The position of Associate Vice President, Capital Giving and Campaigns (AVP) is an outstanding opportunity for an advancement leader who is a gifted and inspired manager, a creative and collaborative colleague, and an experienced fundraiser. Working closely with the Vice President for Advancement (VP) and senior colleagues, they will create, hire for, and manage the Campaign and Capital Giving Office at Swarthmore. Planning Swarthmore campaigns, supporting the definition and building out of priorities, setting up projects and their management, establishing and implementing new practices in relationship management, developing fundraising strategies, hiring and supervising staff, creating and carrying a portfolio of high-level donors, the AVP will enable a new era of resource growth for Advancement and the College. Candidates will be hired into either an Assistant Vice President or Associate Vice President role based on experience and professional qualifications. Qualifications in this job description are reflective of the Associate Vice President level.

The AVP will have a track record in the Advancement field and with campaigns as a builder and strategist. They will balance ambitious goal-setting with support for group achievement and individual advancement. At the staff level–working with the Leadership Committee in Advancement and across the College—the AVP will be a key leader not only in campaign planning but also in broad, multi-year fundraising.

The AVP will collaborate with the Vice President to implement short and long-term engagement, fundraising, and campaign programs. They will be a key manager and advisor in defining and overseeing new pipeline development, donor engagement, volunteer committees, and prospect management systems and protocols. Providing leadership for and leveraging Swarthmore Advancement’s implementation and ongoing use of a Technolutions-based “Slate” database, the AVP will develop best practices in prospect engagement, solicitation, stewardship, and use of analytics for strategic planning to ensure unflagging focus on the alignment of donor interest with the College’s resource needs.

The AVP will hire and fill out the capital giving staff who raise capital and endowment gifts at the $100,000+ level. In this, they will have the unique opportunity to reinvigorate the program. As a “player coach,” they will model and create an effective and comprehensive program. The AVP will accelerate fundraising results through collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and proactive portfolio management and metrics-based achievement.

Essential Responsibilities

• In the spirit of player/coach, carry a prospect pool of ~25 top prospective donors, modeling a strong work ethic and traveling a minimum of one to two days per month year-round to engage, solicit, and steward assigned donors.
• Hire for and create major/capital giving program, adding leadership positions and four or more new fundraisers to the team and creating goals, metrics, and measurables that will maximize giving from Swarthmore’s robust major gifts prospect pool ($100,000+)
• Develop, lead, and mentor staff who are prepared to meet the ongoing challenges of broadening and diversifying Swarthmore’s volunteer support, alumni and family engagement, and philanthropic revenue. Assess current staff capacity and recruit new staff as necessary.
• Lead the development of fundraising strategies and prepare Advancement for the next Swarthmore campaign in close partnership with the VP.
• With the Associate VP for Principal and Planned Giving, develop priorities and programs and orchestrate this across the College and with partner offices.
• Develop volunteer opportunities, model volunteer and project management within the context of a major gift.
• Develop fundraising project planning and train staff to manage fundraising organization and solicitations, aligning closely with faculty and program leaders in priority areas.
• Meet fundraising goals set by College leadership and the Board of Managers
• Ensure best-in-class policy/procedure/practice for prospect management, donor engagement, and campaign activity. Manage a “moves management” continuum that enables a proactive front-line staff to solicit donors and cleave Swarthmore alumni, families, and friends to the College.
• Ensure that the pipeline for major gifts donors, volunteers, and leaders of alumni, family, and other programs is robust, accurate, and constantly and consistently pushing new candidates to front line staff.
• Maintain a leadership style that is open and fluid and empowers staff through active communication and delegation.
• Monitor and measure staff on engagement metrics and fundraising progress and productivity, evaluate results, and initiate appropriate changes. Celebrate current achievements and set expectations for future success.
• Provide regular updates to the VP on the progress of goal-setting, priorities, staff planning, and management development.
• Establish and maintain all human resources/talent management related activities within their areas, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, annual review processes, etc.
• Play an active role in the life of the College, including but not limited to committees, task forces, and areas of personal interest.
• Oversee Advancement’s compliance in all aspects of business with College policies and procedures. Assist in developing a gift acceptance policy.
• Work collaboratively with leaders across Swarthmore to lift the priority and profile of fundraising and broadly communicate fundraising needs and impact.
• Monitor and measure staff on effective use of the donor engagement and solicitation protocols and on fundraising progress and productivity. Evaluate results and initiate appropriate changes
• Represent VP at internal and external meetings and committees upon request.
• Play an active role in the life of the College, including but not limited to committees, task forces, and areas of personal interest.
• Act as an executive sponsor on campus-wide and/or cross-departmental initiatives as requested.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Manage a staff of three individual giving fundraisers and administrative staff initially; grow staff from there.
• Hire for and create major/capital giving program, adding leadership positions and four or more new fundraisers to the team and creating goals, metrics, and measurables that will maximize giving from Swarthmore’s robust major gifts prospect pool ($100,000+)
• Develop, lead, and mentor staff who are prepared to meet the ongoing challenges of broadening and diversifying Swarthmore’s volunteer support, alumni and family engagement, and philanthropic revenue. Assess current staff capacity and recruit new staff as necessary.
• Ensure best-in-class policy/procedure/practice for prospect management, donor engagement, and campaign activity. Manage a “moves management” continuum that enables a proactive front-line staff to solicit donors and cleave Swarthmore alumni, families, and friends to the College.
• Establish and maintain all human resources/talent management related activities within their areas, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, annual review processes, etc.