Philanthropy Executive Director

Inside Higher Ed; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 107,994 - 183,581; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Lexington, KY is seeking an experienced Philanthropy Executive Director. This critical role involves strategic leadership for philanthropy within multiple clinical departments, focusing on cultivating significant donor relationships. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in major gift fundraising, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. This full-time position offers a competitive salary range and the opportunity to make impactful investments in health care and education in Kentucky.

Qualifications

• 9 years of related experience in fundraising.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience in health care or academic medicine preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for philanthropy across clinical departments.
• Build and manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors.
• Translate clinical priorities into philanthropic opportunities.
• Serve on the senior leadership team for fundraising strategy.

Skills

Relationship-building skills

Communication skills

Strategic mindset

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Overview

Working Title
Executive Director for Departments, Centers and Institutes

Job Title
Philanthropy Executive Director

Requisition Number
RE52654

Working Title
Executive Director for Departments, Centers and Institutes

Department Name
14000:Office Of Philanthropy

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Grade Level
52

Salary Range
$107,994-183,581/year

Type Of Position
Staff

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Required Education
BA

Click here for more information about equivalencies
https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies

Required Related Experience
9 yrs

Required License/Registration/Certification
None

Physical Requirements
Sitting at a computer workstation for extended periods of time; repetitive motion tasks. Ability to attend meetings on and off campus; intermittent job-related travel as needed.

Shift
Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. As an exempt level position, additional hours will be required to meet business needs.

Job Summary

UK Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement and UK HealthCare invite applications for the position of Philanthropy Executive Director for the Departments, Centers, and Institutes (DCI) Team. This senior leadership role offers an opportunity to shape transformational philanthropic investment across some of UK HealthCare’s most impactful clinical and academic areas.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Philanthropy–Health, the Executive Director provides strategic direction and leadership for all philanthropy activity within the Departments of Surgery, Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Programs, Neurosciences, and Ophthalmology, while partnering closely with philanthropy programs in the UK College of Medicine.

The Executive Director serves as the senior fundraising officer for this portfolio, responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gift donors who are committed to advancing UK HealthCare’s mission of exceptional patient care, innovative research, and world-class education. The ideal candidate is an experienced, relationship-focused fundraiser who excels at engaging donors in complex, meaningful giving conversations and building long-term philanthropic partnerships.

This role plays a critical part in connecting grateful patients, families, and community members with opportunities to make significant, lasting investments that shape the future of health care in Kentucky and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for philanthropy across assigned clinical departments and programs.
• Build and manage a robust portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, leading efforts to cultivate, solicit, and close major and principal gifts.
• Translate medical, clinical, and research priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
• Maintain a visible presence across UK HealthCare’s hospitals and clinics, fostering strong relationships with physicians, administrators, and academic leaders.
• Serve on the UK Philanthropy–Health senior leadership team, providing counsel on fundraising strategy and institutional priorities.
• Lead and mentor a team of five development professionals, including four major gift officers, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence.
• Partner with campus and hospital leadership to advance key initiatives that strengthen grateful patient engagement and academic medicine fundraising.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A strong record of success in major and principal gift fundraising, preferably within health care or academic medicine.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to inspire confidence, navigate complex organizations, and engage effectively with donors, faculty, and clinical leaders.
• A strategic mindset, coupled with a collaborative and team-oriented leadership approach.
• A passion for advancing UK HealthCare’s mission and improving the health of communities across Kentucky.
• The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT – Collaboration, Communication, Mission Driven, Mutual Respect, Innovation and Transparency.

By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team.

This search is being led by UK’s internal Executive Search Team. For more information about the position, please contact Mary Beth Bracken at 859-257-3348 or via email at [e-mail].

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
Yes

Preferred Education/Experience

The ideal candidate will be a strong, collaborative leader with a proven record of success in building and sustaining relationships that foster major gift giving. This position requires an individual who understands person-to-person relationships and has the ability to convincingly articulate the vision and priorities of the University and match them to the interests of prospective donors. Familiarity with planned giving, charitable gift arrangements as well as demonstrated experience in marketing, philanthropic messaging and persuasive writing is also desirable. This person will have experience managing and developing a fundraising team in the environment in which accountability-based metrics are used as benchmarks for performance.

Deadline To Apply
01/25/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.