Back to Results
Permanent
On-Site
Vice President of Philanthropy
Recruiter: Jeff Ptalis
Fairfield County, CT
Job ID
6462JP
Industry
Non profit
Specialty
Executive Leadership
Experience level
Leadership
Salary range:
$145,000
JOB BENEFITS
The position offers a competitive executive-level compensation package, with a posted salary of $145,000 annually and flexibility based on experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, retirement benefits, paid vacation, and holidays.
OVERVIEW
Merraine Group has asked to recruit a Vice President of Philanthropy for a highly regarded, community-focused nonprofit organization in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for an accomplished fundraising professional who can elevate an already established development program while building the major-gifts pipeline, donor relationships, systems, and philanthropic strategy needed to support the organization’s next stage of growth.
The Vice President of Philanthropy will report directly to the CEO and serve as a key member of the senior leadership team. The primary focus of the role will be major gifts, high-capacity donor engagement, planned and legacy giving, Board engagement, and preparation for future capital and endowment initiatives.
The organization serves a uniquely diverse community, with significant philanthropic capacity alongside substantial financial need. It has an established annual fundraising program, a successful signature gala, meaningful foundation support, and a growing commitment to making programs and services accessible to families throughout the community.
The incoming Vice President will inherit a strong base from which to build, including an identified pool of several hundred members, program participants, donors, and event attendees with demonstrated philanthropic capacity.
WORK SCHEDULE
This is primarily an in-office leadership role in Fairfield County, Connecticut, reflecting the relationship-driven nature of the position and the importance of engagement with donors, staff, volunteers, and the community.
Some flexibility is available based on organizational and donor needs. Occasional evening and weekend commitments should be expected, along with limited travel for conferences and professional development.
Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate.
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will be a sophisticated relationship-builder and experienced fundraising leader who combines strategic thinking with the ability to personally engage and solicit major donors.
Ideal candidates will bring:
- A bachelor’s degree; an advanced degree or CFRE is preferred.
- Approximately 10 or more years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including significant senior-level development or philanthropy responsibility.
- A demonstrated track record of personally cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
- Experience managing a meaningful portfolio of high-capacity prospects and donors.
- Significant capital campaign experience, ideally including involvement in one or more comprehensive campaigns.
- Strong experience working with CEOs, Boards, campaign leadership, and senior volunteers.
- Experience supervising, coaching, and developing fundraising professionals.
- Knowledge of prospect management, moves management, donor databases, fundraising analytics, and revenue forecasting.
- Planned or legacy giving experience is highly desirable but not required.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and integrity.
Leadership Style & Cultural Fit
The organization is seeking someone who is:
- Strategic but comfortable being hands-on with donors.
- Highly collaborative and able to build trusted relationships across departments.
- Driven, accountable, and comfortable setting ambitious philanthropic goals.
- Skilled at coaching others and creating a strong culture of philanthropy.
- Comfortable engaging sophisticated donors, community leaders, corporate partners, and Board members.
- Warm, authentic, and relationship-oriented.
- A strong communicator with a good sense of humor and the ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative environment.
- Energized by mission-driven work and the opportunity to expand access to critical community programs and services.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Major Gifts & Donor Strategy
- Develop and lead a comprehensive major-gifts strategy focused on increasing support from individuals, families, foundations, corporations, and other community partners.
- Personally manage a portfolio of the organization’s highest-capacity donors and prospects.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward significant five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts.
- Create individualized engagement and solicitation strategies for priority donors and prospects.
- Establish disciplined moves-management practices, including portfolio review, prospect tracking, forecasting, and activity reporting.
- Partner closely with the CEO on the organization’s most important donor relationships.
- Help translate organizational priorities, programs, financial-assistance needs, and future initiatives into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
Capital, Endowment & Strategic Priorities
- Help build the prospect pipeline, donor relationships, infrastructure, and volunteer engagement required for future strategic and capital initiatives.
- Bring meaningful capital campaign experience, including an understanding of feasibility studies, campaign planning, donor cultivation, and leadership engagement.
- Work with the CEO and Board to identify individuals whose interests and capacity align with the organization’s long-term vision.
- Support the continued development of the organization’s endowment and other long-term funding priorities.
- Contribute fundraising expertise to case development, campaign strategy, donor communications, and philanthropic planning.
Planned & Legacy Giving
- Help develop and expand a planned and legacy giving program.
- Identify donors with the interest and capacity to consider bequests, beneficiary designations, appreciated assets, charitable trusts, and other planned gifts.
- Integrate planned giving conversations into the organization’s broader major-donor cultivation and stewardship strategy.
- Work appropriately with donors and their professional advisors when facilitating more complex gifts.
Board & Volunteer Engagement
- Strengthen a culture of philanthropy among the Board of Directors, senior leadership, staff, and key volunteers.
- Engage Board members as active partners in donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Help Board members leverage their personal and professional networks in ways that are authentic and comfortable.
- Present regularly to the Board and its philanthropy/resource development committee regarding pipeline activity, donor engagement, fundraising progress, and strategic opportunities.
Development Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership, coaching, and support to the Director of Development.
- Ensure alignment across major gifts, annual giving, grants, events, sponsorships, stewardship, and donor communications.
- Serve as a strategic leader rather than the primary executor of grants or special events, allowing the Vice President to remain focused on major donor relationships and long-term philanthropy.
- Collaborate with marketing, finance, program leadership, and other departments to strengthen donor communications and fundraising effectiveness.
- Help develop staff and create a coordinated, accountable, high-performing development function.
Fundraising Operations
- Establish clear goals and KPIs for portfolio activity, donor engagement, and dollars raised.
- Ensure effective use of the donor database and prospect-management systems.
- Develop reliable revenue projections and fundraising reports for the CEO and Board.
- Strengthen practices related to gift acceptance, stewardship, donor recognition, acknowledgment, and confidentiality.
- Represent the organization at donor, community, and public events.
© 2026 Merraine Group. All rights reserved.
