Job Summary

The Vice President, Leadership Giving is responsible for leading efforts within Charitable Giving to raise private revenue (>$25k) from individual donors and family foundations to meet or exceed annual revenue goals.  The VP, LG also provides leadership for the ongoing development and implementation of major new comprehensive fundraising campaigns in which funding is used by CRS to “Promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting diseases and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies,” as defined in the CRS Mission Statement. Together with the CEO and the EVP, CG, the VP, LG provides leadership guidance to board members and other volunteers who assist in the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major donors and prospects, especially through the CRS Foundation Board. The VP, LG is a member of the Executive Advisory Council (EAC) and the senior leadership of Charitable Giving.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

Executive Strategy

• Develop and execute an effective strategy to increase leadership giving contributions towards achieving agency strategy goals.
• Create and execute the Leadership Giving Department strategies to achieve revenue goals.
• Shape, articulate, and oversee the implementation of strategies to increase the number of donors making leadership gifts to the agency.
• Develop an integrated strategic growth plan for the Leadership Giving department that is well-coordinated with and integrated into the overall agency strategy as well divisional growth plans to ensure effective collaboration with other parts of Charitable Giving as well as Mission, Mobilization & Advocacy, Marketing & Communications and Overseas Operations.
• Engage in overall agency strategy development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
• Lead efforts in Leadership Giving to develop, enhance and implement Charitable Giving strategies in alignment with overall agency strategic plans.

Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership and guidance to the Leadership Giving department.
  • Manage a staff of over 20 including Regional Development Directors, the Senior Director of Development the Senior Director of Principal Gifts, the Senior Director of Leadership Giving, and all Leadership Giving staff.
  • Mentor and advise individual Regional Development Directors in partnership with team leaders.
  • Oversee shaping and implementation of performance plans for all Regional Development Directors.
  • Work with the Senior Director of Development, team leaders of Regional Development Directors, the VP Individual Giving and the Analytics team to identify and cultivate prospects.
  • Oversee the work of professional and support staff involved in the implementation of multi-component fundraising programs.
• Serve as a senior leader within Charitable Giving, including engagement with agency strategy, staff engagement initiatives and collaborating cross-divisionally across the agency.
  • Lead efforts to build, model and improve inter-divisional collaboration of Leadership Giving team within Charitable Giving and across the agency.
  • In collaboration with Human Resources, lead staff engagement efforts for the Leadership Giving department.
  • Serve on agency committees as a representative of the department and division.
  • Create a positive working environment.
• Ensure that all department staff meet or exceed all activity standards for deepening donor relations through personal engagement utilizing prospecting calls, face-to-face donor visits, cultivation and stewardship actions and solicitations and other such personal activities.
• Utilize and build upon systems that provide ongoing coaching, mentoring and counseling with Leadership Giving staff to build motivation and fundraising skills.

Financial and Operational Oversight

• Maximize the effectiveness of the Leadership Giving Department by continually enhancing productivity, efficiency and donor satisfaction.
  • Optimize utilization of the Opportunities Management system that operationalizes departmental procedures and policies, best practices and processes for activities such as portfolio assignments, reporting, use of resources and prospect development.
  • Support the development of infrastructure and systems that enable the success of the Leadership Giving department to exceed donor expectations and contribute to a high level of donor satisfaction.
  • Develop strategies for personal donor engagement utilizing a variety of methods, including international travel, face-to-face meetings, online, print and video materials for regional and national events, campaign councils and recognition activities.
• Collaborate effectively across the Charitable Giving division.
  • Work with the EVP and CG Analytics to improve performance evaluation systems by ensuring detailed, timely and accurate data for revenue forecasting.
  • Build a strong partnership with the Individual Giving department, especially the Middle Donor and Planned Giving teams.
  • Partner with Donor Services to utilize the existing customer relationship management database and to improve use of existing technology in achieving business needs.
  • In cooperation with the Senior Advisor, Strategy and Divisional Affairs, ensure effective planning for new comprehensive fundraising campaigns to increase leadership giving, prioritizing unrestricted revenue as much as possible.
  • Work together with the Director, Hispanic Development to ensure that Leadership Giving fundraising efforts include culturally competent approaches to the U.S. Hispanic community, which is estimated to comprise nearly half of the population of the U.S. Catholic Church.

• Ensure effective financial performance of the Leadership Giving department
  • Manage Leadership Giving department budgets.
  • Determine and monitor the department’s key performance indicators such as revenue goals; expected solicitations, substantial donor face-to-face visits, gifts from existing and new products as well as unit and individual activities and progress toward goals;
  • Optimize utilization of existing giving products through the Giving Continuum and develop new products that are aligned to both agency and donor needs as opportunities emerge and external trends indicate.

Advocacy, Communication, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage executives, board members and leadership giving donors to give, advocate and serve as brand champions for the agency.
  • Engage agency executives, board members and donors in the fundraising process.
  • Collaborate with agency leadership to create viable giving opportunities for leadership and major donors, especially through the Giving Continuum.
  • Provide leadership guidance to board members and other volunteers who assist in the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major donors and prospects, especially the CRS Foundation Board.
  • Maintain a small portfolio of high-end donors.
  • Identify and manage the cultivation of leadership prospects with substantial philanthropic capacity, especially Principal Gift prospects, involving agency leadership and volunteers in the process.
  • Work with donor volunteers and other staff to create and develop programs that serve to deepen donor affinity for CRS.
  • Travel to meet with donors, staff and partners as needed to develop key relationships.
  • Collaborate with Mission, Mobilization & Advocacy to engage leadership giving donors, especially Board and Foundation Board members, to advocate as a “grasstop” constituent on CRS policy issues with key elected representative and government officials.
  • Together with Marketing & Communications, engage leadership giving donors, especially Board and Foundation Board members, to promote awareness of the mission and work of CRS and serve as CRS brand champions as much as possible.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Deep understanding of and commitment to the Catholic values and vision of CRS. Strong knowledge of Catholic Church structures, theology and hierarchy and deep understanding and sensitivity to the positions, teaching and views of the Catholic Church, to enable fruitful and respectful interactions with Church leaders.
• Proven ability to build effective teams, drive high engagement, and strong culture.
• Strong ability to understand donor motivations, sensitivity to donors’ personal needs and unasked questions, and strong negotiation skills.
• Ability to ability to successfully solicit leadership gifts/commitments of six-, seven- and eight figures.
• Strategic planner and thinker with strong operational and executional skills.
• Ability to drive engagement and create a climate of motivation in order to achieve strategic objectives.
• Forward thinking and innovative drive with high ethical standards.
• Demonstrated ability to influence multiple stakeholders through written and oral communication.
• Agile and creative leader able to adapt to changing circumstances in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to work with and present to Board Members.
• Ability to adapt to a multi-cultural setting, with a special emphasis on the U.S. Hispanic Community.
• Comfortable with significant domestic travel and periodic overseas travel with prospects and donors.
• Curiosity, sense of humor, high energy level, and an enthusiasm for meeting and working with a wide range of individuals.

Required Languages:  Fluency in English.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel within the U.S. and internationally, including extended trips abroad.

Supervisory Responsibilities – Yes

Key Working Relationships

• Internal: EVP, Charitable Giving, Vice President Individual Giving, Senior Director, Donor Services, Director, Hispanic Development, Senior Advisor, Strategy and Divisional Affairs, All Charitable Giving Units, the Executive Advisory Council, all senior leaders in U.S. Facing divisions (Mission, Mobilization & Advocacy and Marketing & Communications) and senior leaders in Strategy and Overseas Operations.
• External: Leadership giving donors, U.S. Bishops, CRS Board and CRS Foundation Board directors, Catholic foundations.

Basic Qualifications 

• Minimum of 10 years professional experience in leadership and fundraising with a major institution.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, management, a related field, or equivalent experience. Master´s Degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing a diverse donor portfolio and securing six-figure major gifts from individuals and foundations.
• Experience successfully leading a fundraising team and taking appropriate measures to meet revenue targets.
• Experience supervising large staff (15+ persons) is preferred.
• Team player who can also work independently in a complex environment.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Solid understanding of Catholic Church and its teachings preferred.
• Ability to travel occasionally as required.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Passion for CRS’ mission combined with the ability to design, implement and assess the success of a multi-year strategy for building a major gift program.
• Significant experience in the day-to-day activities of a major giving fundraising campaign.
• Personal experience cultivating, soliciting and stewarding gifts of at least $1M.
• Demonstrated success maintaining an enterprise-wide perspective and utilizing strong analytical skills to maximize return on investment.
• Prior experience working with developing countries.
• Master’s degree in business, management or a related field preferred.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

WHAT WE OFFER

CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, generous retirement savings plan and the opportunity to work in a collaborative, mission-driven culture that is committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements