Vice President, Growth, Strategy, and Donor Relations

What You'll Do

As the Vice President, Growth, Strategy, and Donor Relations, you will serve as the chief architect of the donor experience during a transformative era for the organization. Joining a high-impact team with a $50 million annual budget and a staff of 70+ professionals, you will act as a chief architect of the donor experience, operating with the autonomy to drive strategy and align internal functions within a high-impact team. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will be instrumental in orchestrating the strategy development and execution for our historic $1 billion, 10-year capital campaign.

This role requires a sophisticated leader who moves beyond functional management to provide high-level stakeholder coordination and the oversight of a donor advisory council. You will lead a dynamic portfolio of initiatives designed to deepen relationships with institutional, corporate, and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) partners, ensuring all internal pieces move in lockstep with our collective campaign goals. This role will be essential in managing complex priorities and transforming the practice of philanthropy into a powerful force for whole-system change.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategic Philanthropy and Campaign Management

• Drive the enterprise-wide engagement strategy to deepen multi-dimensional relationships with institutional, UHNW, and corporate partners.
• Orchestrate the strategic roadmap for the $1B, 10-year capital campaign, ensuring organizational readiness for the early 2027 launch.
• Co-lead the architecture of campaign infrastructure, including the design of donor recognition levels, gift societies, and long-term stewardship frameworks.
• Govern a strategic portfolio of principal relationships, ensuring long-term alignment with the organization's growth and campaign objectives.
• Design high-level campaign readiness initiatives, including regional salons and leadership briefings, to cultivate and secure foundational lead investors.
• Conceptualize and oversee signature leadership gatherings that enhance organizational visibility and serve as catalysts for campaign momentum.
• Steward complex corporate and philanthropic partnerships, ensuring a rigorous match between investor goals and PolicyLink's systemic change mission.
• Direct large-scale operational ecosystems, managing multi-million dollar budgets, donor stewardship strategy, and cross-departmental integration.

Engagement Infrastructure and Storytelling

• Create sophisticated, high-touch stewardship models for the organization's most significant funders and campaign champions.
• Provide the strategic vision and executive oversight for PolicyLink events, donor experiences, and other external opportunities, positioning them as premier national platforms.
• Partner with Communications leadership to oversee the production of high-impact narratives and messaging that resonate with principal-level donors.
• Drive data-informed decision-making by collaborating with Development Operations to leverage CRM insights and engagement metrics.
• Equip and mobilize internal and external ambassadors, including the Board and Campaign Cabinet, through high-level training and capacity-building. Oversee the integration of digital storytelling and engagement tools to amplify donor impact and organizational reach.

Team Management and Organizational Integration

• Lead and mentor a high-performing Engagement & Events team, including staff and senior consultants, fostering a culture of "Love & Accountability."
• Synthesize outreach and engagement strategies across Institutional Partnerships and UHNW teams to ensure a unified enterprise approach.
• Serve as a key organizational representative in cross-functional planning related to public affairs, brand positioning, and external relations.
• Act as an independent strategic lead, managing one's own priorities and moving all internal pieces to ensure the successful execution of the campaign vision.

Who You'll Work With

You will report directly to the Chief Development Officer and supervise a growing Engagement & Events team.

You will frequently collaborate with the Institutional Partnerships and Communications teams to ensure a consistent, inspired donor experience.

• 12-15 years of experience in nonprofit development and senior leadership, with a proven track record of architecting strategy and driving institutional growth.
• Proven success in securing sponsorships and investments at the $5 million+ scale, focusing on long-term partnership development and complex revenue streams.
• Strategic leadership of capital campaign readiness and high-net-worth engagement initiatives that move the organization toward transformational funding goals.
• Mastery of storytelling and communication, with the ability to translate complex policy and systemic change work into sophisticated, high-level donor narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as an enterprise leader, building consensus across departments and effectively engaging Board members and high-profile partners.
• Exceptional operational and project governance skills, including the independent management of priorities, budgets, and external counsel.
• Unwavering commitment to PolicyLink's mission, ensuring that all strategic initiatives are centered in equity, justice, and systemic change.

Compensation

The target salary for this role is $225K to $250K, and commensurate with experience.

Location and Travel

While this role is fully remote, candidates based in San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; or New York, NY are highly preferred as these locations are where many of PolicyLink's current partnerships exist. Candidates based in these regions can expect 10 to 15% of travel, while candidates not based in these locations can expect up to 35% of travel.

PolicyLink strongly values equity and believes in a just and fair society where all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. We work toward a more inclusive world, and as such, we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse and multicultural working environment.

Proof of eligibility to work in the United States must be provided if selected for hire.