November 17th, 2025
Episcopal Relief & Development
About the Organization
The Vice President of Faith & Community Engagement is a senior leadership role responsible for building and fostering relationships throughout The Episcopal Church and with communities, organizations, and leaders from various denominations and traditions. By fostering an expansive and diverse community of values aligned partners, the Vice President and Faith Relations team will increase engagement with Episcopal Relief & Development and sustainably grow its financial base, thereby deepening its
worldwide impact.
Reporting directly to the Chief External Relations Officer, the Vice President of Faith & Community Engagement is a constituent member of the External Relations senior leadership team alongside the Vice President for Marketing and Communications and the Vice President for Advancement.
Beyond External Relations, the Vice President works closely with the President & CEO and serves as a key cross-departmental representative for faith-based efforts.
Job Description
Position salary range: 190-195000
STATEMENT OF VISION FOR THE ROLE:
Episcopal Relief & Development is in the middle of a 10-year Strategic Plan, which calls for
growth at all levels of the organization. The Vice President of Advancement is expected to
play a catalytic role in scaling of the organization’s mission by increasing the annual
fundraising target of $21M to $30M or more by 2030.
Working strategically in concert with key internal stakeholders – Marketing &
Communications, Faith & Community Engagement, Business Development, and Program –
the Vice President of Advancement will forge philanthropic relationships and key networks to
build the organization’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. The VP will expand and
diversify the organization’s donor base, building a robust pipeline that can deliver resources
in the face of external challenges and market competition for dollars.
This highly strategic and hands-on leader will oversee all aspects of philanthropic giving,
including major gifts, foundation relations, planned giving, direct response, and donor
relations. They will be a passionate advocate for the organization's mission, effectively
communicating its impact to a diverse global donor base, and inspiring deep engagement
and financial support. This role requires a leader with a strong commitment to the
organization's faith-based values and the ability to articulate that foundation effectively in
fundraising efforts.
PRIMARY PURPOSE:
The Vice President of Advancement is a critically important role at Episcopal Relief &
Development, responsible for unlocking long-term and predictable sustainability for the
organization and developing a healthy file of committed donors and friends. Reporting
directly to the Chief External Relations Officer, the Vice President of Advancement works very
closely with the Chief Executive Officer and select board members. They also serve as a
leader in the External Relations department, alongside the Vice President for Marketing &
Communications and the Vice President for Faith & Community Engagement. Finally, the
Vice President for Advancement is also an important member of the organizational Senior
Leadership Team, along with Vice Presidents and other leaders of the organization.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
A successful Vice President of Advancement will develop a dynamic and results-driven
comprehensive individual donor fundraising program encompassing mass market/direct
response, including digital giving and direct mail, as well as major and planned gifts.
Additionally, they will help the organization move towards opportunities in corporate giving
and matching gifts. In partnership the Program and Business Development teams, a
successful Vice President of Advancement will raise funds from major, mid and minor
foundations as well. In collaboration with the Faith & Community Engagement team, assist in
growing giving from congregations, dioceses, and affiliated church entities.
TEAM and OTHER LEADERSHIP
• Develop, implement, and continually refine a multi-year comprehensive fundraising
strategy with ambitious goals, aligned with the organization's strategic plan and
budget.
• Lead the annual planning and budgeting process for the Advancement department.
• Stay abreast of fundraising trends, best practices, and innovative approaches within
the international NGO and faith-based fundraising sectors.
• Provide strategic counsel to the President & CEO, the Chief External Relations
Officer, and the Board of Directors on all fundraising matters.
• Collaborate closely with program, finance, communications, faith engagement teams
to ensure alignment of messaging, impact reporting, and resource allocation.
• Work with the program team and affiliated colleagues in Measurement, Evaluation,
and Learning to identify funding opportunities and develop compelling narratives.
• Engage, train and guide Board members to secure their active participation and
personal involvement in Episcopal Relief & Development’s advancement activities,
providing fundraising training to Board members and other senior staff as needed.
• Recruit, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Advancement team, fostering a
collaborative and results-oriented culture.
• Set clear performance goals and provide regular feedback and professional
development opportunities for team members.
• Manage department budget and resources effectively.
FUNDRAISING STRATEGY
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-net-worth individual donors,
securing significant gifts of five to 7-figures
• Build a successful major gifts program in which all solicitors develop, manage, and
forecast from a defined robust pipeline of major and principal gift donors and
prosepcts.
• Partner with the President & CEO, Board members, and program leadership on top
tier donor cultivation and solicitations.
• Oversee the development of compelling proposals and donor communications for
major gift prospects.
• Develop and promote a planned giving program to encourage bequests, charitable
gift annuities, and other deferred giving vehicles.
• Working with the Director of Direct Response, oversee and guide the development
and execution of integrated direct response fundraising campaigns (mail, email,
digital, social media) to acquire, retain, and upgrade donors.
• Strengthen the current Sustainers Program for monthly donors
• Identify and pursue opportunities to leverage the President & CEO, Board members,
program staff and other stakeholders including clergy in the cultivation of donors and
volunteers to increase support for Episcopal Relief & Development.
DONOR RELATIONS
• Ensure a best-in-class donor experience through personalized communication,
recognition, and impact reporting.
• Represent the organization, mission, and impact to donors, partners, and the public.
• Actively engage in networking opportunities to build relationships and enhance the
organization's visibility.
• Oversee donor events, trips, and other engagement opportunities.
OPERATIONS
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records in the CRM system
• Leverage data analytics to optimize performance and donor giving results
• Build predictable and effective reporting mechanisms for the Advancement team
• Strengthen research and donor modeling for Advancement
• Work with the Advancement team to build a coherent and powerful strategy that is
implemented through formal annual planning and execution; track progress regularly
and build a culture of continuous learning around results and patterns.
SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS:
The Vice President of Advancement is responsible for managing a team of nine, working in
the areas of direct response, major gifts, planned giving and donor services. Of the nine team
members, three report directly to the Vice President: Director of Direct Response, Direct of
Major Gifts, and the Director of Donor Services.
EDUCATION:
• A Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and/or equivalent experience
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:
• A minimum of 10 years of successful fundraising leadership in a non-profit,
community, or faith-based setting.
• A minimum of 7 years’ responsibility for managing a team of fundraising
professionals
• An excellent coach, mentor, and team builder
• Demonstrated skills leading others in annual planning, strategy development, and
implementation, and strong project management.
• Experience with moves management and building systems for others to follow
proper staging and related documentation of donor relationships over time
• Proven experience closing five, six, and seven-figure gifts as well as personally
carrying a portfolio of donors
• Hands-on experience with donor databases (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge/RENXT, etc)
• Tangible experience of having expanded existing donor relationships over time
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage
a wide range of internal and external audiences
• A systems thinker who creates efficient workflows for others to follow
• Strong business operational skills and appreciation for structure and processes
• Comfort and experience with data, analytics and reporting; utilizing data to drive
strategy and inform decisions; ensuring that setting and monitoring metrics and
targets are a part of the culture of the team.
• Flexible and adaptable style; can positively impact both strategic and tactical
• Proven experience as a leader who is open to viewpoints of others yet can also make
courageous and tough decisions when needed
• A working knowledge of trends in the philanthropy sector, including emerging
vehicles for giving and patterns in the donor market
• Team player with a track record of intra and cross-departmental engagement
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred
• High energy and passion for the mission of Episcopal Relief & Development
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement annual strategic development plan
• Strong organizational and time management with exceptional attention to detail
• A confident communicator who has sound judgment and manages sensitive
situations with discretion and confidentiality.
• A detail-oriented multitasker who is adept at managing competing priorities and
meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• A self-starter who takes initiative, brings people together, and gets things done.
• An enthusiastic team member who is excited to work cross-functionally with other
departments, partners, donors, volunteers, and vendors with tact, diplomacy,
sensitivity to cultural diversity.
• Comfortable working in a faith-based environment
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
May be required to work long hours and a varied schedule including evenings and weekends,
as well as travel on occasion.
SALARY & BENEFITS:
Annual salary range of $190,000–$195,000 per year. Competitive, comprehensive benefits
package offered.
How To Apply:
Email resume and cover letter to careers@episcopalrelief.org with the subject line “VP,
Advancement”. For more information, visit www.episcopalrelief.org.
The position description is a guide to the critical duties and essential functions of the job, not
an all-inclusive list of responsibilities and/or qualifications.
Contact email for applicants careers@episcopalrelief.org