Director for Philanthropy

UW Medicine Advancement has an outstanding opportunity for a Director for Philanthropy to join their team.

At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees, and practitioners in the health professions.

The passionate, 79-person team at UW Medicine Advancement works collaboratively to connect donors with meaningful opportunities to enhance patient care, expand educational opportunities and advance research at UW Medicine. This inspiring, challenging and rewarding work provides team members an opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world. In the 2024 fiscal year, UW Medicine Advancement raised nearly $305 million in gifts and private grants (48 percent of the University of Washington’s total) from 14,300 donors to support the mission of UW Medicine. You can find out more about UW Medicine Advancement’s priorities and office culture on our career website: https://give.uwmedicine.org/careers/

The Director for Philanthropy (Director) shares responsibility focused on securing major gifts ($75,000+) and cultivating donors who have the capacity to give at that level. The Director will work with the Senior Director for Philanthropy; Assistant Vice President for Development and Major Gifts, Associate Vice President for Development, the Chief Advancement Officer, academic leaders, volunteers, and other Advancement staff to identify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospective donors for gifts in support of UW Medicine. The Director reports to the Senior Director for Philanthropy.

The Director will be the lead staff member generating philanthropic support for the neurosciences and initiatives within the Department of Surgery. In this capacity, the Director will have leadership responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to increase gift and grant support for UW Medicine. In this role, the Director will work with the department chair, administrators and other academic leaders to develop fundraising strategies that support this key program.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct Fundraising Responsibilities - 85%:

• Develop a strategic major gifts plan for the neurosciences and initiatives within the Department of Surgery within the context of the overall UW Medicine Advancement plan. Work with Senior Director for Philanthropy for neurosciences, as well as the Assistant Vice President for Development and Major Gifts, department leaders and advancement colleagues to develop fundraising priorities and to implement programs, if necessary, to sustain major gift ($75k+) support. Develop a pool of primarily individual, with some corporate and foundation, major gift prospective donors. Coordinate the participation of neuroscience leadership, surgery faculty, and UW Medicine Advancement team members in major gift fundraising activity.
• Manage a portfolio of 100 to 150 major gift prospective donors ($75k+) with a focus on those individuals with potential of $100,000 or more. A priority donor pool for this position will be patients.
• Collaborate with department leaders, UW Medicine Advancement colleagues, faculty, and volunteers to identify and qualify new major gift prospective donors, with emphasis on securing faculty referrals of grateful patients. There are no “ready-made” prospective donor pools for assigned areas. Develop and implement a cultivation and solicitation strategy for each assigned major gift prospective donor. Record and track all activity using the University’s prospect management and tracking system. Prepare written proposals, informational materials, endowment agreements, gift illustrations, and other materials needed to secure major gifts. For each major gift donor managed, develop appropriate stewardship activities within the context of the overall stewardship plan.
• Maintain a “Top 25” pool of prospective major gift donors who will be solicited in the next 12-18 month period.
• Make approximately 10 to 12 strategic cultivation, solicitation, or stewardship contacts each month to major gift prospective donors that move the potential donor toward major gift commitment. Face-to-face visits are preferred, unless the prospective donor indicates otherwise.
• Develop and present 12 to 15 major gift proposals each year with a target of securing an average of $1 million+ in new commitments.
• As appropriate, identify, recruit, train, and develop leadership roles for volunteers who assist with major gift fundraising activities. Staff volunteer fundraising partnerships and committees as assigned.
• As needed, coordinate major gift fundraising activities with UW Medicine colleagues, and UW colleagues in Gift Planning, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Principal Gifts, Regional Gifts, etc. We place a premium on intra-team collegiality, and assignment and donor portfolios frequently overlap. The Director will demonstrate exceptional communication and collaboration skills.

Activities in Support of Direct Fundraising - 15%:

• Encourage department chairs and faculty to actively and productively participate in the fundraising process; faculty are very busy with responsibilities in research, teaching, and clinical care.
• Working collaboratively with diverse constituencies (faculty, staff, patients, community leaders, volunteers) with diverse goals and expectations.
• Work with UW and UW Medicine colleagues to develop special events, marketing materials, and donor relations activities to support major gift fundraising.
• Seek appropriate training opportunities, including training necessary for proficiency in the use of gift planning techniques.
• Prepare annual operating plan and progress reports as requested.
• Complete annual performance self-assessment as key component of Annual Review.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. An equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for stated requirements.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in institutional advancement, with an emphasis on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts ($50k+).

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Values the UW’s commitment to inclusiveness and UW Medicine’s commitment to become an anti-racist organization. Demonstrates respect and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
• Proven skill in developing a strategic vision and overall direction for complex advancement programs; ability to create, implement, and manage programs.
• Experience in recruiting and managing volunteers in the advancement process.
• Demonstrated ability to establish, cultivate and steward strong relationships with donors and friends to build and maintain lifelong partnerships and trust with while aligning the donor’s passions and goals with the institution.
• Intrinsically motivated and able to create innovative ideas to achieve results. Recognizes and seizes opportunities.
• Ability to develop fundraising strategies and plans that integrate into the organization’s mission, priorities and goals both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Works to resolve conflicts and differences through dialog and open communication in a timely manner. Sees every difference as an opportunity for growth and change.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service. Poised, professional manner with the ability to express oneself clearly and empathetically in interactions with others in all forms of communications, verbal and written, one-on-one and group, etc. Ability to communicate in a direct and professional manner that engages dialog in a manner that resolves differences.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive relationships and actively contributes as a member of working teams to achieve results.
• Ability to work independently, problem solve, take initiative, set priorities and handle multiple projects efficiently and effectively. Takes responsibility and initiative to set and meet the goals, objectives and obligations while representing the mission, visions and values of the organization.
• Demonstrated creativity, organizational ability, and strong attention to detail. Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast pace, dynamic, deadline drive environment in an organized and professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidences and protect confidential information; acts in a selfless manner and models ethical values of the UW.
• Proficiency with personal computing environment, Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint), and the internet. Willingness and ability to learn how to use the TANDEM database system (UW’s donor CRM) and other proprietary software products.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• At least six years of progressively responsible experience in institutional advancement, with an emphasis on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts ($50k+).
• Experience with grateful patient fundraising.
• Advancement experience in a health care, higher education or research settings.
• At least 6 years of major and planned gift fundraising.
• Demonstrated track record overseeing management of volunteer committees or community boards.