Chief of Philanthropy

Scion Executive Search; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Humane Society Silicon Valley seeks a Chief of Philanthropy to lead and scale high-impact fundraising efforts. You will shape long-term philanthropic strategies, cultivate major donors, and oversee a multi-faceted philanthropy team, ensuring goals align with HSSV’s mission to save lives and strengthen the human-animal bond.

Your leadership will drive donor-centric programs, data-informed decision making, and cross-functional collaboration across the organization to maximize sustainable revenue

Qualifications

• Proven success and results-driven experience in strategic leadership with multi-channel fundraising programs; nonprofit organization a must.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, with a demonstrated ability to inspire collaboration, drive results, and foster a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Proven leadership experience (or capabilities) with cross-functional teams working in a highly collaborative environment.
• Ability to develop a multi-year fundraising strategy that includes a strategy that is well supported by analytics and business cases that lead to success.
• Deep passion for the mission of HSSV: to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.
• Must excel in key competencies: strategic thinking, integrity and ethical decision-making, strong interpersonal skills, accountability, transparency, and adaptability.
• Proven ability to lead change initiatives and cultivate resilient, high-performing teams that adapt to evolving organizational needs.
• Exceptional ability to pivot planning between strategy and operations.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates sound professional judgment, maintains a high level of confidentiality, and applies strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve results.
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, engage internal and external audiences, and influence outcomes with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of HSSV’s multi-year philanthropy strategy, aligning fundraising initiatives, organizational leadership, operational execution, strategic partnerships, and innovative funding opportunities with HSSV’s mission and strategic priorities to drive sustainable revenue growth and maximize philanthropic impact.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships across HSSV, leverage organizational expertise and shared insights to strengthen donor experiences, advance fundraising efforts, and achieve collective goals.
• Cultivate, develop, and empower a high-performing team to achieve fundraising goals and ensure long-term success within an inclusive, collaborative, and mission-driven culture.
• Direct the development and execution of capital campaigns and other special fundraising initiatives as needed, build the strategy, infrastructure, and leadership necessary to secure philanthropic support for HSSV’s highest-priority needs.
• Develop and implement a results-driven framework that establishes clear goals, measures impact, and fosters accountability, excellence, and continuous learning.
• Maintain a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, with direct responsibility for achieving an annual individual fundraising goal through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity philanthropists and strategic partners.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Fundraising program management

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-informed decision making

Donor engagement

Ethical fundraising

Job description

Scion Executive Search (Scion)has been retained to conduct an immediate search for a strategic, collaborative, and mission-aligned Chief of Philanthropy on behalf of Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV), a highly regarded organization dedicated to animal welfare. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished fundraising executive to lead impact-driven philanthropy efforts in support of a mission dedicated to saving lives, keeping families together, and creating a better future for pets and their people. This is a full-time, predominantly onsite role based in Milpitas, California.

ABOUT HSSV

For more than 95 years, Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) has been a leader in animal welfare, serving pets and people throughout the Bay Area and beyond. As an independent, privately funded nonprofit organization, HSSV provides adoption and foster programs, veterinary care, behavior and training support, community programs, regional rescue partnerships, and resources that help pets and the people who love them thrive together.

HSSV is nationally recognized for its leadership and impact in animal welfare, with a long history of developing and sharing approaches that improve outcomes for animals and strengthen the human-animal bond. Through its Animal Community Center, Community Pet Clinic, and a dedicated network of donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters, HSSV works to save lives, keep families together, expand access to care, and build a stronger safety net for pets and people.

Mission, Vision & Values

HSSV is driven by a mission to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people, with a vision of a world where animals thrive, people experience the power of the human-animal bond, and families have the resources and support to care for their pets.

HSSV is grounded in the values of Kindness, Courage, and Impact which are brought to life through a collaborative culture centered on empathy, gratitude, belonging, continuous improvement, and celebrating shared success. HSSV encourages their teams to think boldly, drive meaningful change, take thoughtful risks, and work across teams to create lasting impact for animals, people, and the communities they serve.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting directly to the President & Executive Director, the Chief of Philanthropy serves as a key member of HSSV’s executive leadership team, providing strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s high-impact fundraising and donor engagement efforts. This leader will guide the development and execution of long-term philanthropic strategies that generate sustainable revenue, deepen donor relationships, and align philanthropic support with HSSV’s strategic priorities. The Chief of Philanthropy will play a critical role in advancing HSSV’s mission while fostering a strong organization-wide culture of philanthropy.

The Chief of Philanthropy will personally cultivate and steward a targeted portfolio of high-value donors and prospects while providing strategic leadership for the Philanthropy team. The role will oversee individual and major giving, annual giving, planned giving, endowment, institutional giving and grants, donor stewardship, partnerships, and major and principal gift prospects. As a senior leader and visible ambassador for HSSV, this individual will also build strong relationships throughout the community to advance the organization’s philanthropic goals.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, results-driven, and highly collaborative fundraising leader who can translate organizational priorities into clear, measurable philanthropic goals. They will foster a culture rooted in transparency, accountability, partnership, and continuous learning while embedding philanthropy as a shared responsibility across the organization. This leader will bring proven success managing multi-channel fundraising programs, developing data-informed multi-year strategies, cultivating high-capacity donors, and inspiring teams to achieve ambitious goals in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of HSSV’s multi-year philanthropy strategy, aligning fundraising initiatives, organizational leadership, operational execution, strategic partnerships, and innovative funding opportunities with HSSV’s mission and strategic priorities to drive sustainable revenue growth and maximize philanthropic impact.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships across HSSV, leverage organizational expertise and shared insights to strengthen donor experiences, advance fundraising efforts, and achieve collective goals.
• Cultivate, develop, and empower a high-performing team to achieve fundraising goals and ensure long-term success within an inclusive, collaborative, and mission-driven culture.
• Direct the development and execution of capital campaigns and other special fundraising initiatives as needed, building the strategy, infrastructure, and leadership necessary to secure philanthropic support for HSSV’s highest-priority needs. This includes partnering with the President & Executive Director, Board, and key stakeholders to develop compelling cases for support, engage lead donors, and drive campaigns to successful completion.
• Develop and implement a results-driven framework that establishes clear goals, measures impact, and fosters accountability, excellence, and continuous learning.
• Maintain a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, with direct responsibility for achieving an annual individual fundraising goal through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity philanthropists and strategic partners.

Culture of Philanthropy

• Develop and oversee a culture of philanthropy that strengthens and grows individual giving, major gifts, annual giving, endowment, planned giving, institutional giving, and grants while building a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support.
• Champion a culture of philanthropy across HSSV by fostering cross-functional collaboration, engaging staff and leadership in fundraising efforts, and embedding philanthropy as a shared organizational responsibility.
• Build and steward a robust donor engagement strategy that cultivates lifelong supporters, philanthropic leaders, and community ambassadors who advance HSSV's mission and long-term sustainability.

Program Impact

• Drive strategic financial leadership by overseeing budget planning and financial management to maximize fundraising effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Provide strategic oversight of Philanthropy operations to ensure an exceptional donor experience through seamless stewardship, effective talent development, and consistent operational excellence.
• Lead the strategic use of data, technology, and analytics to strengthen decision-making, enhance fundraising effectiveness, and drive measurable results.
• Model and promote the highest standards of ethical fundraising by ensuring compliance with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Code of Ethical Standards and Professional Practice.

Community and External Relations

• Serve as a champion and ambassador for HSSV, representing the organization at community events, public forums, and key stakeholder engagements.
• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with community leaders, animal welfare organizations, and other nonprofit organizations to expand upon a culture of philanthropy.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven success and results-driven experience in strategic leadership with multi-channel fundraising programs; nonprofit organization a must.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams, with a demonstrated ability to inspire collaboration, drive results, and foster a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Proven leadership experience (or capabilities) with cross-functional teams working in a highly collaborative environment.
• Ability to develop a multi-year fundraising strategy that includes a strategy that is well supported by analytics and business cases that lead to success.
• Deep passion for the mission of HSSV: to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.
• Must excel in key competencies: strategic thinking, integrity and ethical decision-making, strong interpersonal skills, accountability, transparency, and adaptability.
• Proven ability to lead change initiatives and cultivate resilient, high-performing teams that adapt to evolving organizational needs.
• Exceptional ability to pivot planning between strategy and operations.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates sound professional judgment, maintains a high level of confidentiality, and applies strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve results.
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, engage internal and external audiences, and influence outcomes with stakeholders.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position offers a competitive salary range of $230,000 – $250,000, commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; 403(b) retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; paid time off, and additional wellness benefits.