Associate Vice President for Development
- Employer
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Location
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Salary
- $120,000.00 - $140,000.00
- Closing date
- Sep 1, 2021
View more
- Position Type
- Fundraising, Capital Campaigns, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Major Gifts
- Fields
- Academic Centers, Education
- Employment Type
- Full Time
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) seeks an
experienced, dynamic, and collaborative Associate Vice President
for Development (AVP) to lead fundraising activities and staff
during an exciting time of campus renewal. Reporting to the Vice
President for Development and Alumni Engagement, the AVP will be a
senior leader of the advancement program and will be jointly
responsible for achieving the department’s annual fundraising
goals. The AVP will have a unique opportunity to cultivate a
culture of philanthropy and elevate the fundraising capabilities of
the institution in anticipation of directing the college’s next
comprehensive campaign.
Having just gone through a comprehensive strategic planning
process, the W&J community is excited about the future growth
and trajectory of the college. President John Knapp has outlined
priority initiatives around social justice, environmentalism, and
entrepreneurship that are galvanizing excitement and laying the
groundwork for modernization. This provides ripe ground for the
Development team to be innovative and opportunistic in identifying
prospects, implementing strategies, and cultivating, soliciting,
and stewarding major, planned, and principal gifts and corporate
and foundation support.
Washington & Jefferson College is recognized nationally as a
highly selective, residential, student-centered liberal arts
college with an exceptional record of producing future leaders,
whose graduates are prepared for a breadth of life opportunities
and professional success. Toward that end, W&J asserts its
place as Pittsburgh’s premiere liberal arts institution, a role it
has played for more than 230 years. More broadly, it is known as a
robust community of engaged and intellectually curious faculty,
staff, and students.
This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished leader to
strengthen W&J’s advancement program through the implementation
of best practices, team and capacity building, and the application
of data-driven strategies that will create a philanthropic
enterprise befitting a first-rate liberal arts college. The AVP
will educate and engage all members of the W&J community in
development efforts in ways that reflect the collaborative and
collegial culture of the college. Working closely with college
leaders, the AVP will play an essential role in identifying and
setting advancement priorities, designing compelling cases for
support, and facilitating regular lines of communication across
campus to advance the college’s overall fundraising efforts.
Further, the AVP will contribute to building a culture of trust in
an environment of shared governance, developing relationships with
campus leaders and all campus constituents in support of W&J’s
academic mission and the vision of President Knapp.
In partnership with the Vice President for Development and
Alumni Engagement, the AVP will be responsible for leading a
donor-centric development program. This executive leadership
position in the department of Development and Alumni Engagement
involves managing and mentoring the college’s centralized
development team to ensure donors’ wishes are fulfilled and W&J
continues to support its students and faculty. This position
functions as a thought leader of the fundraising effort for the
college and ensures the college’s development team collectively
surpasses annual fundraising goals as well as activity benchmarks.
Leading by example, the AVP will manage a portfolio of major and
principal gift prospects. The AVP will direct W&J’s next
ambitious fundraising campaign.
The ideal candidate must possess a minimum of 12 years of
fundraising experience, a keen understanding of best practices in
fundraising, expertise in managing a frontline fundraising team,
and a demonstrated record of accomplishment in developing a
successful development program. The candidate will be an expert at
personally identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major and
principal gifts. The candidate must possess a high level of
integrity and credibility; be a self-starter with a sense of
urgency and a clear set of priorities; and be adaptable to changing
circumstances. The successful candidate must have extraordinary
communication skills with a collegial, team-building style and a
demonstrated ability to motivate staff as well as to cultivate
productive, collaborative relationships with faculty and staff
across campus. The candidate will create a professional work
environment that rewards individual and collective success, builds
confidence, and promotes diversity in all its forms. An
undergraduate degree is required, and an advanced degree is
preferred.
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) has been offering
students a liberal arts education since 1781. Washington &
Jefferson College is one of the nation’s oldest and most
distinguished co-educational, four-year liberal arts colleges for
undergraduate students. Liberal education fits people for work and
for life. It develops the intellect and the soul. Tradition is
important at W&J, the oldest college west of the Allegheny
mountains. Historically, W&J has been a place for risk-takers,
innovators, creative thinkers, and hard workers who have been
engaged in struggles like carving out a new life on the frontier or
fashioning new ways of being and thinking. W&J has always
graduated students of uncommon integrity; the liberal arts
experience enables students to crack through the shell of
conformity to emerge as individuals capable of making significant
contributions to their communities. Each student’s intellect is
developed to its potential and each student leaves the College with
a set of tools that enable them to continue to grow and develop as
a productive member of the global community.
The College’s mission is to graduate people of uncommon
integrity, competence, and maturity who are effective lifelong
learners and responsible citizens, and who are prepared to
contribute substantially to the world in which they live. To this
end, the College promotes the development of skills, knowledge,
personal qualities, and a worldview that characterize a
well-educated person. All components of the living and learning
environment at W&J are designed and intended to support this
mission.
Dr. John C. Knapp
President and Professor of Religion
John C. Knapp, Ph.D., is the 13th president of Washington &
Jefferson College, one of America’s oldest and most distinguished
liberal arts institutions, founded in 1781. He also serves as a
professor of religion in the college’s Department of
Philosophy.
Dr. Knapp is an internationally known author and speaker with leadership experience spanning the education, non-profit, and business sectors. Prior to joining W&J in 2017, he was president of Hope College in Holland, Mich., where he led the development and implementation of a 10-year strategic plan to enhance academic quality, campus diversity, employee development, and post-graduation outcomes for students.
Previously, he was the founding director of Samford University’s
Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, concurrently
serving as University Professor and holding an endowed
professorship. He directed a wide range of programs and supported
teaching and scholarship in the schools of the arts, arts and
sciences, business, divinity, education, law, nursing, and
pharmacy.
Before joining Samford, Dr. Knapp served as professor and
director of the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility at
Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
The Center was established under his leadership in 1993 as the
independent Southern Institute for Business and Professional
Ethics, a leading executive education resource for leaders seeking
to strengthen ethics and integrity in organizations. His programs
were attended by more than 20,000 executives and managers from
hundreds of corporations, governmental agencies, nonprofits, and
professional firms.
Dr. Knapp’s philosophy of liberal arts education extends to the
value he places on diversity and inclusion. At Hope College, where
he achieved annual goals for greater student diversity while also
raising the academic profile of incoming classes, he was respected
by the college’s students, faculty, and alumni for fostering a
culture of inclusion, respect, and support, especially for students
and employees from underrepresented groups. While in Atlanta, he
founded and led the Diversity Management Network, a five-year,
grant-funded consortium involving leaders of more than 40 of the
region’s largest employers. His diversity advocacy was recognized
in 2013 with the Urban League’s Multicultural Friendship Award in
Birmingham, Ala.
As a leader among his peers in higher education, Dr. Knapp
chairs The Oxford Conclave on Global Higher Education, a retreat
for college and university presidents held annually England’s
University of Oxford. He also has served twice as chair of The New
York Times Presidents Council, a representative group of private
college presidents who meet with the newspaper’s higher education
reporters for background discussions of issues facing institutions
and the industry. In addition, he serves on the boards of the
Council of Independent Colleges, American Association of Presidents
of Independent Colleges and Universities, Clemson University’s
Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics, and the Pennsylvania
Consortium for the Liberal Arts, among several other higher
education associations.
Dr. Knapp’s scholarship includes numerous articles and five
books, including the three-volume The Business of Higher Education.
His work as a scholar was recognized in 2009 when he was named a
fellow of the Caux Round Table; in 2007 with his induction into the
Martin Luther King Jr. International Collegium of Scholars at
Morehouse College; in 2001 with the Georgia Governor's Award in the
Humanities; and in 1995 with Columbia Theological Seminary’s
Florrie Wilkes Sanders Prize in Theology. In 2013, Hope College
awarded him the honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
Earlier in his career he served for more than a decade as
president of an Atlanta-based corporate communication firm. During
this time, Atlanta Business Chronicle twice recognized him as the
region’s leading crisis management consultant; Business Atlanta
(now Georgia Trend) selected him for its list of the “40 Under 40”
successful young executives; and Outstanding Atlanta Foundation
named him one of the “Ten Outstanding Young People of
Atlanta.”
Dr. Knapp earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in theology and
religious studies at the University of Wales, United Kingdom; a
Master of Arts degree in theological studies at Columbia
Theological Seminary; and a Bachelor of Science degree in urban
life with a concentration in communication at Georgia State
University. He and his wife, Kelly, have five adult children:
Amanda, Tracy, Charlie, Mary, and Ron. They have five
grandchildren.
Dr. Carolyn Campbell
Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement
Dr. Campbell has worked as an administrator for higher education
and non-profits for nearly 30 years, and comes to W&J after a
lengthy tenure in the Auburn University system. She established the
university’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations in 1999,
and later served as Vice Chancellor for Advancement at Auburn
Montgomery (AUM). She has taught as an adjunct professor and
established an endowed scholarship at Auburn for working mothers
who are pursuing a degree.
Dr. Campbell has served in university strategic planning
processes; provided leadership and direction through university
accreditation processes; spearheaded initiatives promoting
diversity and inclusion; established and implemented faculty and
staff advocacy committees; and provided expert leadership and
worked collaboratively with governing and foundation boards within
the university system, in addition to work in her
community.
Dr. Campbell holds a master’s degree in Management from Faulkner
University, master’s and doctorate degrees in Higher Education
Administration from Auburn University, completed Harvard’s
Institute for Educational Management program, holds a certificate
in College and University Teaching, and is distinguished as a
Fulbright Scholar.
Advancement at W&J
With an endowment valued at approximately $140 million, W&J
has a legacy of endowment giving in support of faculty chairs and
student scholarships. The college is currently raising between $7
million and $8 million in annual philanthropic support. There are
nearly 16,000 living alumni with a dedicated track record of
volunteer support; the alumni giving rate is approximately 15
percent. The board of W&J has a strong history of support with
a 100 percent giving rate. The board and the president are invested
in the future of W&J and are planning to launch a comprehensive
fundraising campaign in the coming years. The last campaign for
W&J, Uncommon Bond, raised $116 million for the
college. Fundraising priorities include exciting new capital
projects like a student union and welcome center, faculty support,
student financial aid, and continued revitalization of
infrastructure.
The advancement division comprises a team of 18 professionals in
major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, annual fund,
alumni engagement, and operations, including stewardship, database
management, and prospect research.
Associate Vice President for
Development
The Associate Vice President for Development will set strategy
and provide leadership for major gift officers and a corporate and
foundation relations gift officer, manage a portfolio of major gift
prospects, and serve as campaign manager for future campaign
initiatives. As a member of the VP’s leadership team, the AVP will
be a thought leader and influencer of culture, goals, strategies,
and tactics across the division. The AVP will set, track, and drive
the frontline team’s activity benchmarks.
Essential Duties
- Leads the Development
team in planning and implementing long- and short-term strategies
to secure gifts from individual and institutional prospects and
donors.
- Works with the VP to
establish measurable goals to increase fundraising results that are
achievable and aspirational.
- Maintains a portfolio
and solicits major and planned gifts.
- Mentors, trains,
supervises, and evaluates staff.
- Develops strong,
positive relationships with the college community.
- Keeps abreast and
implements best practices in the development profession and
evaluates new and emerging giving ideas for potential
implementation at Washington and Jefferson.
- Helps to develop and
implement policies related to fundraising in collaboration with the
VP.
- Serve as campaign
manager for future fundraising initiatives.
Experience and Qualifications
The ideal candidate will bring many of the following
professional qualities and experiences:
- A minimum of 12 years of
experience, the majority of which are within a development
operation.
- Successful track record
in major gifts, planned giving, and development team leadership in
senior leadership roles.
- Ability to relate well
to and understand the needs and interests of the alumni community
to strengthen their engagement with the college.
- Consistent track record
of designing, implementing, and executing on successful development
strategies that have resulted in significant increases in
engagement and participation.
- Demonstrated success in
leading collaborative relationships and utilizing data and
technology to build strategic plans and new initiatives.
- Ability to initiate,
follow-through, analyze, monitor, and evaluate
programming.
- Dedication to promoting
the college’s priorities through developing excellent working
relationships with faculty, senior academic leaders, trustees, the
alumni association, and other volunteers and college advancement
teams.
- Proven problem solving
and reasoning skills, analytical skills, and oral, written, and
interpersonal communication skills.
- Demonstrated personal
interest in and affinity for private liberal arts education. A deep
passion for higher education. An undergraduate degree is required,
and an advanced degree is welcomed.
- The ability to travel
and work during evenings and weekends as needed.
- Possess and maintain a
valid driver’s license; successfully complete a driver’s license
verification on an annual basis; and complete the National Safety
Council Defensive Driver Training once every three
years.
Location
W&J’s beautiful campus is located in Washington,
Pennsylvania, a charming and growing area with a history of
progressive leadership and a healthy contemporary lifestyle.
Washington is just 30 miles outside of Pittsburgh—a national leader
in entrepreneurship, culture, food, and green living. The location
is the best of both worlds: an attractive, historic campus with one
of the most vibrant and fun cities in the country a short distance
away.
Compensation
The salary range for the AVP is $120,000 - $140,000. Washington
& Jefferson College offers a comprehensive benefits package,
including health, vision, and dental coverage, group life
insurance, AD&D and LTD coverage, retirement plan, generous
leave time, and the tuition benefit programs. These benefits add
significantly to the employee’s total compensation
package.
Interested in Learning More?
Washington & Jefferson College has partnered with Talent
Citizen to assist in this recruitment. Please contact President
Tracy D. Welsh and Senior Associate Rachel K. Partin to share your
biographical materials via email at:
washjeff-avpd@talentcitizen.com.
Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) is committed to increasing diversity in our community and actively pursues individuals from all backgrounds. Additionally, W&J College complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and provides equal opportunity in all educational programs and activities, admission of students and conditions of employment for all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, gender identity, or national origin.
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