Vice President, Growth & Development

What You'll Do

Over the past five years, Starlight Children's Foundation has more than doubled its revenue to $24M, and with an ambitious goal to scale to $35M by 2030, Starlight now seeks a Vice President of Growth and Development to lead revenue growth for the organization. This is an ideal opportunity for a proven frontline fundraiser with an entrepreneurial mindset to build dynamic growth strategy and form innovative partnerships.

As Vice President, Growth and Development, you will lead revenue growth for Starlight, establishing a unified strategy across all fundraising verticals -- corporate partnerships, individual and major donors, securing major partnerships, and expanding and diversifying funding streams. In this pivotal role, you will elevate our national visibility with funders, lead a high-performing fundraising team, and join the Executive Leadership Team serving as a key architect in shaping the organization's strategic direction.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Build, lead, and execute a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with Starlight's mission and growth goals, establishing clear revenue targets and ensuring accountability in delivery
• Drive network expansion by systematically identifying and prospecting new donors, while strategically leveraging existing relationships with current donors and board members to uncover new funding opportunities.
• Establish a unified approach across corporate partnerships, individual giving, events, major donors, and new business development
• Build and manage a high-value portfolio of corporate partners, including identifying new prospects, oversee the development pipeline and close opportunities; create customized engagement pathways, and maximizing lifetime value through renewal and upsell strategies
• Partner closely with cross-functional leaders (programs, marketing, finance, and executive teams) to design compelling partnership opportunities, campaigns, and activation plans that achieve both Starlight's impact and corporate objectives
• Oversee the growth of the individual giving portfolio, and personally cultivate, solicit, and secure high-value support from major donors, family foundations, and high-net-worth prospects
• Partner closely with the CEO and Board to unlock networks and accelerate pipeline growth
• Equip Board members, CEO, and senior leaders with the necessary strategies and materials to support donor engagements
• Establish and optimize systems, metrics, and processes for prospecting, pipeline management, forecasting, and stewardship to ensure portfolio growth and data-informed decision-making

Team and Organizational Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the fundraising and partnerships team of 12 identifying departmental and individual goals with benchmarks to monitor progress
• Coach and mentor a high-performing team, fostering continuous professional development through regular feedback loops and empowering managers to effectively support and guide their own direct reports.
• Maintain clear visibility into pipeline health, timing, and risk through goal setting, budgets, and forecasting, ensuring shared clarity across leadership and informed decision-making across all revenue activities
• Partner cross-functionally with Mission Delivery, Program, Finance, Marketing, and Communications teams, ensuring strong alignment in delivering on partner expectations

External Leadership, Brand Elevation, and Relationship Building

• Work closely with the Vice President, Marketing and their team to ensure fundraising and brand building efforts are coordinated and drive the greatest possible outcome
• Serve as an external voice, representing Starlight at key industry, philanthropic, and corporate events
• Lead and develop compelling, partner-facing pitches that leverage the Marketing team's messaging to position Starlight as a top-tier partner

Who You'll Work With

• You will report to the Chief Executive Officer.
• You will directly manage the Senior Director, Individual Giving and Senior Director, Partnerships, overseeing an overall team of 11-12.
• You will frequently collaborate with the Vice President, Marketing and Communications and Chief Financial Officer and their respective teams.

• Senior Fundraising Leadership: 15+ years in senior fundraising roles with proven track record of hitting and exceeding revenue targets and building and scaling multi-year fundraising strategies including diversified revenue streams
• Corporate Partnerships and Business Development: Strong track record securing six-and seven-figure corporate partnerships, designing compelling propositions, and negotiating complex agreements. Existing senior-level networks across corporate, media, entertainment, or consumer brands is preferred
• Major Gifts and Individual Giving: Proven success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-value donors (high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and family offices) and able to inspire Board engagement
• People and Team Leadership: Experience leading, developing, and unifying high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams into a coordinated, high-velocity revenue engine
• Strategic and Financial Acumen: Data-driven mindset with ability to translate insights into strategy, prioritization, and resource allocation; experience optimizing donor journeys alongside revenue forecasting, pipeline management, and ROI analysis in close collaboration with financial leaders
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling cases for support to C-suite executives, Boards, and donors
• Relationship Building: Advanced relationship building and management skills; ability to build diplomatic, credible, and trusted relationships at senior levels across corporate, philanthropic, and community networks
• Operational Excellence: Experience managing fundraising systems/CRMs and improving cross-functional coordination between programs, marketing, finance, and fundraising teams
• Sector Knowledge: Deep knowledge of nonprofit compliance and governance, with preferred experience in social impact, corporate social responsibility, or mission-driven organizations supporting seriously ill children and their families
• Personal Attributes: Results-driven strategic thinker with high integrity and emotional intelligence who is also comfortable rolling up their sleeves when needed in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Starlight is a remotely-based team and this position can be based remotely from anywhere in the United States. We anticipate the role requiring approximately 15% travel.

Starlight is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a top four-star rating by Charity Navigator for its excellent fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Starlight is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applicants from all sectors of the community.