Executive Director, Philanthropy (Metro Boston)

Beth Israel Lahey Health; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Beth Israel Lahey Health seeks a Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy to lead a team of Directors and drive the Where Extraordinary Lives Campaign forward. Based in Boston, the role combines strategic leadership with hands-on donor engagement to secure major gifts and sustain program growth.

Reporting to the VP of Philanthropy, you will shape annual and multi-year fundraising plans, cultivate relationships, and guide staff toward ambitious goals in a dynamic, patient-centered environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred.
• 10–12 years in philanthropy with donor-relations success.
• Healthcare fundraising experience valued.
• Strategic thinker who can prioritize and remove barriers.
• Motivational leader for staff and volunteers.
• Excellent communicator with interpersonal and listening skills.
• Experience across annual to principal gift fundraising.
• Proven success closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Ability to engage across LHMC community and travel.

Responsibilities

• Attend VP senior leadership meetings and help set fundraising strategy.
• Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising programs.
• Plan multi-year campaign and priorities.
• Lead and evaluate fundraising staff with stretch goals.
• Cultivate donors and develop strategies.
• Collaborate on donor relations events.
• Identify prospective donors with prospect research.
• Coordinate with philanthropy colleagues across BILH.
• Engage volunteers, physicians, and governing boards.
• Maintain donor activity in Raiser's Edge.
• Travel as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Donor relations

Strategic fundraising

Communication

Team management

Relationship building

Project management

Travel willingness

Discretion

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree preferred

Job description

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

This senior level Executive Director (ED) Philanthropy for BIDMC reports directly to the BIDMC Vice President, Philanthropy and will oversee a team of Philanthropy Directors and key others advancing the efforts of the BIDMC Where Extraordinary Lives Campaign, a $1.2B initiative. This position is part of the BILH Philanthropy team that raised over $200M+ in FY25 toward key funding priorities. The BIDMC team operates locally and partners with grateful patients, families, foundations, and community supporters to secure private funding that accelerates patient care, breakthrough research, medical education, and health equity initiatives. By aligning donor intent with institutional priorities, BIDMC Philanthropy helps fuel innovation, sustain excellence, designed to shape the future of academic medicine. The position is locally based in Boston and is hybrid/remote.

Job Description

Primary Responsibilities

1. Serves as a key member of and attends regular meetings with the VP’s senior leadership team.

2. Works with the VP to establish, implement, and execute annual and multi-year fundraising strategies, programs, and goals to secure philanthropic support for BILH.

3. Will participate in the planning of an anticipated multi-year campaign in support of BILH’s programmatic, endowment, and capital priorities.

4. Responsible for the training, direction, management, and evaluation of fundraising staff, including developing stretch goals with and for, providing leadership to, and managing a team of front-line fundraisers toward the successful achievement of individual and departmental fundraising goals.

5. Accompanies colleagues on prospect/donor visits and assists in the development of donor strategies toward their successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

6. Collaborates with Donor Relations and Events to create strategic and fiscally sound cultivation and recognition experiences for donors and prospective donors as well as engagement opportunities to expand BILH’s donor base.

7. Engages Prospect Management and Prospect Research in the strategic identification and qualification of prospective donors and in the development of prospect portfolios for fundraising staff.

8. Coordinates outreach and activities with prospects/donors who are also assigned to philanthropy colleagues across BILH, and ensures his/her direct reports do so as well.

9. Works with colleagues and volunteers affiliated with existing and future advisory bodies to increase engagement and leadership in philanthropy as well as individual giving by volunteers, physicians, and members of governing boards.

10. Provides guidance, coaching, and liaison support for LHMC senior management, physicians, and volunteers involved in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors.

11. Personally manages a portfolio of 30-50 donors and prospects, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to achieve or surpass personal annual fundraising goals/targets.

12. May also be responsible for defining fundraising projects and/or priority clinical or specialty areas that may include working closely with Prospect Research to develop pipelines from which to seek and secure philanthropic support.

13. Prepares contact reports from prospect/donor visits/interactions and ensures that donor activity, including proposals, is maintained and up-to-date in Raiser’s Edge.

14. Attends meetings and events related to cultivation and fundraising activities.

15. Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred.

2. Minimum of 10-12 years of experience in philanthropy, with a proven track record of building donor relationships and securing large gifts. Healthcare fundraising experience is a plus, but not required.

3. A visible leader with the ability and willingness to be integral in all major initiatives in the organization, and to work diligently to position philanthropy prominently in that landscape.

4. A highly motivated, critical thinker who is able to establish and focus on priorities, quickly sense what will help or impede progress, move effectively toward identifying and removing barriers to performance, and keep projects and tasks on track.

5. Motivational and inspirational leader to staff and volunteers, who is able to build relationships with diverse constituencies and has a work style characterized by maturity, integrity and honesty, and the ability to keep his/her ego in check.

6. A superb communicator with excellent interpersonal and listening skills and a sense of humor who is politically astute, financially savvy, and open to new ideas. An independent thinker who can present a balanced analysis, has solid influencing skills, and is capable of building consensus while engendering trust, confidence, and credibility.

7. Substantial, proven experience in all aspects of individual giving, especially integrating strategy across the annual-special-major-planned-principal gift spectrum.

8. Demonstrated record of success in and enthusiasm for soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gift commitments.

9. Ability to interface effectively across all levels of the LHMC community, including executive management, staff, physicians, trustees, donors, patients, and friends.

10. Comfort with ambiguity while remaining able to manage multiple time-sensitive priorities and projects in a dynamic organization.

11. Flawless level of discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.

12. Ability and willingness to travel, as necessary.

Pay Range

$149,989.00 USD - $215,010.00 USD

The pay range listed for this position is the annual base salary range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.

More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled