Associate Vice President of Advancement

University Advancement

 

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Adelphi University in the search for an Associate Vice President of Advancement.

 

The Associate Vice President of Advancement will be responsible for the oversight and execution of major and planned giving, leadership giving, foundation and corporate relations, advancement services, prospect research and management, and donor relations. The Associate Vice President will maintain a personal portfolio of major donors, prospects, and foundations, while bringing strategic vision and discipline to the leadership, major, and planned giving programs. The Associate Vice President will supervise a team of gift officers and drive effective performance, including developing and implementing best practices and systems in advancement and promoting excellence in all aspects of advancement’s work.

 

The Momentum Campaign

 

In partnership with the Vice President, the Associate Vice President will play a key role in executing the Momentum Campaign: Extraordinary Impact, a $100 million comprehensive campaign, which will launch publicly in September 2024. The work of the Associate Vice President will include prioritizing the work of gift officers to focus on campaign goals and objectives; developing marketing collateral; developing foundational reporting capabilities to track progress toward goal; and being a relentless advocate for the team and University. The Associate Vice President will supervise and work closely with the Advancement Services team on the development of a comprehensive prospect research and management operation that effectively identifies, prioritizes, and assigns leadership, major, and planned giving donors and prospects for the campaign.

 

Adelphi: Top-Ranked Private University on Long Island and a Leader in Social Mobility

 

Once considered New York’s best-kept secret, the Adelphi University of today is the top-ranked private university on Long Island, recognized for its mission of advancing social mobility and relentless dedication to student success. Founded in 1896, Adelphi was the first private, coeducational university on Long Island. With a main campus in Garden City, the University hosts learning hubs in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, Suffolk County, and online that provide educational opportunities for more than 7,200 students from 44 states and 76 countries. Adelphi is a thriving community made up of eight schools and colleges offering more than 200 programs taught by world-class faculty. With an 11-to-1 student to faculty ratio, students benefit from a personalized approach to their education.

 

Adelphi is an impressively diverse community, serving a student body which is approximately 44 percent non-White, 41 percent first in their family to attend college, and 30 percent low income. Given the University’s dedication to inclusion and student success, Adelphi is a place where every student can succeed. To that end, notably, in fall 2023, Adelphi closed the achievement gap by race and socioeconomic status, the University significantly outperformed peers in graduation rates, and graduates’ salaries are on average 39 percent higher than the national average.

 

The University continues to grow and invest in its students at a time when many institutions around the country have been reducing faculty numbers and spending. Adelphi has expanded faculty numbers and invested millions of dollars in infrastructure. Facilities have been upgraded, classrooms and labs have been fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, and music spaces have been enhanced. It also has taken on an ambitious campus expansion project that resulted in the Adele and Herbert J. Klapper Center for Fine Arts; the Center for Recreation and Sports; the Performing Arts Center; the Alice Brown Early Learning Center; and a complete renovation of the existing Woodruff Hall with a modern exercise room, pool, teaching gym, and classroom. This significant investment in the people and places of Adelphi University allows students and faculty to thrive and contribute significantly to their disciplines.

 

The Adelphi Panthers compete at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference. They have won 18 NCAA Division II National Championships in three different sports—men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, and men’s soccer. Adelphi also boasts several individual national championships in track and field. And with nearly 118,000 alumni living and working around the world, the Adelphi Alumni network is incredible.

 

Adelphi University is guided by its mission to transform the lives of all students by creating a distinctive environment of intellectual rigor, research, creativity, and deep community engagement across four core areas of focus: arts and humanities, STEM and social sciences, the professions, and health and wellness. To continue on the path of achieving its mission, the University launched Momentum 2, a second, five-year strategic plan, in June of 2022 with goals of achieving academic distinction in the four core areas, becoming a more inclusive and connected community, and smart growth.

 

Adelphi Soars in U.S. News & World Report Rankings

 

The recent fall 2023 rankings from U.S. News & World Report show double-digit leaps for Adelphi in four categories. Named a Best College, its ranking moved up 19 spots. As a Best Value School, it rose 35 spots. Adelphi surged an unprecedented 85 spots as a Top Performer on Social Mobility.

 

The new rankings—which also include a double-digit rise in the U.S. News Best Colleges list as well as a strong showing in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings—reflect Adelphi’s focus on academic distinction and outcomes, affordability, and promotion of social mobility. All are key parts of Adelphi's strategy and mission, which are outlined in its Momentum 2 strategic plan. This plan calls for the continued expansion of academic programs and deepening of student engagement, constant efforts to foster an even more inclusive and welcoming community, and increased focus on the infrastructure needed to meet the changing demands of higher education.

 

Best College: This is the sixth consecutive year Adelphi has been ranked among America’s best colleges by U.S. News & World Report, and Adelphi climbed 19 points this year, coming in at No. 163 among 438 institutions.

 

Top Performer on Social Mobility: Adelphi moved up an unprecedented 85 spots to No. 55 in the media outlet’s annual Social Mobility rankings. Adelphi was one of the first institutions to be included in this category since its introduction to the ranking in 2019 and has long been recognized as an engine for social mobility and student success.

 

Best Value College: Adelphi is recognized as a Best Value College among national universities, jumping 35 places to No. 67 this year. Its student outcomes make Adelphi an excellent investment.

 

Best College in First-Year Student Experiences: Adelphi moved up even higher in the most prestigious Top 50 category on this list, rising 17 spots to No. 32. Adelphi is one of only three colleges and universities in New York state to be included in the First-Year Student Experience rankings. With a retention rate of 83 percent for first-year students, Adelphi also surpasses most regional peer institutions in bringing students back for their second year of college. Going further, Adelphi’s graduation rate is 16 percent higher than the national average.

 

Best Undergraduate Programs: Adelphi moved up 19 spots in the Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs rankings, coming in at No. 229 among 656 programs. Over the past year, Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health has expanded its state-of-the-art Clinical Education and Simulation Lab (CESiL), which incorporates the use of adult, birthing mother, newborn, infant, and child manikins. CESiL is also equipped with artificial intelligence tools and technologies to help students simulate real-life clinical experiences. Adelphi’s Derner School of Psychology‘s undergraduate program was also honored as a Best Undergraduate Psychology program.

 

Highest-Ranked University on Long Island by the WSJ: Ranked No. 142 out of the top 400 universities by Wall Street Journal/College Pulse, Adelphi is the highest-ranked university on Long Island and No. 12 among colleges and universities in New York State on this list. The ranking is the product of a revised methodology, which places an increased focus on student outcomes—a category in which Adelphi excels and is committed to as part of its mission. The Wall Street Journal specifically notes that its rankings emphasize how much a college improves its students’ chances of graduating on time, and how much it boosts their salaries after graduation.

 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

 

The Associate Vice President of Advancement will report to the Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations, Dr. Thomas Kline. The Associate Vice President will oversee a team of approximately 11 staff and will serve as a member of the Advancement and External Relations Senior Management Team, which includes the Vice President and Associate Vice President for University Advancement & External Relations.

 

FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT

 

Thank you for your interest in the position of Associate Vice President of Advancement. For more than 125 years, Adelphi has been an engine for social mobility and growth in our region, and we are laying plans to accelerate this mission for the next 125 years.

 

The successful candidate will be joining my team at an extremely exciting time as we prepare to launch the Momentum Campaign in September 2024. We have ambitious goals, strategic plans to achieve them, and wind in our sails: we raised more than $18 million over our last two fiscal years—a record for Adelphi—and this fiscal year is shaping up to be equally as strong.

 

I arrived at Adelphi in the fall of 2021 and was drawn by the incredible opportunity to build and grow this friend- and fundraising operation. Adelphi annually enrolls more than 7,200 students and boasts 119,000 alumni, which provides scale upon which to build a robust advancement unit.

 

Finally, I would add that being situated in Garden City and in close proximity to Manhattan provides incredible opportunities both professionally and personally. My family and I have fully enjoyed all this area has to offer—especially its beaches, sporting events, educational programs, and cultural activities.

 

I hope you consider joining my team and the Adelphi family, and I invite you to learn more or apply.

 

 —Thomas Kline, Ed.D., Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations

 

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY'S COMMITMENT TO

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ANTI-RACISM

 

To remain relevant to the staff, faculty, and students they serve, colleges and universities must reflect the changing demographics of the population and the growing globalization of society. Diversity is an affirmation of the richness of human differences, ideas, and beliefs. Advancing diversity in the context of higher education involves promoting a climate of intercultural awareness and respect; engaging the curriculum to appreciate the depth and breadth of diverse thoughts and perspectives; and actively seeking a diverse student body, faculty, and staff in the composition of the University.

 

Diversity encompasses the range of human differences that includes age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, and sexual orientation as well as the invisible differences such as religion, nationality, socioeconomic status, belief-systems, thought-styles, military experience, and education. Adelphi University values and supports diversity to ensure that it is the model for a socially just and inclusive institution.

 

Historically, Adelphi has committed to advancing diversity in past and current strategic plans. In Momentum 2: The Strategic Plan for Adelphi University 2022-2027, this commitment is reinforced through Transformational Goal #3: Establish Adelphi as a Model of Diversity and Inclusion. Adelphi will garner national recognition as a community that values and includes every person. All students, faculty, and staff members will feel safe, engaged, and supported. The community’s broad spectrum of perspectives and relationships will enhance the lives of everyone who comes to the University.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

 

The Associate Vice President of Advancement will

 

• build, sustain, encourage, and support productive relationships with colleagues in advancement, external relations, and across the University, ensuring the entire community is working toward a common goal;
• personally manage a portfolio of major giving, planned giving, and/or foundation prospects and make approximately 75 visits annually, developing and implementing detailed cultivation and solicitation strategies in collaboration with the Vice President, academic leaders, and advancement officers;
• provide leadership in the execution of campaign fundraising efforts, working in collaboration with the Vice President, advancement staff, and campus leaders; prepare and deliver reports on campaign progress toward goals;
• provide leadership and vision for the execution of the University’s comprehensive major and planned giving program, with particular focus on rigor at the $25,000+ level (major gifts) and$1M+ level (principal gifts);
• lead the development and execution of a robust foundation relations program;
• oversee the development of a robust planned giving program and significantly grow the pipeline of documented planned gifts;
• develop an integrated leadership giving program for donors at the $1K to $24,999 level that effectively builds the pipeline of future major giving prospects;
• hire, train, develop, and manage fundraising staff; establish annual fundraising metrics for gift officers, including expectations for visits, proposals submitted, and total funds raised; conduct regular reviews of staff to ensure that strategic plan objectives and goals are on track; conduct regular moves management meetings with gift officers and campus partners, employing best practices in strategic donor cultivation; focus and prioritize the work of gift officers to match annual fundraising goals; establish and ensure goals for proposal development, solicitation, and funds raised are met;
• working with other University offices, ensure Advancement and External Relations is an active participant in building a comprehensive corporate and community partners program;
• oversee the advancement services department and prioritize resources to develop a comprehensive prospect research and management program; regularly identify new leadership, major, and planned giving prospects and assign them for cultivation;
• oversee donor relations and stewardship and ensure that resources are aligned with and support both broad and targeted cultivation strategies;
• foster a collaborative work environment within Advancement and External Relations and with campus constituencies;
• work closely with annual giving, alumni relations, external relations, government relations, and special events to ensure fully integrated advancement operations;
• work with the Vice President, deans, and campus leaders to identify fundraising priorities and annual plans, and set achievable fundraising goals for colleges, schools, and units; include deans, faculty, and others, as needed, in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for top donors and prospects;
• utilize the assistance of the Vice President, outside consultants, and legal counsel as necessary;
• develop and lead training on advancement topics; and
• participate in planning for and attending University events, especially those related to University advancement.

 

ADVANCEMENT LEADERSHIP

 

Thomas Kline, Ed.D.

Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations

 

Dr. Thomas Kline joined Adelphi University’s Executive Leadership Team as Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations on November 1, 2021. Since his arrival, Adelphi has raised more than $18 million over the last two fiscal years—a record—and is positioned well for the launch of the Momentum Campaign in September 2024.

 

Previous to his tenure at Adelphi, Dr. Kline was Vice president for Institutional Advancement at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At Carthage, he created and oversaw successful campaigns that more than doubled annual fundraising during his tenure.

 

Before becoming Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Carthage in 2017, Dr. Kline served as the College’s Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, where he oversaw strategic planning and led initiatives that brought new students, revenue, and distinction to the College. He also served as Interim Dean of Students and Interim Vice President for Continuing Studies.

 

Originally from Cortland, New York, Dr. Kline attended Ithaca College, where he earned a Bachelor of Music. After a brief career as a professional percussionist and teacher, he returned to his alma mater to serve as Director of Music Admission and Preparatory Programs for the Ithaca College School of Music. While at Ithaca, he earned his Master of Science in communications and in 2017 completed his doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

 

Adelphi University seeks an Associate Vice President of Advancement with

 

• a commitment to the mission of Adelphi University—to transform the lives of all students by creating a distinctive environment of intellectual rigor, research, creativity, and deep community engagement across the arts and humanities, STEM and social sciences, the professions, and health and wellness;
• experience successfully cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors at the major gift and principal gift levels;
• management and leadership skills, with an ability to build and motivate successful teams, utilizing strong team facilitation and meeting skills;
• comprehensive knowledge of best practices in advancement and fundraising;
• significant experience working within or leading a comprehensive campaign;
• knowledge of the fundraising cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, negotiation, acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship;
• exceptional interpersonal skills and an ability to interact effectively with varied constituencies such as academic leaders, faculty, staff, donors, and volunteers, and strong oral and written communication skills;
• an ability to work in highly complex organizational structure;
• an ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, manage time effectively and efficiently, and demonstrate productivity through activity reports;
• an inquisitive mind, creativity, and unwavering positivity;
• excellent problem solving and analytical skills; and
• knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Windows and Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar development database preferred.

 

A bachelor's degree is required for this position as is at least seven years of progressive experience within an advancement program, including at least five years of experience directly managing professional fundraising staff. Experience in higher education is preferred.

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

 

The salary range for this position is $155,000 to $180,000. Adelphi University offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive package of benefits.

 

LOCATION

 

Adelphi University is in Garden City, New York, in Nassau County, on Long Island. The Advancement office currently has a flexible work schedule. Staff are expected to work in the office a minimum of three days per week.

 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

 

To apply for this position, visit: Associate Vice President of Advancement, Adelphi University.

 

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Adelphi University as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated in the prospectus. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected.

 

To nominate a candidate, please contact Clare McCully, claremccully@aspenleadershipgroup.com.

 

All inquiries will be held in confidence.