Vice President of Advancement

OUR COMMUNITY

Located along the shores of Lake Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania, Erie County is home to approximately 266,000 residents and offers a welcoming mix of urban, suburban, and rural communities. The county is anchored by the City of Erie and is known for its strong sense of community, accessible healthcare, higher education institutions, and growing business environment.

Erie County provides an exceptional quality of life with a cost of living below the national average, affordable housing, short commute times, and abundant recreational opportunities.

Like many legacy industrial communities, Erie faces challenges related to poverty, educational attainment, workforce development, and economic mobility. Many children and families experience barriers that can limit access to opportunities and long-term economic success.

These challenges, however, have inspired strong collaboration in recent years among civic leaders, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and philanthropic partners. United Way of Erie County has positioned itself as an integral part of these efforts, leading the Community School Model and working to support and grow the workforce development pipeline.

OUR ORGANIZATION

United Way of Erie County (United Way) is an issue focused social impact organization leading the implementation, and scaling, of the Community School Model in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

In partnership with public school districts, United Way’s Community Schools provide inside-the-school resources to break down and remove non-academic barriers to learning that low-income children face on a heightened level. By removing these non-academic barriers, all children have the opportunity to succeed academically, setting them up for success later in life.

This work is supported by the Imagination Library, an early childhood literacy initiative as well as United Way’s 211 Helpline, providing resources for families to become and remain stable.

United Way’s professional staff are highly motivated and results oriented and work in an environment that encourages and promotes excellence, collaboration, and constant improvement.

Having established itself as developing and leading one of the nation’s leading best practice Community School Models, the organization is now focused on sustainably scaling and expanding the model throughout Erie County.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of Advancement is an innovative, strategic, results-driven and relationship-oriented individual who oversees the development, execution, and communication of strategic initiatives in philanthropy.

The Vice President of Advancement is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward philanthropic support with key stakeholders, corporate partners, and individuals and will ensure that all fundraising efforts support the organization’s community impact model and revenue goals.

The Vice President of Advancement will be responsible for reorganizing United Way’s resource development strategy to align structure, talent, and culture around performance and innovation. In addition, the Vice President of Advancement will create an Advancement Marketing team that will introduce a data-driven engagement model that will help launch and grow a Leadership Giving program as well as grow the investment of business and industry in the Community School Model. It is imperative that this position lays the groundwork for sustained philanthropic momentum and sustainability.

By driving innovative thinking, data-driven strategies and strategic communications, the Vice President of Advancement will position United Way of Erie County to be seen as a visionary market leader by the community, donors, and other philanthropic organizations.

Vice President of Advancement reports to the President, serves on the organization’s Leadership Team, and directs/supervises all resource development staff.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Create, oversee, sustain, and grow organizational fundraising strategies following a matrix model where pipeline development, stewardship, solicitations, strategic communications, and events operate as one cohesive donor engagement unit.
• Coordinate internal efforts so that all revenue-generating initiatives build visibility and awareness, enhance organizational performance, and grow targeted external relationships.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, ensuring personalized and meaningful interactions.
• Evaluate donor experiences in order to design, implement, and continuously improve a resource development model based on donor stewardship best practices.
• Ensure information on donor needs, interests, and expectations is captured in CRM and that the system is consistently used, and improved, to provide a comprehensive view of existing and potential donors.
• Thoughtfully and appropriately integrate new and innovative technologies into department operations.
• Meet and exceed organizational fundraising goals.
• Represent United Way in the community, building partnerships that support fundraising and programmatic goals.
• Engage with community leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders to promote United Way's initiatives.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional development certification in fundraising related field preferred.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible advancement experience, including senior leadership of a multi-million annual fundraising program and a sustained record of meeting or exceeding revenue goals
• Proven executive leadership experience in fundraising, development, or advancement.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, securing, and growing major gifts and corporate partnerships
• Strong understanding of digital engagement, storytelling, and brand management.
• Exceptional communication, relationship‑building, and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to lead through influence, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to cultivate, maintain and steward diverse relationships.
• Experience with donor management software and data analysis tools.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to meet the physical demands associated with the responsibilities of this position.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Primarily works in climate-controlled office-based setting
• Position requires Vice President to commute to offsite locations to complete business; must have reliable transportation.
• Position requires occasional evening or weekend availability for events or deadlines.

Cover Letter Question

• Please describe why you are interested in this position
• Please describe your experience in developing organizational fundraising strategies
• Please describe your success in fundraising, particularly major gifts

• Employment offers are subject to a background check.