Description
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) seeks a proven, energetic, and innovative advancement leader to serve as Senior Vice President for University Advancement (Chief Philanthropy Officer). The SVP is the chief architect and mobilizer of the university’s current and future comprehensive fundraising campaigns, with the capacity to elevate ambitious philanthropic outcomes that fuel a highly competitive, nationally ranked university.
LMU is an institution on the rise—an R2 “high research activity” university enrolling more than 10,000 students, with an 11:1 student–faculty ratio, a robust annual operating budget, and an A1 credit rating—driven by its Catholic mission in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. The SVP will guide the forward-looking and creative philanthropic efforts of a multifaceted fundraising organization with momentum and scale, one that has recently delivered record-setting results as it approaches $80 million in annual support of a $750 million campaign, funded nearly 1,600 scholarships, fueled endowment growth to approximately $800 million, and engaged more than 110,000 alumni.
The SVP advances LMU’s philanthropic efforts by delivering transformative gifts and leading the teams that power the university’s comprehensive campaign. The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated track record of close collaboration with fundraising partners—including the president, academic deans, the athletic director, faculty, institutes, and volunteers—to strengthen the institution’s culture of philanthropy. The SVP will have extensive experience in campaign planning and execution at similar or larger goals, managing teams at similar scale, and securing major and principal gifts.
Reporting to the president and serving on the President’s Cabinet, the Senior Vice President for University Advancement provides support to the LMU Board of Trustees in its governance and fiduciary roles, and guidance and focus to the LMU Board of Regents and Campaign Committee in their fundraising and engagement roles.
The SVP is responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive institutional advancement programs and leading a multifaceted, metric-driven organization, while also setting the pace and modeling expectations by managing a portfolio that secures transformational gifts. The advancement function includes responsibility for: major gifts and gift planning; comprehensive campaigns; corporate and foundation relations; annual fund; endowment fundraising; alumni and constituent relations; stewardship; and advancement services.
The SVP will demonstrate a track record of major and principal gift fundraising success, defined by a consistent record of closing seven- and eight-figure gifts, and will possess the leadership and managerial acumen necessary to inspire and motivate an ambitious, highly integrated advancement team and program.
Requirements
Key Leadership Priorities
Conclude the current comprehensive campaign and architect future initiatives.
Lead and complete the campaign in progress while designing subsequent fundraising initiatives and campaigns. Direct principal-gift pathways, align team metrics and analytics, and report progress through board dashboards and other reporting mechanisms.
Develop and refine the principal-gifts engine. Institute a disciplined presidential engagement cadence; activate a top-prospect strategy; and drive gift conversations that propel the institution forward. Partner with a new president—an eager fundraising collaborator with an ambitious vision and aspirational expectations for record-setting outcomes—as LMU seeks to reach $100 million per year in philanthropic support.
Elevate fundraising performance institution-wide. Recruit, develop, and retain top talent; embed accountability and inclusive excellence; and strengthen cross-campus partnerships with fundraising partners, including academic deans, athletics, and other leaders with key donor relationships.
Broaden and diversify the pipeline.
Expand alumni participation and multi-channel engagement with a particular focus on students and young alumni. Leverage LMU’s Catholic identity in the nation’s largest Catholic archdiocese and the university’s Los Angeles location as anchors for compelling philanthropic conversations.
Leadership Objectives
Partner closely with the president. Collaborate with a president who is deeply committed to the success of advancement efforts and energized by relationship-building and fundraising.
Support, engage, and advise the Board of Trustees and Board of Regents. Ensure trustees and regents are well informed about advancement and university priorities. In partnership with the president and trustees, identify and cultivate new volunteer opportunities for who reflect diverse perspectives and possess significant philanthropic capacity. Support board members as they assume active fundraising roles.
Frame and communicate a compelling philanthropic vision and plan. Articulate a clear strategic vision and fundraising plan that addresses new donor acquisition, pipeline development, cultivation of principal donors capable of transformational gifts, and increased alumni participation. Build on a solid base of donors, alumni, parents, and friends while broadening and diversifying support for the university. Maintain a dynamic portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and secure major, capital, and planned gifts, as well as advanced annual and endowment support.
Strengthen LMU’s culture of philanthropy. Enhance philanthropic culture within and beyond the institution, especially among students and young alumni, by addressing their interests, expectations, and motivations. Lead innovative practices in alumni participation and engagement.
Provide vision and direction for current and future campaigns.
Offer strategic leadership to set goals, plan, launch, and successfully complete campaigns. Oversee campaign analytics, reporting, and post-campaign follow-up. Foster collaborative relationships with faculty, coaches, and campus departments to ensure alignment and participation.
Lead, support, and develop an experienced advancement team.
Maintain an open, empowering leadership style that encourages active communication, appropriate delegation, and accountability for excellence through clearly defined and measurable goals. Inspire, mentor, and connect a collaborative and collegial team. Build a diverse team whose members share a clear vision, are empowered to take thoughtful risks, and are committed to achieving measurable results.
Personal Attributes, Qualifications, and Experience
The Senior Vice President will be a proven, visionary leader who values innovation, creativity, and inclusivity. The SVP must possess extensive experience in relationship-driven fundraising and alumni engagement strategies and tactics.
The ideal candidate will embrace, articulate passionately, and advance the mission, vision, values, and goals of the university. To be successful at LMU, the candidate should embody values of caring, compassion, justice, integrity, competence, and affirmation, and treat members of the campus community with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Candidates from academic and non-academic environments are welcome. A bachelor’s degree is required, as is a minimum of 15 years of progressive advancement leadership with enterprise scope (multi-unit, matrixed), including direct accountability for seven- and eight-figure principal gifts and comprehensive campaign planning and execution at the $500 million+ scale. The ideal candidate will:
Be a principal-gift rainmaker with a personal closing record at the $5 million–$50 million+ level and repeated success structuring transformational gifts, able to develop and articulate an aspirational philanthropic vision and strategy with measurable goals.
Be a campaign strategist who has designed and delivered a comprehensive campaign, including strategy, governance, analytics, and staff architecture, with measurable success in expanding and diversifying the donor base and pipeline, and in major and principal gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Bring successful experience with campaign planning and execution and the ability to provide guidance to advancement and senior leadership throughout a campaign.
Demonstrate success in leading diverse work groups facing complex challenges and opportunities.
Possess board partnership experience, having staffed and mobilized volunteer leaders and campaign committees, and coached presidents and deans for top-tier solicitations.
Maintain the desire and ability to develop productive relationships with all constituents—internal stakeholders, donors and prospective donors, alumni, parents, community partners, and others.
Exhibit exemplary written and oral communication skills, evidenced by experience preparing comprehensive reports and executive summaries that incorporate business and industry trends.
Have a strong record of recruiting, developing, and retaining top-tier talent, with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Actively leverage faculty relationships and strengths to advance institutional priorities and philanthropic outcomes.
