Vice President of Advancement

Vice President of Advancement

Sterling Search Inc. has been exclusively retained to recruit the Vice President of Advancement for Make-A-Wish of Greater Los Angeles:

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of Make-A-Wish has the privilege of granting life-changing wishes for children in our community facing critical illnesses. As an independent 501(c)(3) organization, it is governed by a local Board of Directors and generates $5.2 million in annual revenue (including about $1.2 million of in-kind).

A wish impacts every person that touches it. The wish kid, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals, and entire communities. A wish is more than just a gift or a singular event in time; it creates lasting and meaningful change. For wish children, simply having their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their medical treatments. Parents may finally feel optimistic about the future. Others may discover all they have to offer the world through volunteer work or philanthropy.

A New Chapter of Strength, Renewal and Reimagined Impact

For those familiar with the nonprofit landscape in the Los Angeles region, it's well understood that Make A-Wish Greater Los Angeles has navigated its share of challenges over the years. Today, however, as a vital market within the national Make-A-Wish network, the chapter is entering a new era of strength and stability and working toward growth to meet the number of children waiting for a wish. In close partnership with the national organization, the chapter has begun to reimagine its future and set benchmarks for success and growth. With a new CEO at the helm, the chapter is already building a revitalized, highly engaged board, having added 8 new members, 2 national board members and with more in the pipeline. Supported by a $25K give-get expectation and many board members contributing at the $50K to 100k level, the chapter is well positioned for meaningful transformation and renewed impact.

At this moment, more than 500 children in the greater Los Angeles region are still waiting for their wishes to be fulfilled. These wishes are made possible through the generosity and dedication of our community—volunteers, neighbors, corporate partners and foundations.

The chapter's re-imagination and renewal is being led strongly by new President & CEO – Aparna Pande who brings a powerful combination of corporate expertise, entrepreneurial success, and heartfelt connection to the mission as a longtime Make-A-Wish volunteer. A former executive at Fortune 500 companies including Disney and Mattel, she led multimillion-dollar businesses, driving growth, innovation, and high-performing teams. As an entrepreneur, she founded Kidstir, a subscription-based educational company she built from the ground up—successfully raising capital, forging national brand partnerships, and bringing new products to market before its acquisition in 2021.

Advancement

With this renewed energy, Pande is now seeking a dynamic Vice President of Advancement to help lead the chapter's next phase of growth. The organization is well-supported by robust national resources, including advanced research and wealth screening capabilities, as well as the guidance of Chief Chapter Advancement Officer.

If you have the leadership, vision, and drive to join Pande and the Make-A-Wish team on this exciting journey, elevating the chapter to new heights and helping grant wishes for the children and families, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact in your career.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of Advancement represents the organization internally and externally, exercises independent judgment and discretion, and partners with and advises the CEO on issues related to fundraising. This role is responsible for managing the fundraising and marketing teams in one cohesive Advancement department and establishes the annual fundraising plan, goals and budget that drives organizational growth, ensuring long-term sustainability and alignment with the mission.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy & Planning

• Demonstrate exceptional leadership in developing and implementing strategic fundraising priorities, ensuring alignment with the organization's mission and goals.
• Foster a culture of accountability within the team by setting clear objectives, monitoring progress, and providing regular feedback to drive continuous improvement and achieve fundraising targets.
• Design and implement a comprehensive annual development plan, which includes benchmarks and evaluation procedures focusing on the optimal combination of individual and corporate giving, including annual/mid-level/major/planned gifts, workplace giving, corporate philanthropy and events.
• In collaboration with the CEO, oversee the execution of the Chapter's signature gala event. Including setting goals, building budget and managing team to meet and exceed goals.

Leadership

• Be an active and engaged member of the Executive Leadership Team. Work in collaboration with ELT members and CEO to build a culture of collaboration and engagement. Identify challenges and recommend solutions, balance competing priorities.
• Lead the advancement department bringing together fundraising functions and Marketing and Communications together as a cohesive team focused on achieving common and individual goals to meet the needs of the Chapter and Mission.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy and collaboration among the various departments within the organization.
• Provide leadership in development of team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining culture and supporting staff during organizational growth.
• Identify and communicate to chapter leadership all potential opportunities and/or relationships that will increase funds and grant wishes.
• Advise the CEO and staff of current resources, trends, obstacles, and developments in revenue generation and donor relations.
• Assist with assessment and preparation of annual budgetary needs for areas of responsibility.
• Adhere to all Make-A-Wish America performance standards and internal controls, policies and procedures. Advise CEO on performance standards specific to communications, brand use, and fundraising.

Fundraising

• Maintain a portfolio of 75-100 donors who have an annual capacity of $25,000+.
• Oversee and continue to refine the evaluation and reporting system for fundraising providing leadership and the CEO with timely information and key metrics to measure progress toward goals.
• Actively seek out and develop new opportunities for revenue generation and strategic partnerships.
• Identify, develop and maintain long-term relationships with major donors, foundations and corporate contributors, and key stakeholders.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit personally, and prepare CEO or Board members to solicit major gifts and sponsorships. Experience in forecasting expected revenue and expenses from all fundraising activities.
• Work with the CEO to utilize the CEO's time effectively and efficiently in meeting with donors.
• Collaborate with the CEO and board members to manage and encourage board member Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and to leverage members' networks and experience.

Staff Management

• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performance team members, supervise Advancement Team, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance.
• Set Advancement Team staff goals, monitor work, and evaluate results to ensure that the development department meets organizational objectives and operating requirements, and that the department's functioning and performance is in line with the needs and mission of the organization.
• Collaborate with Advancement staff and volunteers to develop systems to ensure consistent, high-quality project management.

Competencies

• Achievement Focus: Demonstrate persistence and overcome obstacles. Measure self against standard of excellence. Recognize and act on opportunities. Set and achieve challenging goals. Take calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Business Acumen: Align work with strategic goals. Conduct cost-benefit analyses. Demonstrate knowledge of market and competition. Display orientation to profitability. Understand business implications of decisions.
• Business Ethics: Inspire the trust of others. Keep commitments. Treat people with respect. Uphold organizational values. Work with integrity and demonstrate strong ethics.
• Managing Constituent Focus: Develop new approaches to meeting constituent needs. Establish customer service standards. Monitor donor, partner and volunteer satisfaction. Donor and Volunteer centered mindset.
• Strategic Thinking: Adapt strategy to changing conditions. Analyze market and competition. Develop strategies to achieve organizational goals. Identify external threats and opportunities. Understand organization's strengths & weaknesses.
• Visionary Leadership: Act in accordance with vision. Communicate vision and gains commitment. Create a clear, compelling vision. Display passion and optimism. Mobilize others to fulfill the vision.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university; or one to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of diversified fundraising experience in a nonprofit environment, including special events, major gifts, annual gifts, direct mail, and corporate philanthropy. Working knowledge of planned gifts