Senior Development Leader, Higher Education Fundraising

University of La Verne; La Verne (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Tuition remission

Retirement plan

Generous time off

Job summary

University of La Verne seeks an Associate Vice President for Development to lead comprehensive fundraising strategies across annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations. This senior role reports to the VPUA and balances strategic planning with active donor cultivation.

You will oversee a high-impact team, partner with executives and deans, and drive revenue growth while maintaining a portfolio of major donors.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of development experience with fundraising programs and major/planned gifts.
• Excellent communication, organization, collaboration, and judgment in diverse environments.
• Strong financial acumen, ROI analysis, and data-driven decision-making.
• Experience coaching frontline fundraisers and building capacity.

Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership: set measurable fundraising targets and multi-year plans.
• Oversee annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations.
• Maintain portfolio of high-capacity donors and lead donor engagement activities.
• Mentor development staff and manage budgets using data-driven insights.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to align priorities with institutional goals.

Skills

Fundraising

Major gifts

Planned giving

Donor relations

Budgeting

Analytics

Team leadership

Strategic thinking

Education

Master’s Degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Salesforce

Analytics platforms

Job description

University of La Verne seeks an Associate Vice President for Development to lead comprehensive fundraising strategies across annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate/foundation relations. This senior role reports to the VPUA and balances strategic planning with active donor cultivation.

You will oversee a high-impact team, partner with executives and deans, and drive revenue growth while maintaining a portfolio of major donors.