Vice President for Advancement

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with St. Bonaventure University in the search for a Vice President for Advancement.

Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Advancement will be responsible for all philanthropic fundraising and alumni services at the university. The Vice President will provide strategic direction and leadership across fundraising communications, major gifts, advancement operations and services, annual fund, prospect research, planned giving, endowment, donor relations and stewardship, and alumni services. The Vice President will serve as the top resource staff member for the Board of Trustees on advancement strategy and execution.

St. Bonaventure University (SBU) is a Catholic university dedicated to educational excellence as informed by its Franciscan and liberal arts traditions. In the words of its patron, St. Bonaventure believes that there should be “no knowledge without love,” and thus seeks to transform the lives of its students, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure embraces students, faculty, and staff of all faiths and cultures and strives to bring out the best in every individual through meaningful relationships. As an academic and spiritual community, St. Bonaventure endeavors to prepare its students for the challenges they will face in their professional careers and personal lives. St. Bonaventure believes education should be a transformational experience, one enriched by the tools to love more humanely, deeply, and well in the world.

Founded in 1858 in the interest of promoting Catholic-Franciscan education, St. Bonaventure University continues to pursue academic excellence through personalized attention that reflects the Franciscan tradition of valuing human relationships. Located in the southwest corner of New York state, between the city of Olean and the village of Allegany, equally distanced between Buffalo to the north and Erie, Pennsylvania, to the west, St. Bonaventure boasts a sprawling 500-acre campus with 31 academic and support buildings and residence halls. Its nearly 1,900 students are offered more than 50 undergraduate majors and programs to choose from, including nine combined-degree programs (including granting talented high school seniors provisional acceptance into medical school upon entry to SBU) and early assurance programs (allowing students to apply for early acceptance to SBU graduate programs as SBU sophomores). The university also offers nearly 20 graduate programs, almost all of which are available 100% online. With a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio classes have a personal touch and at least 80% of students participate in either intramurals, club sports, or recreation center activities.

At St. Bonaventure University, students are prepared for life after SBU. Its innovative Career and Professional Readiness Center aims to provide the most comprehensive and progressive career and professional development programs in the region. With programs starting freshman year and continuing through graduation, St. Bonaventure strives to ensure that every student is exceptionally well prepared to make a successful transition to graduate school or a first job. And St. Bonaventure students remain connected to the university after graduation. Of the more than 31,000 alumni worldwide, more than 19% support the university philanthropically each year, compared to a 10% average at St. Bonaventure’s peer institutions.

Students and graduates understand the value of a St. Bonaventure education. Those outside its tight-knit community recognize the value of what the university does as well. Shaped by its values of compassion, wisdom, and integrity, and lauded for its value—ranked No. 6 for Value in the North for 2024 by U.S. News & World Report—St. Bonaventure is a transformative community committed to academic excellence and civic engagement. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Bonaventure as the 14th “Most Innovative School” in the North. St. Bonaventure is also ranked among the Best 389 Colleges in the nation by the Princeton Review.

A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply a part of the Franciscan tradition at St. Bonaventure University. The university is committed to diversity and justice because it is Catholic and Franciscan, and not in spite of its religious tradition. St. Bonaventure University values all types of diversity and it understands that this commitment requires a close examination of the culture, institutional practices, and individual attitudes of its campus community. The university's Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is making significant strides to oversee progress in all parts of the university, but it knows that it has much education to do and many changes to make so that all students, faculty, and staff find a true home at St. Bonaventure University.

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred for this position as is at least 10 years of senior-level supervisory experience including five years of major gift fundraising experience. St. Bonaventure University will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to the university, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission St. Bonaventure University and the responsibilities and qualifications presented in the prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $180,000 to $210,000 annually.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1346.