Associate Vice President for Development
University of La Verne
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Job summary
The University of La Verne seeks an Associate Vice President for Development to lead comprehensive fundraising across annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations, reporting to the VPUA. This senior leader will maintain a high-capacity donor portfolio and collaborate with the President, deans, and trustees to align priorities with institutional goals.
The AVP will guide frontline staff, drive revenue growth, and foster philanthropic excellence across the
Qualifications
- Seven years of development experience with successful fundraising programs and securing major and planned gifts.
- Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal and organizational skills; be detail, goal and results oriented.
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines with diverse stakeholders in higher education or complex nonprofit environments.
- Strong financial acumen with budgeting, ROI analysis, and data-driven decision making.
Responsibilities
- Strategic leadership: set fundraising targets, plan 3–5 year advancement strategy, monitor KPIs and allocate resources.
- Portfolio management: maintain high-capacity donor relationships and guide staff involvement.
- Collaboration: align fundraising priorities with institutional goals and engage deans, faculty and trustees.
- Compliance and best practices: adhere to policies and ethics in donor relations and data use.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The University of La Verne is unable to provide sponsorship for work visas at this time. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.
Position Information
Functional Title
Functional Title Associate Vice President for Development
Position Type
Position Type Administrative/Professional
Appointment Type
Appointment Type Regular
FTE %
100%
Work Schedule (if atypical)
Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm with occasional evening and weekend work. A hybrid schedule is available after 6 months of employment.
Embark on an exciting journey with the University of La Verne, where your career aspirations come to life in a vibrant and welcoming environment. Established in 1891, our diverse and inclusive community is more than just a university—it’s a home for passionate individuals like you.
At the University of La Verne, we embody four core values that set us apart—Ethical Reasoning, Diversity and Inclusivity, Lifelong Learning, and Civic and Community Engagement. If you’re fueled by these principles and are eager to make a meaningful impact, your journey begins here.
With a rich history spanning 132 years, the University of La Verne boasts a global Leo Family of 89,000+ accomplished alumni. As the #1 private university in California for social mobility according to U.S. News and World Report 2024, and recently recognized as the 33rd Best U.S. College by the Wall Street Journal 2024, we take pride in our commitment to excellence in education.
Join us in shaping the future, where your passion meets purpose. Come be part of something extraordinary and apply today!
The University supports a diverse and inclusive environment where students recognize and benefit from the life experiences and viewpoints of other students, faculty, and staff. Diversity is an active and intentional practice that supports difference and multiplicity to expand knowledge, educate capable citizens, develop the whole person, and serve our local and global communities. Promoting and sustaining diversity is a commitment to educational quality and the creation of positive, respectful learning communities.
The Associate Vice President for Development is a senior advancement leader responsible for designing, leading, and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies across annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations in support of the university’s strategic priorities. Reporting to the Vice President for University Advancement ( VPUA ), the AVP serves as both strategic architect and working fundraiser—driving revenue growth and organizational capacity while maintaining a personal portfolio of high-capacity donors and providing day-to-day leadership to frontline development staff. The AVP partners closely with the President, Vice President for Advancement, deans, faculty, and trustees to align fundraising priorities with institutional goals and to build a culture of philanthropic excellence across the university.
- Seven years of development experience with demonstrated success managing comprehensive fundraising programs and securing major and planned gifts, preferably in higher education or a comparably complex nonprofit environment.
- Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal and organizational skills; be detail, goal and results oriented; be self motivated with the ability to make independent decisions; be collaborative and a team player; demonstrate sound judgment when dealing with a wide
- range of personalities, relationships and situations; possess the ability to maintain enthusiasm for hard work, changing priorities, and multiple deadlines, as well as the ability to interact well with a diverse community of faculty, students, and constituents.
- Strong financial acumen with budget development, resource allocation, and ROI analysis capabilities. Data-driven decision-making using analytics, metrics, and predictive modeling. Visionary thinking with ability to develop long-range plans and translate strategy into executable action. Proven ability to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors at the six-and seven-figure level. Performance management expertise including goal-setting, metrics tracking, and accountability systems. Expertise coaching others in frontline fundraising and building organizational capacity.
- Master's Degree.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing annual giving, major gifts, planned giving and corporate and foundation relations programs, including strategy development and performance management.
- Deep knowledge of donor-centered fundraising, gift planning vehicles and complex gift structures. Comprehensive capital campaign experience.
- Experience with advancement CRM systems (Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, etc.) and analytics platforms.
- Candidates must demonstrate commitment to the University's core values of Ethical Reasoning, Civic and Community Engagement, Lifelong Learning and Diversity and Inclusivity.
Applicants, please note that actual compensation is determined by several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, certifications, relevant education or training, and specific work location, among others. The offered wage or salary is only one aspect of an employee’s total compensation.
Benefits include a comprehensive health and wellness plan, tuition remission program for employee, spouse, and dependent children, a generous contribution to the University’s 403B retirement plan, and a generous time off plan.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion and clearance of a background check and employment verification.
The physical demands include the ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and lift up to 20 pounds occasionally. Clear verbal and written communication is essential, as the position involves frequent interaction with colleagues, clients, or external partners.
The noise level is generally low to moderate. The position may occasionally involve meeting deadlines or managing multiple priorities, which can require sustained focus and mental stamina.
Do the essential functions of this job require lifting?
Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes
If yes, list maximum weight and duration
If yes, list maximum weight and duration 20lbs
Describe work environment
Describe work environment This position is based in a standard office environment and primarily involves sedentary work. Employees are expected to spend extended periods of time working at a desk, using a computer, and engaging in routine office tasks such as emailing, attending m
- Collaborate with the VPUA and senior leadership to set clear, measurable fundraising targets, campaign priorities, and performance metrics for development staff and programs.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive 3-5 year advancement strategic plan that aligns fundraising priorities with institutional goals and delivers year-over-year revenue growth of 8-12%.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including donor retention rates, pipeline velocity, average gift size, portfolio productivity, and return on investment through developing and implementing a plan that encompasses annual giving, major and leadership gifts, planned giving and corporate and foundation relations to meet or exceed annual and multi-year fundraising goals.
- Provide direct mentorship to the development team, including a willingness to delegate and empower others to find innovative solutions to strengthen fundraising effectiveness.
- Lead quarterly strategic reviews with the VPUA to assess progress against multi-year fundraising targets.
Percentage Of Time 25%
- Annual Giving: Direct a comprehensive annual giving program that includes multi-channel outreach, leadership annual giving, and alumni, parent, and faculty/staff participation initiatives.
- Major and Leadership Gifts: Plan and execute strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and leadership gift prospects, including individuals, families, and privately held entities. The conversion rate for qualified prospects to solicitation to be 30%.
- Corporate and Foundation Relations: Lead a coordinated approach to securing philanthropic support from corporations and private foundations, working with faculty and administrators to develop competitive proposals and partnerships.
- Supervise and mentor development directors and other advancement staff responsible for annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations.
- Establish performance expectations, manage budgets, and use data and analytics to track progress, evaluate effectiveness, inform staffing, resource allocation, and program improvements.
Percentage Of Time 30%
Portfolio management and frontline fundraising:
- Maintain a personal portfolio of high-capacity prospects and donors, with clear goals for visits, proposals, solicitations, and closed gifts at the major and planned gift levels.
- Lead by example in all phases of the donor cycle—identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—often in partnership with the president, vice president, deans, and trustees.
Percentage Of Time 30%
Collaboration and institutional engagement:
- Identify resources, policies, and procedures with the deans and athletic director to empower them to fundraise in conjunction with the Advancement Office.
- Serve as a key liaison to academic and administrative units to align fundraising priorities with institutional plans and to support deans, faculty, and senior leaders in their donor engagement activities.
Percentage Of Time 10%
Compliance, policy, and best practices:
- Ensure 100% adherence to institutional policies, ethical guidelines, and relevant regulations governing fundraising, ULV gift acceptance policies, and donor confidentiality.
- Champion best practices in prospect management, gift documentation, stewardship, and the use of fundraising technology and data systems.
Percentage Of Time 5%
Minimum:
Minimum: $150,460.87
Maximum:
Maximum: $169,838.15
Posting Number 2024-251199SA
The University of La Verne is unable to provide sponsorship for work visas at this time. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.
Open Date 08/06/2026
Open Until Filled No
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
- HigherEdjobs.com
- AcademicCareers.com
- University of La Verne Website
- Referred by University of La Verne Employee
- Other
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