UConn Foundation, President/CEO

To apply or to request a copy of the position specification for this role, please email UConnFoundation@SpencerStuart.com.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the UConn Foundation Board of Directors, the President/CEO of UConn Foundation will provide vision and direction to a full-scale advancement program across fundraising, principal and transformational gifts, annual giving, the current University-wide campaign, alumni affairs, marketing and communications, and donor relations. The President/CEO of UConn Foundation will lead the planning, launch, and implementation of all aspects of the University’s fundraising strategy and be responsible for further building an organization that is well aligned with that strategy, driving quality execution to meet best-in-class expectations. Key to this leader’s success will be the ability to partner effectively with the University President, the Foundation Board of Directors and the University Board of Trustees, and the academic, athletic, and administrative leaders within in the University. Specifically, the President/CEO will:

• Accelerate UConn’s fundraising success by:
• Expanding and diversifying UConn’s donor base.
• Enhancing UConn’s ability to identify and cultivate donors capable of making major and transformational gifts.
• Cultivating emerging opportunities from non-traditional sources.
• Developing a pipeline of potential donors for the future.

• Recruit, motivate, and mentor a high-performing team and build a healthy organizational culture.
• Lead long-term design, planning, and implementation of institutional campaigns and fundraising initiatives.
• Extend alumni engagement to ensure meaningful connections across a diverse population of alumni, parents, partners, and friends.
• Develop or improve existing processes, systems, and infrastructure necessary to support a comprehensive advancement operation.
• In concert with the University President and her leadership team, cultivate a culture of philanthropy within UConn alumni and parents.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

The successful candidate will be a seasoned, results-oriented leader and manager with a track record of successful and impactful leadership, including change management, within a university development enterprise or an institution of similar complexity. Specifically, they will have:

• Proven success in stewarding and closing major and principal gifts, with a track record of driving fundraising expansion and growth, preferably including leadership within a campaign setting.
• Successfully cultivated a wide range of donors, alumni, and volunteers leading to meaningful engagement.
• A track record of recruiting, retaining, and leading a talented staff of highly functioning and collaborative individuals.
• Experience working productively with boards.
• Experience working across and leading successfully within complex institutions, multiple stakeholders and partners, and diverse agendas.
• Financial fluency.
• Bachelor’s degree or greater.