Vice President, Advancement

Western Governors University; Utah; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Tuition benefit (WGU discounts)

Job summary

Western Governors University seeks a seasoned leader to drive comprehensive advancement initiatives in Utah. The VP Advancement will guide major gifts, donor engagement, and multi-channel fundraising while partnering with academic leadership to align with WGU’s mission.

You will oversee governance, budgets, and analytics, building a culture of philanthropy across the university and affiliated initiatives, including growth through strategic partnerships and alumni engagement.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and cross-functional team management in mission-driven settings.
• Proven track record securing 5-7 figure gifts and leading multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
• Deep knowledge of higher education fundraising and donor stewardship.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a bold Advancement strategy aligned with university priorities.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Advancement team with cross-functional collaboration.
• Oversee major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and donor engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Major gifts

Fundraising strategy

Donor engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

CRM systems

Fundraising analytics tools

Job description

Job Description

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

WGU Advancement, the university’s fundraising arm, embodies WGU’s commitment to growth and impact. The Vice President, Advancement (VP) is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive and forward-thinking strategy that prioritizes the deepening of relationships with alumni, donors, foundations, and strategic partners that guides all fundraising efforts at WGU. This strategy will be intricately aligned with WGU’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities and will reflect the university’s innovative model and student-centric approach to higher education.
Central to this role is fostering a culture of philanthropy across WGU, ensuring efficiency, sustainability, and impact through data-informed decision-making, innovative fundraising practices, and technology-enabled systems that strengthen fundraising initiatives that will resonate deeply with every stakeholder. The VP leads and develops a high-performing fundraising team, oversees advancement services, and manages grants administration—ensuring efficiency, sustainability, and impact.
The VP is responsible to foster close collaboration with academic leadership, enrollment, marketing, and student services to align messaging and maximize the impact of university-wide initiatives, As a key member of the President’s Leadership Team, the VP will actively contribute to shaping and communicating the President’s vision, strategic direction, and operational decisions affecting both the university and its affiliated initiatives.

Responsibilities Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a bold and ambitious Advancement strategy to support WGU’s growth, long term sustainability, and transformative philanthropic partnerships and expansion in alignment with the organization’s priorities.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, high-performing Advancement team by modeling values driven leadership, setting clear expectations, and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, professional growth, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Provide visionary leadership across all fundraising domains—including major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and donor engagement—ensuring a cohesive and high-impact fundraising ecosystem.
• Oversee the grants administration team, ensuring a streamlined and efficient grant lifecycle—from identification and application to compliance and reporting.
• Establish and maintain best practices in donor stewardship, recognition, and engagement.
• Optimize the allocation of Advancement resources, ensuring investments align proportionally with generated funds.
• Manage the advancement services team to enhance donor management, gift processing, and fundraising analytics.
• Champion the strategic use of technology, CRM systems, and data analytics to inform fundraising strategy, personalize donor engagement, monitor performance, and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate closely with WGU leaders, Trustees, and faculty, fostering a university-wide commitment to philanthropy and shared fundraising goals.
• Cultivate relationships with high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to build a strong philanthropic pipeline.
• Oversee the preparation and implementation of operating budgets to optimize resource allocation and impact.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership, contributing to enterprise-level planning and championing Advancement’s role in achieving institutional goals.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional leadership and organizational acumen with a proven ability to lead high-performing, cross-functional teams in complex, mission-driven environments.
• Proven success in securing major and principal gifts (5-, 6-, and 7-figure), driving multi-channel fundraising strategies, and exceeding ambitious philanthropic targets.
• Deep understanding of best practices in higher education fundraising, alumni engagement, and donor stewardship.
• Expertise in grant management, including full lifecycle development, reporting, and compliance.
• Proficient in using advancement technology, CRM systems, and fundraising analytics to optimize donor engagement and strategic decision-making.
• Proficient in using advancement technology, CRM systems, and fundraising analytics to optimize donor engagement and strategic decision-making.
• Ability to foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Inspirational, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leadership style that fosters innovation, accountability, and team empowerment.
• Skilled relationship-builder with a strong network and ability to engage high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, and philanthropic institutions.
• Results-driven and analytical, with the ability to translate metrics into actionable fundraising strategies and performance improvements.
• Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing multi-million dollar Advancement budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship and high-return investment in fundraising initiatives.
• Managerial courage and willingness to tackle challenges and innovate in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Excellent judgment and adaptability, making strategic decisions that drive impact.
• Education Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.
• Experience 10+ years of progressive senior leadership experience, including leading teams of directors and multiple managers.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in fundraising, with a proven ability to develop and implement successful strategies.
• Demonstrated success in securing 5-7 figure gifts from high-net-worth donors.
• Experience in an entrepreneurial business, political fundraising, or education-related environment.
• Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.
• Existing relationships with high-net-worth individuals capable of $100,000+ donations.
• This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one or two per year).
• Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed.
• Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.