Vice President of Philanthropy

Description

Founded in 1991, The Immokalee Foundation offers programs to the youth of Immokalee supporting early childhood literacy education, college preparation, career development and advanced vocational training, The Immokalee Foundation fosters a brighter future through individualized plans offering “Pathways to Success.” Today, The Immokalee Foundation helps more than 1,300 students annually by nurturing each child’s development as a student – and as a citizen – through education. Come join us and celebrate 35-years of success.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Philanthropy (VP) is a senior leadership position responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive philanthropy strategy in partnership with and under the direction of the President/CEO. The VP leads efforts to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors; grow major, annual, planned, corporate, foundation, and campaign giving; and build a strong, sustainable donor pipeline. The VP serves as the Foundation's senior fundraising leader and works collaboratively across departments to ensure philanthropic priorities are aligned with organizational strategy, program needs, communications, donor engagement, and the Foundation's mission. Success in this role requires a highly collaborative, team-centered leadership approach, strong listening skills, openness to diverse perspectives, and the ability to build trust and shared ownership across the organization.

Essential Functions

Daily attendance and punctuality are an important responsibility of all Immokalee Foundation employees and therefore considered an essential function for all positions.

Strategic Planning:

• Develop and execute a long-term philanthropy strategy, in partnership with the President/CEO and in collaboration with organizational leadership, aligned with the Foundation's strategic plan, fundraising priorities, donor segments, and revenue goals.
• Establish and monitor measurable philanthropy benchmarks, including revenue, donor retention, donor pipeline, major gifts, planned gifts, campaign progress, and portfolio activity; regularly communicate results, risks, and opportunities to the President/CEO.
• Fundraising Goal Accountability: Be accountable for achieving Board-approved annual philanthropy revenue and performance goals, including donor retention, pipeline growth, major and planned gifts, grants, corporate giving, and campaign progress.
• Ensure philanthropy goals and activities remain aligned with organizational priorities and are developed with appropriate cross-functional input before implementation.

Major Gift Cultivation:

• Personally manage a meaningful portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects and lead the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of significant gifts through personalized relationship building, in coordination with the President/CEO and other relationship owners.
• Cultivate and solicit major-gift donors for capital, special, and strategic initiatives in partnership with the President/CEO.
• Recommend multi-year campaign and restricted-giving goals to the President/CEO and lead execution of approved fundraising plans.

Annual Giving Programs

• Lead the development and execution of annual fundraising campaigns, including direct mail, digital giving, donor engagement, and fundraising events, collaborating closely with communications, finance, programs, and events staff.
• Build and actively manage a robust donor pipeline to increase ongoing support, strengthen donor retention, and expand major-gift opportunities.
• Drive sustainable year-over-year philanthropic revenue growth and be accountable for progress toward approved fundraising goals.

Planned Giving Programs

• Develop and lead planned-giving strategies, including bequests, charitable trusts, and other legacy-giving opportunities.
• Strengthen long-term sustainability through endowment giving, legacy gifts, and other long-term charitable commitments.

Corporate Giving

Provide strategic oversight and coordination for corporate giving, working in partnership with the appropriate staff member(s) responsible for leading corporate philanthropy. Support and strengthen their leadership of the corporate-giving portfolio while directly leading or co-leading select high-level corporate relationships and opportunities, as appropriate and in alignment with the President/CEO.

Foundation Relations

Partner closely with the Grants Director, who leads the Foundation's grant strategy, proposal development, grant management, reporting, and stewardship. The VP may lead or co-lead select foundation relationships and funding opportunities based on strategic importance, existing relationships, or assignment by the President/CEO, with roles and responsibilities clarified in advance.

Donor Stewardship

Lead a coordinated donor stewardship strategy that ensures timely, meaningful, and accurate engagement, recognition, impact reporting, and relationship management across the Foundation.

Team Leadership

Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable the philanthropy team while fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, shared ownership, respectful communication, and cross-departmental partnership.

Communication and Marketing Partnership

Collaborate closely with the communications/marketing function on donor-facing messaging, publications, campaigns, impact stories, and materials. The VP provides fundraising insight and donor perspective while respecting established organizational communication strategy, roles, and approval processes.

Board and Committee Engagement

Support the President/CEO in engaging the Board of Directors and relevant committees in philanthropy. Provide fundraising data, strategy recommendations, donor engagement opportunities, and progress updates while recognizing the President/CEO as the primary executive relationship with the Board.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Leadership:

• Build strong, trust-based working relationships across Programs, Finance/Operations, Communications/Marketing, Events, and executive leadership; philanthropy is expected to operate as an integrated organizational partner rather than as a stand-alone function.
• Seek input, listen to understand, and engage appropriate colleagues before advancing ideas or making decisions that affect other departments, programs, donor commitments, organizational messaging, or Foundation priorities.
• Respect functional expertise, established roles, decision-making processes, and final areas of accountability while contributing ideas constructively and without taking ownership of work assigned to other teams.
• Create shared ownership of fundraising priorities by communicating early, clarifying expectations and responsibilities, and ensuring colleagues have the information needed to successfully support donor engagement and stewardship.
• Receive feedback professionally and constructively; demonstrate self-awareness, adaptability, curiosity, diplomacy, and a willingness to adjust approach based on organizational needs and input from others.
• Address disagreements directly and respectfully, avoid creating division or working around established leadership channels, and elevate issues appropriately when alignment cannot be reached.
• Model a team-first leadership style that values collective success over individual ownership or recognition.

Non-Essential Functions and Duties

• Ability and willingness to delegate effectively and hold self and others accountable.
• Model the use of integrity and diplomacy in making decisions regarding sensitive issues.
• Demonstrate a commitment to quality and service excellence.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Supervise and lead a team of employees in carrying out their assigned duties and the day-to-day operational functions department:

• Ensure employees produce accurate and correct quality of work.
• Review program compliance to identify and mitigate operational risk and to ensure ongoing adherence with compliance procedures.
• Be knowledgeable about all Foundation programs, how they interact, and their inter-dependency with each other.
• Ensure that all security procedures are strictly followed.
• Collaborate in the hiring, training and retention of staff. Train employees to develop their skills.
• Supervise and develop staff regarding service expectations, policies, procedures, and Foundation programs.
• Disseminate appropriate Foundation information to staff and discuss operational issues with appropriate members of management.
• Evaluate employee performance through performance reviews and constructive feedback.
• Maintain staff schedules to always provide adequate coverage.
• Effectively manage difficult situations with vendors, staff, board and donors, providing them with acceptable resolutions within an acceptable time frame.
• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all information obtained.
• Act as backup for others as assigned.
• Comply with all company policies, procedures and regulations.

Core Competencies

• Adaptability - responding to change effectively, proactively seeking opportunities to be supportive of change and serve our mission.
• Collaboration - actively seeks diverse input, listens to understand, shares information, respects roles and expertise, builds consensus, and views organizational success as a shared responsibility.
• Communication - communicates clearly and respectfully with internal and external stakeholders; demonstrates empathy, active listening, sound judgment, and the ability to adapt communication based on audience and context.
• Mission Driven – commitment to the mission of the Foundation and alignment with organizational values.
• Ownership - takes accountability for results while recognizing when collaboration, consultation, or approval from others is required; follows through on commitments and supports shared team outcomes.

Leadership Competencies

• Deals with Uncertainty – identifying and assessing potential risks of a situation and acts accordingly to mitigate them.
• Develops and Motivates Others - coaches and develops the philanthropy team, creates clarity and accountability, encourages healthy debate and feedback, and builds an inclusive, high-trust team culture.
• Manages with Data – understanding data and identifying insights and implications.
• Strategic Thinking - considers the future of the Foundation proactively, identifies opportunities, seeks and weighs diverse input, tests assumptions, and translates approved organizational priorities into effective philanthropy strategies.
• Values and Prioritizes Inclusivity – consistently sees, learns from and takes strategic action related to diverse perspectives. Demonstration of self-awareness and behaviors to work with others respectfully and effectively.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required in the field of business management, marketing, public policy, education, or related field of study.
• Master’s degree preferred.

Certification(s)/Licenses

• CFRE or CFRM, or attainment eligible and expected within one year of employment.
• Active valid driver’s license in good standing.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in fundraising development, marketing/communication management preferably in a not-for-profit environment.
• Minimum five years of director level experience in fundraising development and establishing strategy with high-net-worth donor communities.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant major gifts and managing a portfolio of high-net-worth donors.
• Demonstrated success leading collaborative, cross-functional fundraising initiatives and building productive relationships across departments and with executive leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading or significantly contributing to a $5 million-plus annual philanthropy program, including major gifts, corporate and foundation support, annual giving, and campaigns.
• Experience planning, supporting, or leading a significant capital campaign preferred.
• Demonstrated diversification in philanthropic practice areas required.
• Previous direct working and collaborative experience with not-for-profit boards.
• Previously demonstrated management experience fostering and developing an organizational culture that supports intra-organizational teamwork and collaboration which supports employee engagement and strategic and operational goal attainment.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolutions skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced application of social etiquette standards and manners.
• Advanced knowledge and experience with varied third-party systems, e.g. Blackbaud, Raisers Edge, iWave, Wealth Engine.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Advanced knowledge and proficiency in the fundraising techniques with high-net-worth donors.
• Advanced proficiency in the translation of vision, mission, and strategic direction into specific projects and initiatives.

Physical Abilities/Working Conditions

• Office environment and social settings.
• Frequent and prolonged periods of viewing and operating a computer.
• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Occasional standing for long periods of time.
• Occasional daily or overnight travel.
• Occasional weekend and evening event participation
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle and adhere to traffic laws and regulations.

Preference to Lee County and Collier County applicants.