Vice President for Institutional Advancement

The Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Bennington College in the search for a Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

Reporting to President Laura R. Walker, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement will lead and enhance a high caliber advancement program that reflects Bennington’s culture, mission, goals, and evolving strategic plan. In these efforts, the Vice President will work collaboratively and transparently with the President, Board, senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The Vice President will put in place the systems, teams, and structures for advancement planning and decision making at all levels, leading an ongoing institution-wide conversation about vision, strategy, and goals for institutional advancement. The Vice President will serve in a highly visible leadership role with overall responsibility for a comprehensive and integrated fundraising and alumni engagement program and will set the tone for high achievement, moving the advancement team toward reaching audacious goals that align with Bennington’s ethos of innovation and renewal.

Bennington College is a distinguished residential liberal arts college that has, since its founding in 1932, been a laboratory for new ideas and an intellectual home to countless artists, activists, and thinkers who have shaped contemporary culture. The college was the first to include the visual and performing arts in a liberal arts education, and it is the only college to require that its students spend a term—every year—at work in the world. Today, Bennington is home to a community that is engaged with some of the most critical issues facing our country and the world. Bennington’s students work intensively with faculty and staff to forge individualized and hands-on educational paths around their driving questions and interests, and also devote themselves to a number of community outreach efforts, often tied to the endeavors they are pursuing in their coursework.

Bennington is in the midst of an immensely exciting and transformative period in its history and experiencing extraordinary growth. In 2020, Laura R. Walker took office as the 11th President of Bennington College, previously serving as a pioneering media executive as former President & CEO of New York Public Radio for 23 years. Under President Laura Walker’s leadership, the college has launched a community-driven strategic planning process to articulate a unified and shared vision of Bennington’s future. Simultaneously, college-bound students are choosing Bennington at record rates. This past year alone, the college enrolled the largest class ever with a 23% increase in applications, and has received even more applicants this year, this time by 64%, effectively doubling its pool in just two admissions cycles. The community now approaches nearly 800 students—697 undergraduate and 102 graduate.

Situated on 440 breathtaking acres in Bennington, Vermont, the campus is a convergence of creative minds, distinctive buildings, and expansive spaces. Bennington has been named one of ten college campuses with the best architecture by Architectural Digest. From campus, it is a short drive to MASS MoCA, Clark Art Institute, and other cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts; Albany, New York; and many of Vermont’s top recreational centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car. Bennington serves a diverse student population—inclusive of ethnic/racial minorities, international and global constituents, sexual minorities, and various social classes, among other identities. Its staff and faculty also reflect diverse backgrounds and identities.

A bachelor's degree is required for this position as is at least ten years of fundraising experience. Individuals with experience in all non-profit sectors and organization types are encouraged to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Bennington College and the responsibilities and qualifications stated in the prospectus.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1123