Job Summary

At Bethel University, we believe God is calling us to accomplish incredible things. With Jesus as our compass, we are on a journey together. We prepare leaders who serve with intelligence, strength, joy, and Spirit-empowered creativity - leaders who are equipped to serve and lead wherever they are called. As a university, we propel lives forward to find purpose. Here, who we are and who we are becoming matters. The next vice president of university advancement will join us as we prepare students to make a difference in the world for Christ.

The fiscal and demographic realities in higher education require the next vice president of university advancement to leverage their experience and bring tremendous creativity as we create a real distinction in the marketplace. Reporting directly to the president and serving as a vital member of the president’s cabinet, the vice president of university advancement will lean into our greatest philanthropic potential - strategic partnerships with public and private organizations and individuals.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and management responsibilities for both long-term and short-term plans including:
  • Development: major Gifts, annual giving and planned giving
  • Alumni, family and church relations
  • Bethel Foundation and grants partnerships
  • Prospect research and data integrity
• Lead and manage the philanthropy strategy for the entire organization to rigorously engage current and new individual donors, foundations, and corporate partnerships, growing overall financial resources and securing the necessary funders to provide a deep investment in Bethel’s future.
• Using innovation and data-driven giving solutions, position Bethel as a visionary market leader by donors, churches, corporations, and the community.
• Establish an aggressive fundraising growth strategy, including annual, major, and planned gifts and corporate and foundation support that results in significant growth for the Bethel Endowment and the Bethel Annual Fund.
• Ensure that the university’s fundraising goals are achieved through multiple rigorous approaches to reach a diversity of individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Strengthen and build an agile, results-orientated advancement team managing them using metrics designed to measure engagement and fundraising success.
• Provide leadership to constituent relations programs in alumni relations, parent relations, church relations, and other key constituent relations.
• Ensure the development and execution of a comprehensive development strategy for the Bethel Foundation to support the university’s mission and goals, which includes seeking grants and endowments from individual donors and private foundations.
• As part of the President’s Cabinet, serving as a visionary advisor to the president, Board of Trustees, and other senior university leaders regarding conceiving and implementing long-term and short-term advancement plans that align with the university’s priorities.
• Passionately and effectively share Bethel’s impact and vision to constituents; creates a clear and compelling view of Bethel’s future.
• Establish strong relationships and build strategic partnerships with non-profit and corporate organizations and foundations and build relationships that closely link the community with the University.
• Maintain a dynamic portfolio of high net-worth donors to cultivate and solicit transformational gifts.
• Increase the President’s visibility, expand the sphere of influence, and forge new relationships to maximize the organization’s visibility, credibility, and financial resources.
• Advise the President on the strategic and high-priority relationship-building and fundraising opportunities and ensure that time is scheduled effectively in fundraising and donor cultivation processes and events.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration across college functions and campuses and avert organizational silos to make informed philanthropic investment decisions strategically.
• Be the primary point of contact for the Board's Committee on Trustees and Advancement Committee chairs.
• Provide vital governance and administrative guidance to support the committees.
• Create and monitor the departmental budget.
• Ensure compliance with applicable fiscal policies and procedures.

Required Skills

• The individual will be a creative, collaborative, and results-oriented leader whose passion for Bethel University is matched with strong leadership, outstanding interpersonal skills, crisp decision-making in the face of complex challenges, and a proven track record of non-profit fundraising.
• Comfortable building relationships with corporate and foundation leaders, high net-worth individuals, community leaders, and individuals capable of making significant contributions.
• Has great energy, and a very high degree of self-awareness. A spirit of curiosity about what motivates donors to give. A commitment to life-long learning about fundraising. Is constantly aware of Bethel’s financial needs, goals, and progress toward achieving them from all sources.
• Excellent active listening, persuasion, negotiation, presentation, and public skills are required. Excellent interpersonal, oral, verbal, and written communication.
• Must have demonstrated high experience and success in building productive professional/working relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including the ability to work effectively with leaders of other teams.
• A proven ability to handle confidential matters with discretion. Maintains the confidentiality of the President’s office and all university donor and constituent information
• Familiarity with advancement databases, fund-raising technological tools, and best practices.

Required Experience

• 10 plus years of successful and progressively responsible experience leading fundraising functions and teams in complex organizations is required.
• Proven history of high-level, high-return fundraising development results based on building solid and lasting relationships through strategies that uniquely reach each type of donor.

Required Education

Additional Information

• Frequent travel is required, both regionally and nationally.
• Some work outside of normal business hours, including weekends, is required.