Assistant Vice President, Planned Giving - Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Assistant Vice President for Planned Giving (AVP) builds upon the strengths of an established planned giving fundraising program and increases the visibility and impact of the planned giving program across the Enterprise including Center City, East Falls, Abington, Northeast, New Jersey, Magee and Einstein. They provide guidance for all aspects of planned giving activities, including identification, qualification, cultivation; solicitation; closure; and stewardship of assigned prospects as well as overseeing the stewardship program for the Society of 1824 – the planned giving recognition society.

The AVP will oversee the administration of planned gifts including trusts and annuities, working with the general counsel and finance offices as well as outside financial institutions and advisors. They will maintain an active portfolio of key planned giving prospects and will concentrate on building, overseeing and executing a planned giving program focusing on grateful patients and university alumni.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Build, oversee, and execute the planned giving program that focuses on grateful patient and alumni prospects.
• Work closely with clinical and university major gift officers to qualify, cultivate, solicit and close planned gifts from all Enterprise constituents.
• Maintain a portfolio of planned giving prospects and manage this portfolio in a manner that fosters a relationship that leads to philanthropic commitment.
• Independently draft/prepare gift agreements, bequests, and estate planning agreements (in coordination with Jefferson’s legal counsel).
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the educational, research, clinical and financial needs and goals of the clinical areas; establish, maintain, and grow a highly responsive and collaborative development program to meet these needs/goals.
• Serve in a leadership capacity in the creation of a planned giving plan to support the clinical departments and the university. The AVP will establish development program goals and the feasibility, timeline, staffing needs, and volunteer structure to support implementation.
• Work with communications staff and outside vendors to translate strategic initiatives and programmatic/capital needs into persuasive proposals and compelling major gift opportunities.
• Work with the events and alumni relations teams and development officers to conceptualize events and other activities to cultivate and steward major gifts prospects and donors.
• Maintain fluid and proactive communications with colleagues to ensure effective collaborations and synergy in achieving key fundraising goals and objectives.
• Build and support a formalized and professional development function for the defined clinical and academic areas.

• Manage an individual prospect pool of 100 highly rated prospects
• Maintain an aggressive travel, visit and event schedule
• Conduct a minimum of 125 Meaningful Donor Encounters per year
• Deliver a minimum of 24 proposals a year
• Interacts with co-workers, visitors, and other staff consistent with the values of Jefferson.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent level of professional experience required, advanced study or law degree is strongly desirable.

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EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• 8-10+ years of direct or related fundraising experience, preferably with experience in a medical center, healthcare or higher education.
• A demonstrated record of successful planned gifts fundraising including identification, qualification, cultivation, and solicitation of $250K to $1M individual gifts.
• Proven experience in cultivating and maintaining relationships with individual planned and leadership gift prospects, and nurturing volunteer board relationships. Proven experience in the successful management of prospect pool.
• Fundraising experience in a variety of functional areas.  Particular strength in the area of planned gifts development is essential.  Well-versed in planned giving concepts and familiarity with annual giving is desirable.
• Oversight of an assigned constituency or program. Responsibility for an operating plan in collaboration with a dean or department head. Experience in strategy execution and goal achievement is essential.   
• Exhibits strong interpersonal and communication skills. Possesses the ability to work independently as well as cohesively a member of a team.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Willingness and ability to travel nationally
• Willingness and ability to work nights and weekends when necessary
• Experience with database and planned giving specific software systems, and Microsoft Office
• Excellent oral, written, and communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with both internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to articulate, both written and orally a compelling case for major philanthropic support for medicine programs, presenting objectives persuasively to potential donors.
• Interacts with co-workers, visitors, and other staff consistent with Jefferson’s core values.
• Ability to develop trust and collaborative working relationships with colleagues and across an organization.
• Must be able to multi-task, be detail-oriented with strong service mentality.    
• Experience with database software systems and Microsoft Office. Excellent oral, written, and communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with both internal and external constituencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Covid Vaccination is a requirement for employment at Jefferson for employees working at Jefferson’s clinical entities or at the University.  If you are not currently vaccinated you will be required to receive the vaccination prior to hire date if you are offered employment, unless you request and receive an approved medical or religious exemption from Jefferson.

Jefferson includes Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, a dynamic university and health system with broad reach across the Delaware Valley. Jefferson is the second largest employer in Philadelphia and the largest health system in Philadelphia based on total licensed beds.

Through the merger of Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University in 2017, our University includes ten colleges and four schools. We are an NCAA Division II university and an R2 national doctoral university offering undergraduate and graduate-level programs that provide students with a forward-thinking education in architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion and textiles, health, medicine and social science.

Jefferson Health, the clinical arm of Thomas Jefferson University, has grown from a three-hospital academic health center in 2015, to an 18-hospital health system through mergers and combinations that include hospitals at Abington Health, Aria Health, Kennedy Health, Magee Rehabilitation and Einstein Healthcare Network. We have over 50 outpatient and urgent care centers; ten Magnet®-designated hospitals (recognized by the ANCC for nursing excellence); the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (one of only 70 in the country and one of only two in the region); and one of the largest faculty-based telehealth networks in the country. In 2021, Jefferson Health became the sole owner of HealthPartners Plan, a not-for-profit health maintenance organization in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We are the first health system regionally to create an aligned payer-provider partnership.

Jefferson’s mission, vision and values create an organization that attracts the best and the brightest students, faculty, staff, and healthcare professionals, as well as the most visionary leaders to drive exceptional results.

• OUR MISSION: We improve lives.
• OUR VISION: Reimagining health, education and discovery to create unparalleled value
• OUR VALUES: Put People First, Be Bold & Think Differently and Do the Right Thing

As an employer, Jefferson maintains a commitment to provide equal access to employment. Jefferson values diversity and encourages applications from women, members of minority groups, LGBTQ individuals, disabled individuals, and veterans.