Associate Vice President, Philanthropy

University of Minnesota Foundation; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Minnesota Foundation in Minneapolis seeks an Associate Vice President to lead major gifts strategy for the CFANS development team. You will serve as the key connector between the core fundraising team and alumni relations, stewardship, and annual giving, reporting to the Executive Vice President, Development.

Focus on building blended fundraiser portfolios, partnering with senior leaders to translate academic priorities into fundable initiatives, and aligning unit fundraising with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 14+ years fundraising or related experience preferred.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and solutions focus.
• Accountability with empathetic mentorship.
• Ability to travel and work evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Prospect Management: identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-potential gift prospects.
• Partner with senior leadership and UMF to execute complex solicitation strategies for principal gift donors.
• Advise deans and unit heads to translate academic priorities into fundable initiatives.
• Lead blended fundraiser portfolios across units, breaking down silos for big idea opportunities.
• Refine roles as champions of fundraising initiatives; provide data and framing for donor settings.
• Design and manage operational framework for unit-specific fundraising aligning with UMF standards.
• Engage in face-to-face donor work to advance gift conversations and donor experience.
• Major Gift Adjacent Support: liaison to Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Stewardship teams.
• Coordinate priorities, timelines, and partners to advance fundraising initiatives.
• Ensure alumni relations and annual giving support donor pipelines.

Skills

Major gifts strategy

Donor cultivation

Portfolio management

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) development team is a strong, high performing, mission driven fundraising enterprise that consistently secures more than $25 million in philanthropic support annually. This dynamic team is composed of skilled, strategic development professionals who advance both college wide priorities, department level initiatives, and support for the Bell Museum. With a proven record of cultivating meaningful donor relationships, the team plays a pivotal role in driving philanthropic investment that fuels the College’s academic excellence, research innovation, and student success. Uniquely, the Bell Museum is a department within CFANS and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a partner entity.

Operating within the University of Minnesota Foundation’s fundraising model—designed to create and ensure the most gratifying gift experience,the CFANS team embraces a culture of partnership, collaboration, and shared purpose in pursuit of exceptional outcomes for donors, the University, and the broader community.

Position Focus

The Associate Vice President is a senior leader responsible for leading major gifts strategy, cultivating a culture of philanthropy grounded in production, collaboration, innovation, and purpose across the CFANS. Serves as the key connector between the core fundraising team and alumni relations, stewardship, and annual giving. Reports to the Executive Vice President, Development.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prospect Management: Actively identify and cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-potential gift prospects through consistent outreach and relationship building.
• Partner closely with senior leadership and UMF to execute complex, multi-layered solicitation strategies for principal gift donors.
• Serve as the senior philanthropic advisor/thought partner to assigned deans and unit heads, helping translate academic priorities into compelling, fundable initiatives.
• Under the direction of senior leadership, this position will lead the development of blended fundraiser portfolios, breaking down departmental silos to create "big idea" gift opportunities that span the unit and the system.
• Partner with senior leaders and academic leaders to refine their roles as champions of fundraising initiatives, providing the data and strategic framing necessary for their success in donor settings.
• Design and manage the operational framework for unit-specific fundraising initiatives ensuring alignment with University of Minnesota Foundation standards and unit strategic vision.
• Focus on engaging in face-to-face meaningful donor work that advances gift conversations and supports the University of Minnesota, ensuring a gratifying gift experience for all donors.

Major Gift Adjacent Support (5%)

• Act as the primary organizational liaison and bridge to the Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, and Stewardship teams, leading the collaborative effort to ensure engagement activities are tightly aligned with fundraising priorities and major gift focus.
• Facilitate a high level of integration between disparate reporting lines to ensure the University speaks with one voice to its alumni and donor base.
• Serve as a strategic lead for execution, coordinating priorities, timelines, and partners to advance fundraising initiatives
• Ensure that alumni relations and annual giving teams are executing programs consistent with building donor pipelines

Team & Talent Development (15%)

• Build and lead a high-performing team by aligning individual performance with the Foundation’s strategic priorities.
• Direct unit operations and resource allocation to ensure maximum efficiency and the successful execution of fundraising initiatives.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection, and integration of top-tier development talent, fostering a diverse and inclusive professional environment.
• Actively coach and mentor staff, using data-driven performance metrics to identify and fuel growth opportunities.
• Ensure a safe, healthy, and policy-compliant work environment that upholds the reputation of the University and UMF.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Demonstrate commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an equitable and inclusive working and learning environment (exhibit 100% of the time)

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 14 years of fundraising or related experience.
• Ability to lead with an entrepreneurial spirit, constantly pursuing solutions and effective/efficient enhancements.
• Skills in high-standard accountability paired with empathetic mentorship
• Deep understanding of goal-setting frameworks and performance metrics.
• Ability to maintain a growth mindset in all deliverables.
• Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends. Ability to maintain a valid Minnesota driver’s license.

Preferred:

• 16 or more years of fundraising experience.
• Experience in higher education advancement and nonprofit fundraising.
• Proven success in donor cultivation and donor management systems.