Vice President for Advancement

ABOUT BARNARD: Founded in 1889, Barnard was at the time the only college in New York City, and one of the few in the nation, where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. Over the years, Barnard College has grown and evolved, carving out a distinctive place in higher education as an independent liberal arts college with a close relationship with Columbia University.

Barnard is today a highly selective liberal arts college for women; it is the country’s most selective women’s college and one of the most selective liberal arts colleges in the nation. Barnard competes with Ivy League schools and other leading liberal arts colleges to attract stellar faculty and the smartest young women regardless of their economic means. Please click here to learn more about Barnard students, faculty and more.

The College is known for the achievement of its graduates, and its alumnae include such distinguished and accomplished women as Margaret Mead, Twyla Tharp, Susan Stamberg, Anna Quindlen, Martha Stewart, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Laurie Anderson, among many others, including seven who have earned Pulitzer Prizes.

Barnard enrolled 3,200 students for the current academic year and has approximately 32,500 living alumnae worldwide. A comprehensive list of notable alumnae is available at barnard.edu.

THE OPPORTUNITY: The Vice President for Advancement role at Barnard is an outstanding opportunity for an innovative and entrepreneurial individual to build upon the strengths of the College’s existing development and alumnae relations program and to help plan and lead an ambitious and exciting capital campaign with a goal of increasing the College’s endowment to $1 billion over several years.

Success in this position will require prior experience and a record of success in building and leading a comprehensive, robust advancement program. The Vice President must be a strategic and collaborative advisor to the President in developing a fundraising plan to realize the exciting and ambitious strategic direction for the future of Barnard College.

The Vice President will be a vital member of the President’s leadership team, serving as a trusted advisor to the President, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership as Barnard seeks to fuel its standing as one of the most dynamic liberal arts colleges in the nation.

The Vice President reports directly to the President, Laura Ann Rosenbury, and serves as a member of the executive team for the College. The Vice President for Advancement will lead a team of at least 50 staff members and directly supervise three senior leaders on the team.

FUNDING: For the 2024-2025 academic year, the College will report total operating revenue of approximately $272 million, with tuition accounting for 75% of that revenue. The College’s endowment has an approximate current market value of approximately $530 million. Philanthropic support is approximately $50 million a year, primarily from the board, alumnae, parents, and friends. The College seeks to expand and grow financial support from all sources.

Recently, Barnard announced a fundraising campaign to grow its endowment to $1 billion in order to support key programs and initiatives. The Vice President will play a leading role in helping the College to achieve this ambitious goal, with the assistance of outside campaign counsel.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Authentic appreciation for Barnard’s mission, history, and aspirations.
• Successful experience in an advancement leadership role in a major academic, cultural, or other not-for-profit institution with a sophisticated donor base.
• Commitment to best practices in the advancement field and an understanding of the full range of fundraising strategies and tactics, both established and emerging.
• A seasoned frontline principal/transformational gift fundraiser who can identify, solicit, and steward high-capacity donors.
• A profile of working on major philanthropic initiatives, including endowment/comprehensive campaigns.
• Proven ability to forge a collaborative relationship with the President and to serve as a trusted advisor.
• Experience working with a passionate, engaged board of trustees.
• Familiarity with the regional and national philanthropic communities.
• A strong team leader who inspires and guides their team to achieve success by exemplifying open communication, empathy, decisiveness, and accountability.
• Proven ability to think strategically, manage multifaceted projects, and utilize data-driven insights to guide decision making and measure impact.
• Robust appetite for change and demonstrated ability to manage change across a complex institution.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to handle sensitive and challenging topics and situations with empathy and professionalism.
• An engaging personality.
• A skilled relationship builder with thorough follow through.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with faculty, students, staff, alumnae and other constituents.
• A genuine understanding of and readiness for the pace and the demands of working in New York City.
• Ability and willingness to travel on behalf of Barnard and to attend evening and weekend events, when required.
• A bachelor’s degree is required, an advanced degree is preferred.

The annual compensation range for this role is $425,000-$475,000 commensurate with experience and accomplishments, plus attractive benefits.

Howe-Lewis International is pleased to assist Barnard College with this exciting search. Please click here to apply online via the Howe-Lewis Talent Portal. You may also email your resume and letter of interest in confidence to [email protected]