Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising

East Bay Community Foundation; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement with match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

East Bay Community Foundation is seeking a Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising to strengthen relationships, grow visibility, and increase resources for the Foundation’s mission of advancing a just East Bay. You will manage top-tier donor accounts, co-create philanthropic strategies, and lead or support advisory engagements across multiple teams to achieve revenue growth and long-term impact.

The role emphasizes data-driven donor strategy, cross-team collaboration, and expansion of

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of experience in philanthropic advising, fundraising, or related strategic advisory work.
• Senior-level strategic judgment and analytical capability to design and present philanthropic strategies.
• Experience securing and stewarding six- and seven-figure commitments with donors.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of fund advisors and donors across individual, corporate, and institutional funders.
• Serve as a senior strategic advisor on large donor relationships, providing structure and analysis for decision making.
• Support strategy implementation, coordinate across teams, and track progress toward goals.
• Advance fundraising by engaging donors to deepen giving and identify six- and seven-figure opportunities.
• Support feasibility studies and campaign planning for major initiatives, including the 100th Anniversary campaign.
• Collaborate with relationship managers to co-create strategies and ensure alignment across departments.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Fundraising

Strategic advising

Communication

Job description

Department: Philanthropy
Reports to: Chief Philanthropy Officer
Hours and Location: Hybrid work environment, one day per week. Must live in the Bay Area and be able to easily travel to Oakland, CA.
Starting Salary: $150,000-$170,000

About the Opportunity

The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising is responsible for strengthening relationships that increase EBCF’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. This role is intentionally designed to serve as a senior, strategic advisor and fundraiser for EBCF’s largest and most complex philanthropic partners, including individual, corporate, and institutional funders, in service of EBCF’s mission of advancing a Just East Bay.

The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising will manage a portfolio of top-tier donor accounts and bring deep listening, analytical rigor, and strategic insight to help donors clarify and realize their long‑term philanthropic vision. This work goes beyond identifying organizations to fund. It includes co‑creating philanthropic strategies—such as multi‑year impact plans, budget scenarios, and tailored approaches to achieving outcomes.

EBCF is seeking an experienced fundraiser who can confidently cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts in support of both the Foundation’s core operations and its local priority initiatives. This person will understand how to align donor interests with organizational needs, build trust with a range of philanthropic partners, and translate EBCF’s mission and strategy into compelling opportunities for investment in the East Bay. They will also help expand EBCF’s reach by identifying and engaging new donors aligned with emerging campaign priorities.

This role will often partner closely with relationship managers across teams, helping to co‑develop strategy, support implementation, and ensure philanthropic and revenue generating strategies remain aligned, actionable, and on track over time. Depending on donor and team needs, the Senior Director may lead or support advising engagements, with flexibility around relationship ownership, and will contribute to a coordinated, organization‑wide approach to prospect development.

At a pivotal moment for the organization, EBCF is engaging a firm to support the development of a feasibility study and campaign plan for our 100th Anniversary in 2028. This position will play a supporting role in that effort—helping to inform strategy, identify and engage prospective donors, and advance new business development opportunities that strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising pipeline and long‑term growth.

The Senior Director, Philanthropic Advising will manage a portfolio of donors and play a key role in driving revenue growth through increasing assets under management, securing major gifts, and contributing to new donor acquisition. This role will work closely with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Philanthropy team, and colleagues across the organization to support both current fundraising goals and future campaign success.

• Manage a portfolio of fund advisors and donors (including individual, corporate, and institutional funders), providing high‑quality service, strategic partnership, and responsive support.
• Serve as a senior strategic advisor on EBCF’s largest and most complex donor relationships, bringing structure, analysis, and judgment to philanthropic decision‑making.
• Support strategy implementation and accountability, translating donor strategies into actionable plans, coordinating across teams, and tracking progress toward agreed‑upon goals.
• Advance fundraising and revenue goals by strategically engaging donors to deepen their giving, including securing new six‑ and seven‑figure commitments and identifying opportunities for fee‑for‑service engagements.
• Contribute to new business development efforts by identifying, cultivating, and engaging prospective high net‑worth individual and institutional donors aligned with EBCF’s campaign priorities and long‑term growth strategy.
• Support the organization’s feasibility study and campaign planning work by helping assess donor interest, inform strategy, and build a strong pipeline of prospective supporters.
• Partner with relationship managers across teams to co‑create philanthropic strategies, advise on approach and structure, and support implementation and follow‑through over time.
• Grow Assets Under Management by building trusted relationships that motivate donors to increase their philanthropic investment and consolidate additional charitable assets with EBCF.
• Provide values‑aligned philanthropic advising that centers social justice principles, community needs, and impact.
• Develop and execute tailored donor stewardship plans, while also identifying opportunities to introduce donors to broader campaign initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Partner closely with teams across EBCF—including Grants Management, Community Investments & Partnerships, and Marketing & Communications—to ensure donor strategies and campaign‑related efforts are implemented effectively and consistently.
• Contribute to EBCF’s evolving donor engagement and prospecting strategy in ways that honor racial equity, community‑led decision‑making, and long‑term relationship building.
• Support the development of a feasibility study and campaign plan for our 100th Anniversary in 2028. Identify and engage prospective donors, and advance new business development opportunities that strengthen the Foundation’s fundraising.
• Depending on future organizational and team needs, may take on supervisory responsibilities, including coaching staff, supervising consultants, supporting work planning, and fostering a collaborative, values‑aligned team culture.

Core Competencies to Thrive in the Role

• Passion for the mission of EBCF: Able to advance EBCF’s funding priorities with high cultural competence.
• Charismatic storyteller and engaging listener: Able to cultivate networks, inspire philanthropic investment, and build relationships with a wide range of people, including prospective donors.
• Results‑oriented: Determined, creative, and solutions‑oriented, with a strong focus on achieving fundraising and new business development goals.
• Creativity & willingness to learn: Brings excitement for developing and executing new strategies, including campaign‑related fundraising and donor prospecting. Builds on EBCF’s strong history while testing thoughtful innovations in partnership with colleagues across the organization.
• Fundraising & donor lifecycle expertise: Deep understanding of the philanthropic landscape and full fundraising cycle, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Designs and manages strategies that align donor intent with organizational priorities to drive philanthropic investment and long‑term growth.

Core Professional Skills and Experiences to Thrive in the Role

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in philanthropic advising, fundraising, management consulting, or related strategic advisory work, with demonstrated success securing and stewarding six‑ and seven‑figure commitments and/or managing complex client or donor relationships.
• Demonstrated success in donor prospecting, pipeline development, and new business development, ideally in support of campaign or organizational growth initiatives.
• Senior‑level strategic judgment and analytical capability, with the ability to design, synthesize, and present sophisticated philanthropic strategies for individual, corporate, and institutional partners.
• Financial and philanthropic planning expertise, including the ability to discuss investment strategies and navigate conversations around wealth management, estate planning, and charitable giving vehicles.
• Strong project and strategy management skills, including translating high‑level strategy into actionable plans and contributing to complex, multi‑year initiatives such as feasibility studies and campaign planning.
• Executive‑level communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex ideas, build trust with sophisticated stakeholders, and influence without direct authority.
• Relationship builder with presence and credibility, capable of engaging both existing donors and new prospects, and contributing to a culture of collaboration across teams.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have Experience and/or Knowledge of:

• Experience advising donors through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and/or working within a community foundation or philanthropic advising institution.
• Designing and supporting complex philanthropic strategies for individual, corporate, and institutional funders.
• Advising individuals and families—particularly major donors—on matters of wealth, values, and social justice‑aligned giving.
• Knowledge of and relationships within the East Bay philanthropic ecosystem, with the ability to leverage those networks for donor prospecting and engagement.
• Experience contributing to or supporting capital campaigns, feasibility studies, or large‑scale fundraising initiatives.
• Experience partnering with or maintaining relationships with professional advisors (financial planners, wealth managers, attorneys, accountants).
• Comfort engaging donors in thoughtful, sometimes challenging conversations about race, class, power, and systems of oppression.
• Demonstrated adaptability and collaboration, with comfort operating in a dynamic, cross‑team environment and contributing to organization‑wide fundraising and growth strategies.

Racial Equity Competencies

Understanding and Applying Racial Equity

Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening the understanding of racial equity:

• Demonstrates a strong grasp of racial equity principles, including structural racism, white privilege, and anti‑Blackness.
• Understands how race and bias affect relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.

Working for Racial Equity

• Regularly evaluates the racial impact of decisions and policies, with attention to intersectionality.
• Adheres to equity‑focused practices in hiring, retention, and promotion, and actively works to identify and disrupt bias.

Leading on Racial Equity

• Effectively encourage people to have honest conversations about racial equity, and accept feedback openly, non‑defensively, and from a posture of learning.
• Consistently address structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions by identifying and implementing changes that can produce more equitable outcomes. This applies not only in terms of race/ethnicity, but also at the intersection of race/ethnicity, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The starting salary range for this position is $150,000 – $170,000, depending on experience.

EBCF offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a 5% employee match, group term life insurance, disability insurance, 15 days of paid time off/vacation in year one, 20 days in year four and thereafter, sick leave, and 17 paid holidays per year. Plus, a Flexible Spending Account, an Employee Assistance Program, an annual professional development budget, commuter benefits, and a matching gifts program. These benefits are subject to change.

The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) is an equal opportunity employer committed to racial justice and equity. EBCF does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law and is an employment‑at‑will organization. The Foundation welcomes and encourages people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and members of other historically disenfranchised groups to apply.