisory boards.

As a member of the Development Leadership Team, the Executive Director will jointly participate in setting, implementing, monitoring and evaluating long-term advancement strategies for Western University. The Executive Director will lead several university-wide projects and initiatives related to Advancement and will support the development of strategic planning for the division. In doing so, the Executive Director will collaborate closely with colleagues in Western Advancement, Western Communications, and various Faculties & Divisions. Another important aspect of this role is to provide coaching, mentoring and support in partnership with the AVP Development to colleagues and fundraisers to create and implement the best structure for principal gifts development across the university. 

Requirements

• Leads and plays a key role in designing, implementing, managing, and evaluating principal gifts activities across the university
• Raise an average of $20M from principal gifts each year for the Principal Giving portfolio
• Personally close at least two Principal Gifts a year.
• Manages a portfolio of principal gifts donors and donor prospects, identifying and building a pipeline of 10 - 25 solicitations
• Leads principal gifts cultivation and solicitation for assigned principal gifts prospects and supports principal gifts cultivation and solicitation for prospects assigned to partners and teammates across the university
• Provides expertise to the AVP (Development), Vice-President ( Western Advancement) and the President & Vice-Chancellor on principal gift cultivation and solicitation strategy
• Provides strategic and integrated leadership to principal gifts staff (approximately 3-5 staff), while articulating a clear vision, which supports and enables staff to excel in the delivery of services and fundraising efforts
• Sets and monitors team and individual objectives and metrics
• Works with development staff as a coach and mentor, working to develop staff to reach their maximum potential in generating philanthropic funds
• Provides leadership to external volunteers involved with principal gift solicitations, either directly or indirectly
• Leads university-wide projects and initiatives related to  Western Advancement (e.g. partnering with Western Research to support Institute fundraising), and supports the development of strategic campaign plans for the University
• In consultation with the AVP Development, oversees and leads the planning, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies and initiatives, enabling the portfolio and Western to achieve fundraising goals
• Provides ongoing support and engagement for initiatives within University Advancement (e.g. culture, We Speak, CRM design and implementation, talent development)
• Engages and supports university volunteers (the Chancellor, members of the Board of Governors, campaign cabinet and advisory boards) through working with the AVP Development, Managing Director, Faculty Development, and Managing Director University-Wide to create and implement the best structure for principal gifts development
• Participates with Western Advancement Leadership in setting, implementing, monitoring and evaluating long-term advancement strategies and campaigns for Western
• Monitors the principal gift activity pipeline across all staff, faculties and external divisions, working with Development Leaders and Prospect Management to build a pipeline for gifts (target to increase pipeline of prospects rated $10M+)
• Ensures that annual and long-term goals for principal gifts are set, monitored and evaluated (current annual target of $40M with potential for growth), in conjunction with overall development objectives of the University
• Partners with the Managing Director, Faculty development and Managing Director, University-Wide to develop strategies, and to coach, mentor and monitor the development of principal gifts capacity in all faculties and divisions
• Collaborates with the Managing Director, Faculty Development, and the Managing Director, University-Wide to manage and drive the overall annual pledge targets
• Continues to advance a team approach to principal gifts to build culture and capacity across the team
• Develops strong, collaborative working relationships with Western Communications colleagues to ensure the smooth and successful delivery of communications and marketing activities related to Western Advancement
• Ensures an appropriate development structure is in place to demonstrate Western’s value for matching donors’ highest philanthropic aspirations with the strategic needs of the University
• Leads the budgeting process for their portfolio (approximately $500K), ensuring resource allocations align to the strategic priorities of the unit
• Develops strategies and oversees the corporate and foundation portfolio, including establishing program objectives and metrics
• Ensures an appropriate recognition and stewardship structure to demonstrate Western’s value and respect for donors to provide them with a meaningful lifelong relationship and experience with the University
• Presents on key performance indicators related to their portfolio, and prepares reports for Western Advancement leadership on the implementation of projects and programs, successes and areas of improvement