Position:                              Vice President for Advancement

Position Type:                   Full-Time, Exempt                                                                   

Supervisor:                         President & CEO

Position Summary:         

The Vice President for Advancement serves as a key member of the Foundation’s leadership team, responsible for shaping and executing a broad advancement strategy that expands our philanthropic capacity to deliver maximum community impact. They oversee a comprehensive fundraising and charitable services program to secure major and planned gifts to grow our community’s permanent charitable endowment; help people and organizations efficiently accomplish their unique charitable goals, locally and beyond; celebrate and steward our donors and partners; and elevate the Foundation’s reputation as DuPage County’s champion for philanthropy.

The successful candidate will oversee a talented, growing Advancement team and help foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation across the organization that strengthens relationships with area donors, professional advisors, businesses, foundations, nonprofits, and community leaders. They must demonstrate proven success in building deep relationships, leading and developing teams, and executing successful fundraising campaigns and charitable services programs that have annually generated millions of dollars. Additionally, the candidate must possess a high degree of organization, initiative, curiosity, integrity, and empathy, along with a genuine desire to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County.

Organization                     

DuPage Foundation is DuPage County’s champion for philanthropy. We bring together people, knowledge, and resources to address our community’s greatest challenges and opportunities through collective impact. Our mission is simple, yet profound: to foster philanthropy, connect donors to area needs, and build community partnerships as we help people give efficiently and effectively to the causes they love and create lasting charitable endowments. With more than $175 million in assets under management, we have granted more than $115 million throughout DuPage County and beyond since our founding in 1986.

Leadership:

• Participate as a member of the leadership team and provide counsel to the president & CEO and senior staff.
• Lead in the creation, execution, and monitoring of a comprehensive fundraising, charitable planning, and stewardship program to annually generate tens of millions of dollars in outright and planned charitable gifts.
• Lead and develop a growing Advancement team of multiple direct reports, setting annual and quarterly performance targets and metrics that advance our fundraising and stewardship goals.
• Train and support our volunteer leaders in becoming skilled Foundation ambassadors by developing messaging, approaches, and opportunities to help them engage their networks confidently on behalf of our mission.
• Provide oversight of all Advancement department activities, events, programs, and processes including the Annual Benefit, cultivation and stewardship events, educational programs, our agency endowment program for nonprofits, the gift acknowledgment process, and our Next Generation Initiative.

Fund Development:

• Lead the development and execution of activities, programs, and resources that support Foundation outright and planned gift opportunities, initiatives, and programs—including our $35 million All In DuPage fundraising campaign to grow our permanent, discretionary community-grantmaking endowment and strengthen our organizational capacity and sustainability.
• Cultivate and steward a robust book of current and prospective high-net-worth donors to secure gifts of five to eight-figures with a focus on helping them achieve their personal charitable goals and matching their interests with local needs and opportunities.
• Build relationships with area family offices and professional advisors, deepen their understanding of the Foundation and charitable giving strategies, and obtain referrals through personal consultations, presentations, and continuing education events.
• Support area nonprofits and their donors in the creation of endowment and reserve funds at the Foundation to advance their organizational goals.

Administration:

• Actively manage the allocation of current and prospective donors, fund holders, and advisors to staff and volunteer leader portfolios and monitor their moves management and stewardship.
• Serve as lead staff liaison for our All In DuPage Campaign and Professional Advisor Committees, and provide support to additional Committees as requested.
• Provide oversight to ensure all gifts, gift policies, and fund agreements comply with federal and state law, Community Foundation National Standards, the AFP Donor Bill of Rights, and Foundation policies.

·      Plan meeting agendas and supervise the creation of packets, summaries, and reports of Advancement-related activities for the Board, committees, and staff.

·       Oversee the development of donor and fund partner proposals.

• Support the creation of the annual budget and lead Advancement department budgeting.
• Perform personnel reviews and create professional development plans for direct reports.

Marketing & Communications:

• Provide strategic direction and oversight of Advancement-related communications and marketing collateral in concert with the Communications team including educational materials on charitable needs, giving strategies and opportunities, Foundation campaigns, and stories that celebrate our constituents, their impact, and our value to the broader community.

·    Contribute to the research and authoring of articles and materials that demonstrate the benefits of philanthropy and strategic charitable planning. 

·     Direct content development for the Charitable Minute blog for donors and prospects and the Foundation Insights e-newsletter for professional advisors.

·     Support the selection of featured subjects and the creation of an annual production schedule for our Leaders & Legacies: Stories of Local Impact Series with the Daily Herald.

Community Engagement:

• Be an active community leader and Foundation ambassador by speaking, authoring articles, volunteering, and participating in strategic community activities and events.
• Strengthen the Foundation’s visibility and engagement with key business, community, and nonprofit leaders.
• Support the creation of an annual calendar for community sponsorship and engagement opportunities and set criteria to determine our participation with support from senior staff.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years’ of experience in nonprofit management, fund development and charitable gift planning, major gift campaign management, trust or financial services, or a related field required. Advanced training or professional certification preferred (E.g., JD, MBA, CAP®, CFP®, CFRE®, etc.).
• Demonstrated track record of working with executive and volunteer leadership to set and execute effective strategies to achieve organizational major and planned gift fundraising goals in the tens of millions annually. 
• Proven success in developing deep relationships with high-net-worth individuals, their professional advisors, family offices, and foundations to secure charitable contributions of five to eight figures.
• Demonstrated familiarity with effective charitable gift planning strategies to help maximize impact and benefits.
• Experience effectively utilizing data and technology to enhance donor strategy, campaign planning, and performance reporting.
• Highly organized with strong initiative and self-accountability to manage multiple projects from start to finish.
• Strong personal integrity with demonstrated experience leading and mentoring high-performing teams, inspiring collaboration and cooperation among colleagues, direct reports, and volunteer leaders, and fostering open communication and trust.
• Superior oral and written communication skills with high emotional intelligence and the ability to listen well.
• Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office suite, relational databases, and presentation software; experience with CRM systems, AI platforms, and wealth screening tools such as iwave preferred.
• Ability to be an effective ambassador for the Foundation among diverse constituent groups.
• Willingness to occasionally work beyond regular business hours including some evenings and weekends.
• Existing knowledge of the DuPage County philanthropic landscape a plus.

To Apply: Email a PDF cover letter and résumé with “Vice President for Advancement Position” in the subject line to Hiring Manager at apply@dupagefoundation.orgto be considered. All applications will be considered under the strictest of confidence. NO CALLS PLEASE.

Hiring Policy:  DuPage Foundation considers applicants for all positions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status.

The DuPage Community Foundation d/b/a DuPage Foundation raises the quality of life throughout DuPage County by fostering philanthropy, connecting donors to area needs, and building community partnerships.