Dir- Philanthropy

Maine; Ellsworth (ME); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Light Health in Ellsworth, ME, seeks a Director of Philanthropy for Mercy Hospital. You’ll lead a donor-centric program, set comprehensive fundraising strategy, and collaborate with executives, clinicians, volunteers, and the Foundation to secure major gifts and achieve ambitious goals.

You will manage a portfolio of major donors, develop annual fundraising plans, mentor staff, and represent Mercy Hospital externally to donors and community partners, driving measurable philanthropic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive fundraising experience with major gifts.
• Proven leadership and experience building donor-centric fundraising programs.
• Ability to cultivate, solicit, and close significant philanthropic investments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior philanthropy leader for Mercy Hospital, aligning strategy with system priorities.
• Lead a donor-centric philanthropy program engaging executives, clinicians, and volunteers.
• Mentor philanthropy staff to achieve fundraising goals and professional growth.
• Develop annual and multi-year fundraising plans with clear goals and metrics.
• Manage a portfolio of principal/major donors, securing transformational gifts.
• Partner with hospital leadership to advance major and principal gifts and grateful patient fundraising.
• Collaborate with prospect research and donor relations teams for disciplined portfolio management.
• Represent Mercy Hospital externally to donors and community leaders as a senior ambassador.
• Oversee an active portfolio of 125–150 donors and prospects, advancing solicitations.
• Achieve measurable fundraising results against agreed goals and metrics.

Skills

Leadership

Donor relations

Major gifts

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Adobe Acrobat

MS Teams

Microsoft Word

Job description

at Northern Light Health in Ellsworth, Maine, United States

Job Description

The compensation range listed reflects the range Northern Light Health anticipates relying on in setting the wages for the position. The range may not necessarily include all additional compensation elements available, such as differentials, incentive programs and benefits.

Northern Light Health

Department: Foundation

Position is located: Mercy Hospital

Work Type: Full Time

Hours Per Week: 40.00

Work Schedule: No Hours Assigned

Exempt: Yes

Summary

The Director of Philanthropy serves as the senior fundraising leader for Northern Light Mercy Hospital, responsible for setting and executing a comprehensive philanthropy strategy that advances hospital and system-wide priorities. This role provides visible, strategic leadership and represents Mercy Hospital across the community with donors, volunteers, and key stakeholders.

The Director leads a high-performing, donor-centric philanthropy program and works closely with hospital executive leadership, clinicians, Northern Light Health Foundation colleagues, and volunteers to secure major and principal philanthropic investments. This position requires a proven track record of principal and major donor fundraising success, strong leadership skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships at the highest levels.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior philanthropy leader for Mercy Hospital, aligning philanthropic strategy with hospital and Northern Light Health priorities.
• Lead a culture of philanthropy engaging executive leaders, physicians, clinicians, and volunteers in donor strategy and relationship building.
• Manage, coach, and mentor philanthropy team members to achieve ambitious fundraising goals and support professional growth and accountability.
• Develop and implement annual and multi-year fundraising plans, establishing clear goals, metrics, and strategies for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Manage a portfolio of principal and major donors with responsibility for securing transformational and leadership-level gifts.
• Partner closely with hospital executive leadership to advance short- and long-term philanthropy strategies, including major gifts, principal gifts, and grateful patient fundraising.
• Collaborate with prospect research, prospect management, and donor relations teams to ensure disciplined portfolio management, effective moves management, and personalized stewardship.
• Represent Mercy Hospital externally with donors, community leaders, civic partners, and volunteers serving as a senior ambassador for the organization’s mission and philanthropic priorities.
• Manage an active portfolio of approximately 125-150 donors and prospective donors and advance them strategically toward solicitation and stewardship.
• Achieve measurable, outcome-driven fundraising results based on mutually agreed-upon goals and performance metrics.

Other Information

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive fundraising experience, including a proven record of successfully securing major and principal gifts.
• Demonstrated success leading or contributing to high-performing fundraising programs, initiatives, or campaigns.
• Proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and close significant philanthropic investments from individual donors.
• Strong leadership and management experience, with the ability to build, lead, and inspire teams toward shared goals.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills, with demonstrated success engaging senior executives, physicians, clinicians, volunteers, and community leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent Mercy Hospital effectively and professionally in a wide range of settings.
• Strategic and results-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive measurable outcomes.

Competencies and Skills

• Achieves Results: Sets high standards for their own outcomes and seizes opportunities to engage others towards objectives. Consistently moves forward with direct actions in order to attain or exceed objectives. Manages their own time effectively to accomplish assigned tasks. Successfully prioritizes multiple projects and duties as needed.
• Acts Strategically: Creates effective plans that anticipate future consequences and opportunities and is able to connect the day to day operations to longer-term objectives, shifts in the industry, and system goals.
• Adobe Acrobat
• Applies Business Acumen: Demonstrates knowledge of current and future trends that impact organizational success. Applies proven practices and business theories to get results that meet financial as well as other business goals. Recognizes opportunities for new services and products and acts accordingly, taking measured risks into consideration. Possesses a thorough knowledge of their field and independently carries out their work in accordance with professional standards of the profession.
• Demonstrates Adaptability: Learns quickly when facing a new problem or unfamiliar task; is flexible in their approach with changing priorities and ambiguity. Manages change effectively and does not give up during adversity. Capable of changing one’s behavioral style and/or views in order to attain a goal. Absorbs new information readily and puts it into practice effectively.
• Effectively Communicates: Listens, speaks and writes appropriately, using clear language. Communication methods are fitting to the message(s), audience, and situation and follow-ups are regular and timely. Shows that important (non-) verbal information is absorbed and understood and asks further questions to clarify when necessary. Expresses ideas and views clearly to others and has ability to adjust use of language to the audiences’ level.
• Fosters Innovation: Employs and encourages the use of meaningful creativity in solving challenges. Proactively identifies opportunities and uses new approaches to enhance processes, systems and services. When appropriate, suggests or initiates new strategies, products, services, and markets.
• Influences and Inspires: Builds enthusiasm and commitment among others to move in a desired direction and models it personally. Creates a compelling vision of success that motivates workplace initiative and energizes others to follow. Provides direction and guidance to encourage cooperation between team members in order to attain an objective. Has the ability to appropriately influence others’ actions and decisions with and without express authority.
• Spreadsheet application with the ability to use calculations, formulas, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming.
• Word processing, spreadsheets, data entry, database experience and other computer related skills.
• Email application with the ability to manage email as well as calendars, managing tasks and contacts, note taking, journaling, and web browsing.
• Presentation software with the ability to create presentations with the ability to incorporate animation, audio, video, time delays, as well as designing themes and variants with animations and effects.
• MS Teams
• Word process application with the ability to create and edit documents, format, use tables, apply footnoting, create table of contents and mail merge techniques.
• Public Speaking
• Behaves with Integrity and Builds Trust: Acts consistently in line with the core values, commitments and rules of conduct. Leads by example and tells the truth. Does what they say they will, when and how they say they will, or communicates an alternate plan.
• Cultivates Respect: Treats others fairly, embraces and values differences, and contributes to a culture of belonging, empowerment, and cooperation.
• Demonstrates Emotional Intelligence: Exhibits a high level of self-awareness, self-management, other awareness and relations