About City of Hope

City of Hope, an innovative biomedical research, treatment and educational institution with over 6,000 employees, is dedicated to the prevention and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases and guided by a compassionate, patient-centered philosophy.

Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Duarte, California, City of Hope is a remarkable non-profit institution, where compassion and advanced care go hand-in-hand with excellence in clinical and scientific research. City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers that develops and institutes standards of care for cancer treatment.

City of Hope’s mission is to “turn hope into reality.” Focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes, City of Hope has established itself as a world-class leader in transforming the future of health. Raising the philanthropic resources to fuel its cutting-edge research, its exquisite and compassionate clinical care and its advancement of medical education and study, is a vital component of the City of Hope model of success. Each member of the Office of Philanthropy is a stakeholder in this work, with personal accountability for their role in building a successful future of delivering new cures, treatments and education.

The Office of Philanthropy’s vision is to support this life-saving work by being known institutionally and nationally as a model of excellence among elite fundraising programs. Recent recruitments of nationally and internationally renowned faculty offer advancement leaders new opportunity for partnership among philanthropy, research and patient care.

Position Summary

The Office of Philanthropy’s vision is to support this life-saving work by being known institutionally and nationally as a model of excellence among elite fundraising programs. Recent recruitments of stellar faculty offer advancement leaders new opportunity for partnership between philanthropy, research and patient care.

The Senior Director of Development, Individual Giving(SDOD), will ensure the fundraising success of the philanthropic program by serving as a subject matter expert, a professional role model, and an identified team and program leader. To this end, we invest in our staff through the Team Activation Program (TAP) initiative. This initiative increases the effectiveness of our team through focused transparency & accountability, building trust within teams; training & development; celebrating innovation & risk taking; enhancing team communications and removing roadblocks to maximize activation. The TAP initiative ensures that the Office of Philanthropy is poised to move quickly, effectively and efficiently to maximize opportunities on behalf of City of Hope.

The SDOD will contribute by employing and role modeling key processes and programs that support an office-wide focus on collaboration, efficiencies and metrics-based performance outcomes, in addition to primary role responsibilities.

In this role, the SDOD will have both individual accountability for fundraising performance goals of frontline-facing activities, and lead a team to achieve their performance goals through an emphasis on accountability, mentorship and collaboration.

Within frontline focus, the SDOD will be a major gifts fundraiser responsible for securing individual, corporate and foundation gifts, with an emphasis on 100k+ through undertaking sustainable, mission-focused cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors. In pursuit of these outcomes, responsibilities include developing productive relationships with volunteers, faculty and staff, and engaging them in substantive activities to identify new prospects and leverage existing prospect relationships, leading to increased philanthropy. The incumbent will work in partnership with key volunteers and Office of Philanthropy colleagues to build the pipeline of major gift donors, securing meetings and implementing individual cultivation and solicitation strategies.

The SDOD will ensure the success of direct reports by providing oversight, coaching and strategy development advice, as well as facilitating the necessary collaboration throughout the Office of Philanthropy to achieve success. The SDOD will provide thoughtful and timely performance feedback, and role model and maintain adherence to a frontline focus.

The SDOD will have demonstrated success in building long-term philanthropic relationships while also consistently meeting fundraising goals, securing donations of $100k gifts and above from individuals, corporations and foundation. Will have demonstrated experience in the full spectrum of development including gift policies, solicitations, volunteer engagement and campaign management. The incumbent will have strong written and oral communications skills, exhibited through the development of successful donor communications. Established success at building internal (staff, physicians, administrators) relationships is required, as well as the ability to engage these partners in successful solicitation/campaign strategies.

Incumbent will have a minimum of 2 plus years of supervisory experience, having demonstrated the ability to motivate and reward success, provide course correction as needed, and motivate a team around shared and individual goals. Will have exhibited the ability to understanding individual and team goals in larger institutional context, providing insight into program and people management in alignment with larger institutional goals. Will have displayed commitment to accountability and collaboration, and ability to support this same commitment in direct reports.

These experiences will have been secured with five or more years of consecutive experience in a non-profit environment, with experience in a complex health care environment preferred.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Meet annual activity and financial performance metrics.

• Analyze and implement program to ensure cost effectiveness.

• Identify, develop and manage fundraising efforts for City of Hope philanthropic priorities and initiatives.

• Develop and implement thoughtful, strategic cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for prospective major donors (with a focus on individuals) for gifts of $100k+.

• Ensure regular contact with donors through various activities and communications, especially face-to-face meetings.

• Identify, organize and direct the efforts of philanthropic volunteers as needed and assigned.

• Identify and develop joint major giving opportunities in collaboration with Philanthropy colleagues from across the institution and Office of Philanthropy teams for prospects and work towards successful solicitations.

• Identify and qualify new major gift prospects.

• Coordinate activities with other development officers and entities, including physicians and administrators.

• Maintain an active portfolio with low inactive/cold rates, moving prospects through the fundraising cycle.

• Oversee management of staff and act as mentor for all content and professional development areas. Includes serving as a resource in developing strategies, conducting ongoing conversations regarding performance in relation to metrics and articulating opportunities for employees’ growth and professional development in a thoughtful manner.

• Provide leadership throughout employees’ tenure, from interviewing and making thoughtful hiring decisions, and providing foundational onboarding to new employees, to ensuring high employee retention within the Office of Philanthropy.

• Responsible for fiduciary accounting of the funds raised through these campaigns.

• Responsible for department oversight and ensuring a positive working relationship between other City of Hope Departments and employees. Position includes direct oversight of employees and the management of a work team that is integrated into the larger industry-based fund-raising effort.

• Responsible for meeting established performance goals for team

• Act as spokesperson for City of Hope activities as requested.

• Participate in search committees, task forces and other special projects.

• Demonstrate an ability to solve problems, overcome hurdles, and navigate sensitive issues with discretion, tact and strong communication skills.

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with City of Hope faculty and staff to support fundraising initiatives for COH priorities.

• Possess thorough knowledge of the key fund-raising priorities for COH.

Basic education, experience and skills required for consideration:

• Bachelors Degree or Masters Degree in business, philathrophyor related field.

• Must have a minimum of 5 years in fundraising, development, or related field in non-profit environment.

• Must have a minimum of 2 years of supervisory experience.

Preferred education experience and skills:

• Experience in a complex medical or academic development setting encouraged.

• Demonstrated understanding of social media outlets such as Linked In,Twitter and Facebook.

• Advanced degree or subsequent experience preferred.

• Candidate must easily be able to navigate a wide variety of business and social settings and enjoy taking the message of City of Hope to individuals and organizations that are not yet familiar with its work.

Additional Information:

• As a condition of employment, City of Hope requires staff to comply with all state and federal vaccination mandates.