President, Rutgers University Foundation & EVP, Development & Alumni Engagement
- Employer
- Rutgers University
- Location
- New Jersey, United States
- Salary
- Competitive Salary
- Date posted
- May 18, 2021
View more
- Position Type
- Administrative, Business & Administrative Affairs, Development & Advancement
- Employment Level
- Administrative
- Employment Type
- Full Time
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Rutgers University seeks an accomplished, transformational, and
intuitive advancement leader to assume the role of President,
Rutgers University Foundation & Executive Vice President,
Development & Alumni Engagement.
It
is a pivotal moment to join this celebrated institution between the
recent appointment of Dr. Jonathan Holloway as the University’s
21st president and an anticipated comprehensive campaign that
promises to be Rutgers’ most ambitious fundraising effort in its
255-year history.
The
next President, Rutgers University Foundation will partner closely
with President Holloway to propel the institution to new levels of
fundraising success, chart a bold course for the next campaign,
align the efforts of an established fundraising team with strategic
university-wide priorities, and in return, be inspired each day by
the many lives transformed through a Rutgers education, as well as
the chance to be of service to the Rutgers community.
About Rutgers
Founded in 1766, Rutgers is the eighth-oldest university in the
nation. Its presence spans the Garden State with three locations as
well as the state's largest academic and clinical health center,
each led by a Chancellor: Rutgers-New Brunswick, Rutgers-Newark,
Rutgers-Camden, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS).
In all, Rutgers encompasses 29 schools and colleges,
numerous centers, institutes, and departments, with the support of
broad centralized administrative services that ensure the
University achieves excellence in teaching, research, service, and
healthcare.
Rutgers is an academic, health, and research powerhouse that plays
a crucial role in educating students, creating jobs, contributing
billions to the economy, improving community health, and
discovering solutions to real-world problems. Its multi-campus
structure enables the University to deliver academic programming,
research initiatives, and civic partnerships uniquely situated in
specific regions of the state while consistently achieving the
highest levels of excellence across the entire University.
Ranked among the top 25 public universities in the nation, Rutgers
delivers 150+ undergraduate majors and 400+ graduate programs with
the help of 23,600+ faculty and staff. It is among the most
ethnically diverse universities in the nation with more than 71,000
students from all 50 states and over 125 countries. Among peer
public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), Rutgers
ranks first in the number of master’s degrees earned by African
Americans, second in the total degrees earned by African Americans,
sixth in total degrees earned by Asians, sixth in the number of
master’s degrees earned by Hispanics/Latinx, and fourth in the
number of doctoral degrees earned by women.
Rutgers also drives innovation, expending more in research and development than all other
New Jersey universities and colleges combined. With an early
beginning in agriculture and the mechanical arts related to its
land-grant mission, Rutgers has grown into a leading hub for
respected researchers tackling society's largest challenges.
In
2019, the University received 3,818 research awards and $754M in
research grants and sponsored programs. As a member of both the AAU
and Big Ten Academic Alliance,
Rutgers is afforded meaningful connections to other world-class
research institutions with significant opportunities for
collaboration.
The
birthplace of college football, Rutgers-New Brunswick is part of
the Big Ten athletic conference with 27 teams participating at the
Division I level. Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden both compete in
regional conferences at the Division III level.
Leadership
In
July 2020, Dr. Jonathan Holloway, an eminent historian and author,
took office as the 21st president of Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey. He also serves as a University Professor and
Distinguished Professor.
Prior to accepting the presidency of Rutgers, Dr. Holloway was
Provost of Northwestern University and before that, Dean of Yale
College and the Edmund S. Morgan Professor of African American
Studies, History, and American Studies. President Holloway’s
scholarly work specializes in post-emancipation U.S. history with a
focus on social and intellectual history. He is an elected member
of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Society of
American Historians, and he was appointed to the Mellon
Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2020. Dr. Holloway, who began his
academic career at the University of California San Diego, received
a bachelor’s degree with honors in American studies from Stanford
University and a Ph.D. in history from Yale University.
President Holloway has outlined three propositions
that will be the touchstones of his presidency: the relentless
pursuit of academic excellence; developing greater strategic
institutional clarity; and the achievement of a beloved community –
a culture that emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect
as Rutgers refines its mission of becoming the very best in public
research universities. To better position Rutgers to address these
urgent priorities, President Holloway has added senior vice
presidents for equity and strategy, elevated
the role of the chief academic officer, and
expanded outreach to University constituencies. He was also
instrumental in helping secure a $15 million grant from the
Mellon Foundation to establish an Institute for the Study of Global
Racial Justice.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging &
Anti-Racism
Rutgers’ mission to create access to education has attracted a
richly diverse student body. Many of its students are
first-generation college undergraduates, others come from
low-income backgrounds or families where English is not the primary
language. Of its 71,000 students, 60% are non-white, and the
majority of alumni will be people of color over the next five
years. Rutgers remains committed to making a success of each
person’s educational, professional, and personal journey, and to
creating an inclusive university environment that brings to life
the ideals of a beloved community – a culture that
emphasizes diversity, inclusion, and respect.
In
ratifying these goals, President Holloway commissioned an internal
equity audit and the development of a strategic plan to identify
and take concrete and measurable actions to address racial/ethnic,
social, and economic inequities across the campus community and the
larger external community that engages with the University.
Rutgers further established The Office of the Senior Vice President for Equity,
which serves as an integral part of the University’s central
leadership and advances, promotes, and advocates for inclusiveness,
diversity, and equity as key elements to achieve Rutgers' strategic
vision to be prominent in research, excellent in teaching, and
committed to community.
The
University will continue to draw strength from the rich variety of
perspectives and life experiences of its beloved community.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism are
strategic imperatives.
Rutgers University Foundation
Rutgers University Foundation inspires philanthropic
support and enduring connections with alumni and friends, enabling
the University to transform lives. It is a 501c3 tax-exempt
organization whose sole mission is to support the Rutgers
community. With more than 200 staff, many of whom are embedded in
schools and units, Rutgers University Foundation includes a fully
integrated alumni
association, in-house communications capabilities, and an
administrative infrastructure comprised of IT, human resources, and
data analytics.
In
2014, Rutgers successfully completed a $1 billion campaign,
Our Rutgers, Our Future: A Campaign
for Excellence. The Foundation continued its momentum in the
post-campaign period, experiencing a 69% rise in fundraising during
2015-2019. Support for the University’s academic health division
drove some of the largest increases as did growth in principal
gifts for programs at RBHS, New Brunswick, and Newark.
The
institution has also enjoyed great support from the private
foundation sector. Rutgers is the top higher education grantee of
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the University has
maintained a decades-long partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, among other existing and burgeoning relationships.
Overall, Rutgers has experienced an increase in private giving
across verticals, from annual giving and season ticket sales to
foundation grants and principal gifts. In 2019-2020, nearly 50,000
donors contributed $240M to make it the second-highest fundraising
year in Rutgers’ history. Moving forward, opportunities exist to
increase principal gifts ($5M+), significantly grow major gifts
($100K-$5M), and further build the endowment, which now totals
$1.65B.
In
anticipation of its next comprehensive campaign and as part of the
preliminary planning process, the Foundation recently released the
concept of Rutgers Big Ideas – bold, large-scale,
multi-disciplinary philanthropic initiatives that can drive
transformational change and, when realized, will improve the human
condition. Big Ideas will form a cornerstone of the University’s
campaign and stir the Rutgers community and its
philanthropists.
The
most ambitious campaign in Rutgers’ history will be planned and
executed against this backdrop. Rutgers will look to the new
President, Rutgers Foundation & EVP, Development & Alumni
Engagement to lead campaign planning, messaging, and goal setting,
harness the power of the Foundation Board of Directors to raise the
institution’s profile, bring forward innovative and ambitious
fundraising and engagement strategies that deepen the culture of
philanthropy and broaden the donor base, and inspire a fundraising
organization of 200+ to raise their sights and reach new levels of
success.
The Position
Reporting to the President of Rutgers University and the Board
Chair of the Foundation, the President, Rutgers University
Foundation will guide all advancement efforts and serve as the
principal liaison between University leadership and the
Foundation’s Board of Directors. Additionally, as the Executive
Vice President, Development & Alumni Engagement, they will
serve as a member of the Rutgers University senior leadership team
and a thought partner to the President of Rutgers.
The
President, Rutgers University Foundation & EVP, Development
& Alumni Engagement is responsible for the following:
Fundraising
- Leveraging the time and talents of the President, who is the University’s chief fundraiser, to engage, cultivate, and solicit top donors and prospects.
- Raising principal and transformational gifts. Uplifting the philanthropic capacity of all constituencies, identifying areas for growth, and developing strategies to meaningfully involve staff, volunteers, and donors at all levels.
- Leading the Foundation through its next successful campaign while readying it for future fundraising and engagement efforts. Inspiring innovation, excellence, and expansive thinking when considering opportunities across the institution.
- Managing the Foundation's functional areas of development, alumni relations, communications, advancement services, finance, and talent management with a style that is empowering, highly communicative, encourages teamwork, provides mentorship, and creates a high-performance culture.
- Establishing the Foundation as an integrated center of excellence focused on best-practices and right-sized systems and tools. Collaborating with the University to identify and implement operational efficiencies. Achieving high-performance targets through focus and drive towards a measurable standard of excellence.
- Ensuring that the priorities of the Foundation are aligned with the objectives of the University. Building trusted relationships with institutional and academic partners, and aligning campaign goals and fundraising strategies with the mission.
- Providing a work environment that values diversity and inclusion and establishes belonging among all community constituents including staff and volunteers regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or disability.
- Further engaging the Foundation's 39-member Board of Directors in the fundraising process. In partnership with the President, supporting the engagement of the University's Board of Governors and Board of Trustees.
- Continuing to nurture meaningful relationships with Rutgers' diverse alumni population and the Rutgers community overall.
- Strengthening the Foundation’s connection to the University by keeping the President, Chancellors, Deans, and members of the central administration's Senior Leadership Team updated about the Foundation’s work on the University’s behalf and by inviting them to participate in the process at many levels.
- Contributing to the senior leadership dialogue and serving as a trusted and collaborative partner to University colleagues.
- Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in advancement as both a senior level manager and frontline gift officer, with a record of accomplishment leading an advancement team in higher education.
- Personal track record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding principal level gifts.
- Demonstrated success as an engaging and effective leader with the ability to anticipate, develop, and communicate long-term vision, values, and strategies that focus and drive the creative energy of an advancement operation.
- Strategic thinking abilities with a strong grasp of best practices and a holistic understanding of all aspects of advancement.
- A growth mindset when evaluating the strengths of existing philanthropic programs and identifying opportunities for improvement and collaboration. Evidence of elevating programs to higher performance levels across all metrics.
- Skilled as an outstanding coach, mentor, and motivator of professionals with a dedication to hiring, retaining, and developing diverse teams consistent with the ideals of a beloved community.
- A keen eye for operational efficiency and optimal use of resources; the ability to plan, monitor, and manage a budget.
- A skilled narrator with extraordinary communication and interpersonal skills and a customer service orientation. Poised, professional manner with the ability to express oneself clearly and thoughtfully through all forms of communication.
- Thinks big picture while paying attention to the detail and separating the critical from the routine.
- Acts in a selfless manner and models the ethical values of the University. Exhibits sound decision-making in response to rapidly changing and often complicated situations. Brings a sense of humor and perspective.
- Appreciates the nuances of serving as both a member of the University’s senior leadership team and President of the Foundation. Commits to fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between the two that advances Rutgers’ future state.
- Professional credibility and maturity to effectively engage and build authentic relationships across the University and Foundation, as well as with the greater Rutgers community.
- Interprets, adapts, and further develops the "language" of Rutgers in describing the institution’s collective work, aspirations, and impact.
- When it is safe to do so, will be able and willing to travel domestically and internationally to develop and maintain relationships with prospects and donors.
- A Bachelor’s degree.
Application Information
Pearl Street Collective, a national women-owned executive search firm, has been retained to conduct this search. Adele Mezher and Maeve Clifford, Co-Founders and Managing Partners, are leading the engagement. You can find additional information on the search and a full list of search committee members by visiting the Office of the President. Rutgers strives to provide equal opportunity in employment and education to all employees, students and applicants. No employee, student or applicant shall be discriminated against or harassed on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, age, marital or parental status, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal or state law, in the administration of Rutgers’ employment policies, education policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other University administered programs.
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