Chief Philanthropy Officer

C&S; Princeton (NJ); Remote; USD 250,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days PTO

12 days sick leave

Health, dental, vision plans

Retirement plan (10% employer)

Job summary

Institute for Citizens and Scholars seeks a Chief Philanthropy Officer to lead next‑level fundraising, infusing traditional philanthropy with innovative, relationship‑driven methods to mobilize new donors and partners. You will work with a dynamic team to energize civic initiatives and broaden our donor base.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, cross‑functional collaboration, and a commitment to rebuilding American civil society through bold partnerships and thoughtful engagement with

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to establish credibility with people of significant wealth and build relationships across differences.
• Existing relationships or networks among groups connected to emerging wealth (founders, investors, executives, family offices, advisors).
• Skill at translating partner motivations into investment or partnership opportunities.
• Experience advancing high-stakes relationships with strategic stakeholders over time.
• Experience leading and developing small teams with a culture of trust and high performance.

Responsibilities

• Prospecting and prioritization to establish C&S presence among high-potential donor circles.
• Relationship building and cultivation with emerging philanthropists to join the network.
• Philanthropic advising and co-creation to align missions and opportunities.
• Team leadership and collaboration to direct a diverse fundraising portfolio.
• Engaging the C&S Board to leverage networks for philanthropic partnerships.

Skills

Credibility with wealth holders

High-capacity prospect networks

Relationship-building expertise

Staged advancement of high-stakes ties

Team leadership and development

Job description

Americans are struggling, democracy is breaking down, and there is one group of people who can, and will, rebuild our society: young leaders. The C&S team works directly with more than 1000 of the nation’s most energized young changemakers—and impacts millions more through our work with 140+ college presidents—to create bold civic solutions that move our communities, workplaces, and campuses forward. In the last twelve months alone, funders have invested $30MM in C&S’s work, and we have only begun to demonstrate how this movement can repair our intensely divided country. As Chief Philanthropy Officer, you will lead C&S into the next era of partnership-driven fundraising with the same out-of-the-box thinking and relentless creative drive that propels our mission forward today.

The nature of philanthropy is changing. As a rush of new capital enters the ecosystem—from the long-predicted wave of generational wealth transfer to the boom in wealth creation spurred by tech sector IPOs—C&S sees a strategic opportunity to help new philanthropists connect their passions and ambitions to our mission. We have experience partnering with significant donors and institutional foundations on strategy and fund generation for our major projects while also building a base of recurring annual fund donors. Your challenge is to envision and execute a philanthropic strategy that combines our approach to traditional philanthropy with fresh, highly relational, and innovative methods that engage and energize nontraditional donors to leave their mark on the rebuilding of American civil society. We don’t want to limit you with a prescription for what that looks like. We want to partner with you to create it.

How You’ll Make an Impact

With a curious mindset, an uncompromising belief in our mission, and the vision to see opportunity in every conversation, you will work alongside and leverage the talents of capable and energetic fundraising colleagues to help a new generation of philanthropists put their wealth, influence, and ideas to work to change the direction of our nation’s civic future. Key focus areas include:

• ++Prospecting & Prioritization.++ Build C&S’s presence in circles where opportunity exists, identify and gain the attention of high-capacity prospects, and prioritize and invest deeply in relationships with the most partnership potential.
• ++Relationship Building & Cultivation.++ Develop donor-centric relationships with emerging philanthropists, learn their interests, motivations, and what keeps them up at night, and bring them into the C&S network.
• ++Philanthropic Advising & Co-Creation.++ Help emerging philanthropists define the impact they want to achieve and co-create mission-aligned opportunities. Introduce our President, C&S leaders, and other experts in the field at the right moments to move partnerships forward.
• ++Team Leadership & Collaboration.++ Oversee and partner closely with a strong development team, set strategic direction and ensure consistent performance across the entire fundraising portfolio, and work with our President and program leads to integrate new approaches effectively.
• ++C&S Board Engagement.++ Partner with C&S’s well-connected board to strategically engage their networks for potential philanthropic relationships.

Work Environment, Salary, and Benefits

• C&S is a remote workplace with staff across the country. We gather in person 2-3 times each year at our headquarters at the Carnegie Center in Princeton, NJ, for events that build trust and teamwork. Monthly regional and national travel is required to attend C&S convenings, field-wide conferences, and meetings with partners.
• The budgeted salary range for this position is $250K — $275K with an outstanding benefits package including 22 days of PTO plus 12 days of sick leave, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with FSA options, a 10% employer retirement contribution (with a 5% employee contribution), and more.
• The C&S team is made up of educators, designers, researchers, strategists, project managers, and civic leaders. We value constant learning, belonging, gratitude, attentiveness, and a willingness to roll up our sleeves. Here, everyone has a role in shaping a strong and thriving America.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to establish credibility with people of significant wealth, including those whose wealth may be newly created, and build relationships across political, professional, and ideological differences.
• Existing relationships or network connections among groups connected to emerging wealth (e.g., founders, investors, executives, family offices, wealth advisors, and those in venture or private capital or university major gifts advancement, etc.).
• Skilled at understanding what motivates a potential partner and translating shared interests into opportunities for investment or partnership.
• Experience advancing high-stakes relationships over time with an understanding of when and how to bring in other stakeholders to move a relationship forward.
• Experience leading and developing small teams with a record of building a culture of trust, accountability, and high performance.

About the Institute for Citizens and Scholars

C&S sparks young people to create bold, fresh civic solutions that move our country forward. The mission of C&S is to cultivate talent, ideas, and networks that develop young people as effective, lifelong citizens. Our vision is a strong American democracy and a flourishing civil society where all people can thrive. We collaborate with leaders in higher education, business, and philanthropy to transform colleges, workplaces, and communities into hubs for civic development. In each of these spaces, we develop and implement programs that equip young people with the civic skills needed to address the divisive issues facing our country. Our offerings include co-designed programs, digital products, convenings, trainings, fellowships, and coalition networks — all with clear success metrics to measure real progress.

Staffing Advisors is committed to reducing bias in every aspect of the hiring process. We have long recommended a competency-driven approach to hiring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.