Along with the Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement and Chief Strategy Officer, the Associate Vice President is the most senior development officer within Institutional Advancement. They are responsible for all fundraising, including major and planned giving, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, stewardship, prospect research, and the operations that support fundraising activities, to include alumni engagement. Institutional Advancement is currently a team of 13, five of whom report directly to the Associate Vice President. The Associate Vice President will also serve as the Campaign Director for Campaign 150, the College’s $200 million capital campaign, which is scheduled to close in 2026, the 150th anniversary of Meharry. The public phase of the campaign was announced in April 2021, and to date, close to $100 million has been raised. The Associate Vice President will carry and cultivate a small portfolio of leadership giving prospects. The primary focus of the Associate Vice President is to develop fundraising plans and establish a sound infrastructure for the Institutional Advancement team. They will also develop metrics to evaluate the performance of individual gift officers and the entire Institutional Advancement team. Additionally, they will build on and expand Meharry’s culture of philanthropy and develop the capacity of Institutional Advancement. With the Senior Vice President, this advancement leader will advise on fundraising strategies for the College, including the capital campaign.
• Provide guidance and strategic direction for Institutional Advancement, including structure, staffing, goals, and professional development. • Oversee the planning and implementation of all programs and activities designed to enhance philanthropic support of the College by helping to establish goals for all units, and by directing the strategic implementation and assessment of fundraising and engagement strategies to achieve those goals. • Directly manage five professional staff members who have responsibility for annual giving, major and planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, stewardship, prospect research, and advancement operations. • Serve as the Director of Campaign 150. • Manage the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a small portfolio of leadership gift prospects through personal visits and other forms of communication. • Plan and support all fundraising and constituent activities of the Associate Deans. Where necessary, the Associate Vice President will serve as a proxy for the Senior Vice President. • Work with the Chair of the Advancement Committee and other leaders on the Board as requested to ensure coordination and continued progress of all fundraising and constituent engagement activities. • Represent the College at events, to volunteer groups, and in the community with the goal of increasing the visibility of Meharry’s advancement priorities and needs. • Performs other related duties as assigned
Required Skills
• Demonstrated experience as a successful fundraiser in a complex and dynamic environment such as a higher education institution, healthcare and hospital system, or voluntary health association. • Previous capital campaign experience, ideally in a higher education institution. • The ability to help determine the fundraising priorities of Meharry Medical College. • A collaborative and inspiring approach that is supported by data-centered rigor and a strong emphasis on accountability. • Creative and entrepreneurial thinking. • Leadership presence that is effective with a variety of constituencies, including trustees, faculty, senior administration, and high-level volunteers. • Authentic appreciation for the role that Meharry Medical College plays as a premier medical college and a Historically Black College and University institution. • The ability to travel 30% with advancement team members.
Required Experience
• Seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive advancement leadership. • A Bachelor’s degree is required. A Master’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience as a successful fundraiser in a complex and dynamic environment such as a higher education institution, healthcare and hospital system, or voluntary health association. • Previous capital campaign experience, ideally in a higher education institution. • The ability to help determine the fundraising priorities of Meharry Medical College. • A collaborative and inspiring approach that is supported by data-centered rigor and a strong emphasis on accountability. • Creative and entrepreneurial thinking. • Leadership presence that is effective with a variety of constituencies, including trustees, faculty, senior administration, and high-level volunteers. • Authentic appreciation for the role that Meharry Medical College plays as a premier medical college and a Historically Black College and University institution. • The ability to travel 30% with advancement team members.