Vice President of Institutional Advancement

National Louis University (NLU) seeks an energetic, imaginative Vice President of Institutional Advancement to serve as a strategic and collaborative leader who will possess the vision to design, plan and execute an innovative, comprehensive advancement programs including annual fund, corporate and foundation relations, major gifts and gift planning, endowment, capital campaigns, and alumni and constituent relations efforts. The VP will involve academic leadership in the creation of new opportunities for support, as well as prepares the University for a significant capital and endowment effort. Reporting directly to and partnering with the President, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement will have broad strategic and management responsibility for conceiving and implementing both long and short-term advancement plans including fundraising, Board development, alumni relations, and associated public relations.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Create and execute development plans that utilize best practices in annual, major, and planned gift programs to meet fundraising goals.
• Serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and maintain close working relationships with members of the Board of Trustees and key alumni/friends.
• Provides leadership in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting the University’s constituencies. Maintain a dynamic portfolio of major gift prospects in all phases of qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Work with college leadership to understand programs and funding priorities and identify major donors, corporations, foundations and community groups as part of an overall development plan.
• In collaboration with other department management, assigns program and solicitation responsibilities to the respective development officers and establishes the relevant performance standards to which each will be held accountable.
• Sets and achieves goals and leads participation and follow through on all types of fundraising calls and activities.
• Attends meetings, events, programs and other gatherings to represent the institution to prospects, donors, friends, alumni, etc.
• Develops and provides annual income and activity projections as well as and manages an annual budget.
• Serves as the chief advisor to the President and Board of Trustees on all matters related to institutional advancement, creating and implementing fund-raising initiatives and strategies.
• Participate in strategic discussions and develop programs to strengthen the financial resources of the University.
• Work closely with the President in all phases of advancement and campaign leadership activities.

THE INSTITUTION

National Louis University (NLU) is looking to honor its past while defining a bold new future as a university focused on professional pathways, preparing students to be leaders ready to address tomorrow’s challenges in the context of increasing global urbanization. NLU is dedicated to providing a career-building, life-changing education that is accessible to all students. The University offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five academic units: the Undergraduate College, Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, the National College of Education, and the School of Business and Information Technology. NLU is one of the most diverse universities in the Midwest, helping students of all ages and backgrounds achieve their personal and professional goals.

National Louis University is a teaching-focused and student-centered university committed to providing access to a far-reaching exceptional education that is market-aligned and cost-effective. The University offers programs at multiple locations and through various modalities including Face-to-Face, Asynchronous, Online and Remote Learning in which courses can be supplemented with well-planned and meaningful on-campus experiences. The University has experienced unprecedented growth and currently serves approximately 10,000 students at seven locations in Illinois and Florida.

Founded in 1886, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit university offering programs through the doctoral level. NLU is also classified as an Engaged Institution by the Carnegie Foundation and has been named as a top ten institution by Money Magazine where its alumni believe they are making the world “a better place.” The University has had more Golden Apple Award winners among its graduates in teacher preparation than any institution across the state. The University has received more than $70 million in funding for applied research projects in urban development, childhood development, school improvement, and teacher preparation. NLU is recognized as a national leader in closing the post-secondary completion gap through its innovative approach to undergraduate education.

NLU is located in the center of Chicago’s downtown loop, across the street from the Art Institute, in an area that has been recognized as America’s largest campus with over 25 institutions and 50,000 students attending a college across the city. To learn more about National Louis University visit http://www.nl.edu.

Leadership:

President Nivine Megahed became the eleventh president of National Louis University in March of 2010. Dr. Megahed has over 20 years of experience making higher education more accessible for students of all backgrounds.

NLU recently completed its 2030 strategic plan. Building on its track record of success, the University is becoming a contemporary comprehensive university dedicated to preparing diverse students for sustained professional success. The plan is built around five pillars with a central focus on building a diverse and equitable community with a culture of inclusion.

In the last 10 years, the University has undergone a significant transition, becoming increasingly data-informed, and efficient in its delivery of programming and services. New programs in high demand fields have been developed that have fueled enrollment growth. The University has re-envisioned undergraduate education and is committed to leading the effort to close the bachelor’s degree attainment gap and serve underserved students. Blended and online modalities have been built to better serve adult students’ needs for flexibility. Moreover, the University completed the acquisition of Kendall College expanding its program offerings to include culinary and hospitality education. The University added new programs in the field of psychology and behavioral sciences over the last few years and is now positioned to expand its impact with practitioner-focused programs.

Progress has been made in diversifying its faculty and staff. The University has also served as a catalyst for community transformation through its students and alumni focused on addressing some of the most pressing social issues such as violence prevention and prevention of human trafficking. The University set aggressive goals in improving student success, continuing enrollment growth, building career-readiness into the curriculum, ensuring the impact of the University’s commitment to community engagement and transformation, creating distinctive programs and experiences, utilizing resources effectively to maintain affordability, increasing revenue streams, and attracting and retaining great employees.

Today, NLU is viewed as one of the most innovative institutions in the country and has been dubbed as a model of the “new urban university” by the Gates Foundation. Committed to improving social mobility and economic opportunity, the University utilizes technology and innovation to continuously improve learning and outcomes for its students.

Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will be a broadly experienced development professional with superior communication and interpersonal skills, who can passionately and articulately espouse the mission and case for support of National Louis University. The new Vice President of Institutional Advancement will demonstrate a history of success in leading a team to achieve high goals. Candidates must possess a strong aptitude for working well with diverse groups, including donors, volunteers, Trustees and others.

Additionally, they will exhibit many or all of the following accomplishments and qualities:
• A demonstrated ability to plan and execute follow-through on fundraising plans.
• A team-orientation, inclusive mindset, and strong supervisory skills are essential.
• Ability to utilize appropriate consultation and fact-gathering in support of decision-making.
• Effective, engaging, and persuasive presentation and public speaking skills.
• Demonstrate sound administrative experience with strategic planning, goal setting, budgeting, and fiscal reporting procedures.
• A bachelor’s degree is required; a graduate degree is preferred.