Vice President of Philanthropy

Vice President of Philanthropy

The Vice President of Philanthropy will play a critical leadership role in advancing Trillium Family Services' mission by building and expanding a strong community of donors, foundations, corporations, community partners, and other philanthropic supporters who believe in Trillium's work and invest in its future.

The Vice President of Philanthropy provides strategic and hands-on leadership for Trillium Family Services' comprehensive philanthropy program. Working closely with the CEO, Foundation Board, Board of Trustees, and leadership team, the VP develops and executes philanthropic strategies that grow sustainable revenue, deepen donor engagement, strengthen fundraising capacity, and align philanthropic investment with Trillium's mission and strategic priorities.

This is both a strategic leadership and relationship-driven fundraising role. The VP will set the vision and direction for philanthropy while personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding key donors and prospects and leading major fundraising initiatives and campaigns.

A central responsibility is serving as the senior staff partner to the Trillium Foundation Board, in close collaboration with the CEO. The VP will help strengthen the Foundation Board's role in advancing philanthropy, support effective committee and Board engagement, and build the Board's capacity to serve as ambassadors, advocates, and philanthropic leaders for Trillium.

The VP oversees the full philanthropy function, including major and annual giving, institutional giving, corporate and foundation relations, donor engagement and stewardship, advancement services, volunteer engagement, and philanthropy team leadership.

Strategic Philanthropic Leadership

• Establish and lead a comprehensive philanthropy strategy that supports Trillium's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term financial sustainability.
• Set, monitor, and achieve ambitious yet sustainable fundraising goals, with a focus on revenue growth, donor retention, donor engagement, and long-term philanthropic capacity.
• Partner closely with the CEO, Foundation Board, Board of Trustees, and executive leadership to identify philanthropic priorities and opportunities.
• Develop strategies across major gifts, annual giving, foundation and corporate relations, sponsorships, planned giving, special events, campaigns, and other philanthropic opportunities.
• Provide regular and meaningful fundraising, campaign, pipeline, and performance reports to the CEO, Foundation Board, and Board of Trustees.

Major Gifts & Donor Engagement

• Personally manage and cultivate a portfolio of key donors and prospects, building authentic, long-term relationships and securing significant charitable investments.
• Develop and oversee effective prospect and portfolio management practices, including donor identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Provide strategic guidance, coaching, and support to staff and volunteer leaders involved in donor relationships and fundraising.
• Strengthen a culture of meaningful donor engagement and stewardship throughout the organization.
• Identify opportunities to connect donors' philanthropic interests with Trillium's programs, priorities, and community impact.

Foundation & Corporate Relations

• Lead the strategy for institutional philanthropy, including foundation and corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and other institutional funding opportunities.
• Oversee grant development and submission strategies and supervise contracted grant-writing or development support as appropriate.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with foundations, corporations, community leaders, and other strategic partners.

Foundation Board Leadership

• Serve as the senior staff partner to the Trillium Foundation Board in collaboration with the CEO.
• Strengthen Board engagement in fundraising, donor cultivation, stewardship, and community outreach.
• Partner with Foundation Board leadership to support effective committees, clear goals, and meaningful participation.
• Develop and support Board members as ambassadors and philanthropic champions for Trillium.
• Create effective structures, tools, and strategies that enable Board members to leverage their networks and relationships on behalf of the organization.

Advancement Services & Operations

• Oversee advancement services and strengthen the systems and processes that support fundraising success.
• Ensure accurate and effective donor data management, reporting, prospect tracking, gift processing, and fundraising analytics.
• Leverage donor data and performance metrics to inform strategy, evaluate results, and guide decision-making.
• Provide leadership for fundraising technology and systems, preferably including Raiser's Edge.
• Ensure strong operational practices that support donor experience, fundraising performance, compliance, and organizational accountability.

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Lead, supervise, and develop the philanthropy team through clear expectations, collaboration, professional development, coaching, and performance management.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, innovation, and excellence.
• Manage the philanthropy department budget, resource allocation, financial projections, and operational priorities.
• Partner across the organization to build a shared understanding of philanthropy and strengthen organizational readiness for fundraising.

External Leadership & Representation

• Represent Trillium's philanthropic priorities and impact in the community in partnership with the CEO, Board members, and philanthropy staff.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with donors, prospective donors, foundations, corporations, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as a visible and credible ambassador for Trillium's mission, values, and impact.
• Maintain the highest standards of ethics, confidentiality, professionalism, and discretion.
• Complete all required training and comply with applicable organizational policies and requirements.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a strategic, relationship-oriented fundraising leader with a demonstrated ability to build philanthropic support and lead a high-performing development function.

Required/Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading successful fundraising and development programs, including building donor relationships and securing significant charitable gifts.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies that generate sustainable philanthropic growth.
• Experience working effectively with CEOs, executive leadership, boards, foundation boards, volunteers, and community partners.
• Strong major-gift fundraising experience, including personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors.
• Experience leading and developing fundraising professionals and building the people, systems, and practices necessary for long-term success.
• Strong understanding of foundation and corporate relations, grant development, sponsorships, annual giving, planned giving, and/or campaign fundraising.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Strong leadership, relationship management, written and verbal communication, strategic planning, fundraising, financial, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use fundraising data, metrics, and reporting to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Proficiency with donor databases and fundraising technology; experience with Raiser's Edge preferred.
• High degree of integrity, professionalism, discretion, and commitment to ethical fundraising practices.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, mission-driven environment and represent Trillium with warmth, credibility, and professionalism.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for an experienced philanthropy leader to help shape the next chapter of fundraising at Trillium Family Services. The Vice President of Philanthropy will have the opportunity to deepen relationships with the organization's philanthropic community, strengthen the Foundation Board, build fundraising capacity, and inspire increased investment in the critical work Trillium does for children and families across Oregon.

Why Join Trillium Family Services?

At Trillium Family Services, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work that makes a lasting difference in the lives of children, youth, and families across Oregon. We believe that supporting our employees is essential to creating strong, healthy communities, and we strive to provide an environment where talented professionals can grow, contribute, and build a career with purpose.

As a member of the Trillium team, you'll enjoy competitive benefits designed to support your financial well-being, professional growth, and work-life balance, including:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible
• Comprehensive employer-paid healthcare benefits for eligible employees
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% employer match
• Paid training and ongoing professional development opportunities
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• Meaningful, mission-driven work serving children, youth, and families throughout Oregon
• A collaborative and purpose-driven workplace where your leadership and contributions