SVP, Advancement

Job description

You will play a central role in developing the philanthropic engine that fuels Reach University’s impact. Fundraising isn't a transactional function to you, it's a relational giving practice — a core driver of institutional capacity, credibility, and long-term impact. You are motivated by building lasting, trust-based relationships with donors, partners, and champions who believe in expanding access to higher education, and you know that resources flow most powerfully when people feel genuinely seen, not solicited. 

In this role, you will lead the Advancement capability, which includes all fundraising, donor relations, and advancement communications functions. You will help Reach build major gift pipelines and campaign strategies that support Reach's next stage of growth. You will partner closely with the President and the Board, bringing a thoughtful, strategic lens to donor discovery and the Powerful Conversations that build trust, surface shared vision, and open the door to meaningful investment. At the same time, you are deeply invested in how the work gets done.

If you are a leader who develops people as intentionally as you build relationships, this could be the ideal role for you. You will build alignment across a growing Advancement team to ensure Reach is strengthening donor stewardship practices, and ensuring that systems, processes, and tools for gift tracking, reporting, and communications are both effective and efficient. In this executive advancement job, you will create clarity in role expectations, invest in the growth of your team, and foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.

Every relationship you build and every gift you help unlock in this role will move Reach closer to its North Star: a world where it takes skill and effort, not money or connections, to get ahead, and no one has to choose between a job and a degree. We achieve this North Star by pioneering pathways to upward mobility through higher education in the workplace.

Job requirements

What You’ll Do:

• Provide Team Vision & Leadership: Lead all Advancement activities based on a philosophy of relational, trust-based giving, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and donor communications, ensuring they align with Reach’s goals and mission. Mentor, develop, and coach team members — including in the practice of Powerful Conversations — setting goals and conducting performance evaluations to ensure success and growth within the team.
• Oversee Campaign Strategy: Design and execute comprehensive fundraising campaigns, from quiet phase through public launch, aligned with strategic priorities.
• Build the Major Gifts Pipeline: Work closely with the Advancement team to build the major gifts pipeline: Identify major donors and prospects and lead them through Powerful Conversations — grounded in relevance, relationship, and shared vision — that build trust and invite investment, personally managing key relationships and their ongoing stewardship. 
• Advise Leadership: Act as an advisor to the President and the Board, providing insights into fundraising strategy and donor engagement.
• Partner Across the Institution: Manage relationships with internal teams, ensuring gift processes, donor agreements, and public-facing materials are aligned and accurate.
• Steward Donor Relationships: Oversee team members to ensure donor recognition, stewardship reporting, and gift acknowledgment processes make donors feel genuinely known and valued, not just informed — consistent with our relational approach to giving. 
• Ensure Compliance: Ensure compliance with gift-accounting standards, laws, and regulations, preparing necessary reports for the Board and external stakeholders.
• Prepare Advancement Reports: Manage the team that creates and presents fundraising reports, dashboards, and presentations related to advancement performance.
• Promote a Culture of Philanthropy: Work with all departments to build broad-based understanding of and engagement with Reach's fundraising priorities, championing a relational mindset that reaches beyond the advancement team.
• Support Strategic Decision-Making: Engage in constant analysis of giving trends and donor data to inform decision-making and long-term planning.

What You’ll Bring to the Table:

• Extensive Leadership Experience: 10+ years as a fundraising leader and business professional, with 5+ years as a VP of Advancement/Development or Chief Development Officer for a nonprofit or higher education institution.
• Strategic Fundraising Analysis: Ability to analyze giving data and donor pipelines to inform strategic decision-making.
• Strong Relationship Management: Demonstrated skill in relational giving — building trust-based relationships and leading Powerful Conversations with diverse stakeholders, including major donors, foundations, corporate partners, and the Board. 
• Organizational Design Expertise: Experience in optimizing organizational structures for advancement teams and redesigning fundraising processes to improve efficiency.
• Visionary Leadership: Ability to communicate Reach’s mission and impact clearly, tailoring your message to different audiences (donors, leadership, staff, and external partners).
• Strategic Planning: Expertise in multi-year fundraising and campaign planning, with experience managing major capital campaigns.
• Comprehensive Advancement Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of gift structures, planned giving vehicles, prospect research, donor stewardship, and relational fundraising.
• Stewardship of Relationships: Strong understanding of donor stewardship, ensuring processes and communications are accurate, timely, values-aligned, and relationally warm rather than transactional.

Job responsibilities

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus
• 15+ years of experience in fundraising, sales, development, or advancement, or similar role
• Strong track record of securing major and principal gifts through relational, trust-based donor engagement
• Demonstrated people management skills
• Strong proficiency with CRM/donor databases
• Knowledge of gift-accounting principles and nonprofit fundraising regulations
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving abilities

Job benefits

• Health Insurance: We provide medical, vision, and dental insurance plans to ensure you and your family are well-covered, plus additional wellness programs.
• Flexible Time Off: We offer a Flexible Time Off policy, empowering you to take the time you need when you need it, without the constraints of a traditional vacation policy.
• Flexible Remote-Only Workplace: Enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere with our flexible remote-only work environment, fostering a balance of workload and rest.
• Professional Development Support: We are committed to your growth and development, offering support for professional development opportunities to help you advance in your career.

Salary:
The salary range for this role is $160,900 to $209,200. Salary will be commensurate with ​experience. 

Equal Opportunity Employer
Reach University is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Reach University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at PeopleOps@reach.edu if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.

Bachelor's degree required; 15+ years fundraising/sales/development experience; 10+ years as fundraising leader with 5+ years as VP/Chief Development Officer; strong people management; CRM proficiency; knowledge of gift-accounting and nonprofit regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• leading fundraising
• building donor relationships
• overseeing campaigns

Skills & Tools

CRM

Job Details

• Category: Business Operations
• Seniority: Senior Level
• Commitment: Full Time
• Workplace: Remote — United States
• Salary: USD 160,900 – 209,200 / year
• Languages: English

Benefits

• Generous paid time off

About Reach University

A university pioneering pathways to upward mobility through higher education in the workplace. — Industry: Education