Senior Philanthropy Officer

University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Senior Philanthropy Officer
Job Profile Title
Director E, Development, Fundraising
Job Description Summary
The Principal Gifts team develops engagement, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for top-tier individuals and families and ensures that these strategies are actively pursued and executed. This includes identifying and articulating large-scale priority opportunities for transformational gifts. Each member of the Principal Giving team is expected to have an intellectual curiosity about the work of the University, an ability to translate a broad range of academic areas into inspiring visions for donors, a high level of adaptability and flexibility as needs and priorities change, and strong relationships with internal constituencies and colleagues that promote a positive, collaborative spirit for development strategy and planning across all schools. The Senior Philanthropy Officer serves as a central leader in advancing the team’s work across the Penn community.
Summary:
Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President for Strategic Philanthropy and Partnerships, the Senior Philanthropy Officer is a key member of the Principal Giving team and responsible for the management and growth of a donor/prospect pool of some of the University’s most affluent and important stakeholders. The Senior Philanthropy Officer designs and executes engagement, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for the University’s principal gifts level (i.e., $5 million and above giving capability) prospect pool. This high-level work involves frequent interaction and active partnerships with University Leadership (e.g., President, Provost, Deans), Volunteers (e.g., Trustees, Board of Advisor members), and Senior Administrators (e.g., Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations, University Secretary) to ensure existing and emerging principal gifts level constituents are best positioned with Penn and provide maximum levels of philanthropic support for university and/or School-based priorities. The Senior Philanthropy Officer serves as a resource and facilitator to Schools and Centers – helping to identify new and developing existing prospects at the $5 million and above level and providing central development resources and support required to help close gifts of this magnitude.
Works closely with the Senior Associate Vice President, Principal Giving team members, and School-based development team leadership to ensure top-tier donors and prospects are managed and moved towards deepened engagement with and giving to Penn. Also works with other offices within Development and Alumni Relations to assist them in targeted prospect outreach activity resulting in solicitation of principal gifts. The Senior Philanthropy Officer will help spearhead the team’s efforts with large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives and collaborate in development of new programs and initiatives to increase the number of principal gift prospects entering the “pipeline,” and develop strategies to move new prospects into the $5,000,000 and above category.
Job Description
Job Responsibilities
Personally manage a high-level portfolio of alumni, family foundations, and friends (capable or who have the potential to make gifts of $5 million or more within the next five years). Monitor and report on progress of donor/prospect-related activities and gift solicitations.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward assigned principal gifts level pool. Drive and manage strategic, consistent, personalized engagement with donors and donor prospects, including meaningful interaction with campus partners and senior University administrators, faculty members, Boards of Advisors, and other high-level volunteers.
Devote 25-30 percent of time traveling to develop relationships with Penn parents, alumni, and friends. These may include individual visits with university leadership, faculty members, or DAR colleagues.
Represent the University’s priorities in the context of an overall vision for Penn and its place in the world. Contribute to the identification, development, and refinement of compelling gift opportunities to align principal gift donors’ interests with the University’s priorities.
Align potential principal gifts donors with volunteer leadership opportunities, committees, activities, and/or events that are appropriate to their interests (or potential interests) and areas of expertise that deepen their Penn engagement over time and facilitates significant philanthropic investment.
Articulate the case for support for Penn as a whole and for a range of Schools and centers in a way that is both inspiring and specific in terms of activity across Penn and the impact of a gift on the University and beyond.
Conceptualize, plan, and spearhead team’s efforts focused on large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives and programs.
Plan, coordinate, and direct visits and special events for principal gift level prospects and donors.
Direct and prepare cultivation materials, major funding proposals, talking points and strategies, assessments of potential support, briefings for senior officers and key volunteers, and stewardship reports for all assigned prospects; ensure that all interested parties are involved in key efforts focused on specific prospects; document all substantive prospect contacts.
Collaborate with school-based and central staff to develop new programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of donor/donor prospect entering the principal gifts “pipeline.” Develop strategies to move new prospects into the $5 million + category.
Provide thoughtful counsel to DAR colleagues on principal gifts relationship-building ideas and coordinated fundraising strategies. Assist in evaluating and designing appeals to principal gift level prospects.
Keep abreast of the intellectual content of the University and advances across the academy.
Practice the highest standards of professionalism and performance as evidenced by collaborative teamwork, initiative, critical thinking, excellent judgment, tact, reliability, and timeliness of follow-through.
Maintain knowledge of important developments within regional, national, and international funding environments as they relate to Penn’s philanthropic interests.
Serve as a resource and role model to staff on matters of prospect strategy and offer new a