Chief Philanthropy Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Are you an experienced fundraising leader with a passion for making a lasting impact on children and families? Elk Hill offers the opportunity for Virginia's youth and families to transform overwhelming challenges into successful futures.

We are seeking a Chief Philanthropy Officer to steward and lead the fundraising and philanthropic efforts of Elk Hill. These efforts are integral to creating a positive, lasting impact in the lives of Virginia’s youth and families. The CPO will play a critical role in advancing the organization’s mission through relationship-driven philanthropy, strategic fundraising initiatives, and hands-on donor engagement. With an upcoming capital campaign and inaugural fundraising event, the CPO will be responsible for actively fundraising, cultivating major donors, and building a strong, sustainable culture of philanthropy across the organization. The Chief Philanthropy Officer will join an established philanthropy team with a strong foundation, support, and key systems already in place.

For over 50 years, Elk Hill has sustained a culture of commitment, compassion, and flexibility. The ideal candidate will possess these same attributes and will be dedicated to our mission of serving children. Our administrative offices are located on our beautiful 300+ acre campus in Western Goochland County alongside the James River. Our footprint expands from the Harrisonburg area down the I-64 corridor to New Kent County.

We are a company that:

• Has talented, hardworking employees
• Has been serving Virginia families for over 50+ years
• Advocates for mental health issues
• Offers competitive medical, dental and vision benefits
• Offers a generous PTO package, with 12 paid holidays per year for full-time staff
• Offers a 401(k) plan with 5% employer match for full-time staff
• Caters to the work/life balance by offering a hybrid flexible schedule and working environment
• We’re pet friendly!
• Provides a free hot and delicious lunch daily at the Elk Hill Goochland Campus

Primary Functions as the Chief Philanthropy Officer include:

Strategic Leadership:

• Steward a culture of Philanthropy at all levels of the agency, including amongst staff, senior leadership, and Board of Directors.
• Influences decision making within the Leadership Team and Elk Hill programming to advance the finances and mission of the organization.
• Act as the staff liaison to the Philanthropy Committee of the Board of Trustees, encouraging strong work and developing effective board engagement.
• Provide vital input in short- and long-term strategic and operational planning and positioning within the organization

Donor Relations & Portfolio Management:

• Develop and manage a caseload of prospective major donors who give or have the capacity to invest at $5,000.00 or greater
• Work in close collaboration with leadership, program, finance and Philanthropy staff to present needs that correspond to organizational need, while always being responsive to each donor’s interests (even if elsewhere) and attentive to fiduciary responsibilities (i.e. donor intent with gifts).
• Support the Board of Directors and the CEO to exemplify the highest level of strategic donor interaction.

Administration & Management:

• Provides general oversight of all of the organization’s fund Philanthropy activities, manage the day- to-day operations of the Philanthropy function, and monitor adequacy of activities through coordination with staff, appropriate committees, and governing body
• Establish personnel accountabilities for Philanthropy staff and evaluates performance regularly - current staff consists of Marketing Communications Manager, Donor Relations Manager, and Grant Writer.
• Assure sound fiscal operation of Philanthropy function including timely, accurate and comprehensive Philanthropy of charitable contributions income and expense budgets, reporting, monitoring and implementation,
• Assures Philanthropy and maintenance of appropriate systems to fund Philanthropy including but not limited to volunteer and donor management, research and cultivation, gift processing and recognition.
• Ensures compliance with all relevant regulations and laws, maintains accountability standards to donors and ensures compliance with code of ethical principles and standards of professional conduct for fundraising executives.

External, Community & Partner Relations:

• Serve as an articulate, passionate and visible spokesperson for the agency, and as a prominent face of fundraising throughout the community.
• Provide a best practice approach to Elk Hill’s efforts to effectively communicate the mission, goals and accomplishments to donors, prospective donors and the broader community.
• Define and collaborate cross departmental collaboration with managing the brand communication strategy using a variety of media.
• Lead cross departmental collaboration with the Philanthropy and messaging of the brand narrative.
• Lead, manage and coordinate cross departmental with the Philanthropy, distribution, and maintenance of all print and electronic collateral including, but not limited to, newsletters, brochures, social media and Elk Hill’s website.

Specific Requirements Include:

• Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE preferred.
• A minimum of seven years of fundraising experience in roles demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility.
• Comprehensive management skills and experience are required including but not limited to short and long-term planning, evaluation, directing and motivating staff, oral and written communication skills, marketing and financial management, values clarification, organizational behavior and Philanthropy, and governance.
• Highly effective interpersonal, conversational and presentational skills, demonstrating emotional intelligence and situational awareness.
• Past demonstration as a problem-solver and strategic thinker.
• Proven ability to solicit and secure 5-figure gifts.
• Experience working closely with the CEO, Executive Team and Board Leadership in a complex agency, training and assisting leadership in managing major donor relationships.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships across a wide variety of individuals, groups and foundations.
• Demonstrated success leading strong and productive cross-functional work teams with a focus on mentoring and nurturing staff Philanthropy.
• Strong analytic and strategic-thinking skills, with demonstrated ability to create, implement, and monitor complex plans and translate those plans into goals and concrete strategies.
• The capacity to develop and nurture relationships culminating in overall success.
• Membership in a professional fundraising association is expected
• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record required

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to traverse inside and outside of the worksite including stairs and uneven terrain
• Periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer
• Occasionally lift up to 10 pounds

Travel Requirements:

• Travel to all Elk Hill locations required
• Travel to off-site locations required

Starting salary depending on experience: $110,000-$120,000

Schedule: Hybrid, flexible schedule

Job location: 1975 Elk Hill Road Goochland, VA 23063

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is at the forefront of what we do at Elk Hill, and we enforce respectful communication and cooperation between all. Elk Hill does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. It is the policy of Elk Hill to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for Elk Hill. Contact Human Resources for more information.

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities or actions may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Elk Hill Farm, Inc. reserves the right to change or reassign job duties or combine positions at any time.