Vice President, Philanthropic Strategy

Position Description

The VP, Philanthropic Strategist, serves as UNOS' senior subject matter expert for philanthropic strategy, institutional funding partnerships, strategic partnerships, donor governance, and philanthropic risk management. This role is responsible for shaping the long-term direction of UNOS' philanthropic capability while ensuring funding activities advance organizational priorities without compromising public trust, institutional independence, or regulatory integrity.

Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, this position operates as a highly autonomous enterprise advisor and strategic authority. The VP, Philanthropic Strategist provides expert guidance to executive leadership, the Board of Directors, Legal, Finance, Compliance, and other senior stakeholders regarding philanthropic strategy, donor engagement, governance frameworks, funding acceptance standards, and reputational risk. The role serves as the organization's leading expert in philanthropic strategy and is expected to influence organizational direction through expertise, judgment, thought leadership, and strategic partnership development.

Success requires balancing opportunity development with governance stewardship, ensuring philanthropic activity strengthens the organization's mission, strategic flexibility, and credibility while protecting against actual or perceived donor influence. The role is expected to establish frameworks, standards, and operating principles that guide philanthropic activity across the organization while serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and the Board.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Philanthropic Strategy & Vision

• Define and continuously evolve UNOS' long-term philanthropic strategy and operating framework.
• Serve as the organization's principal advisor on philanthropic trends, institutional funding opportunities, donor governance, and strategic funding priorities and partnerships.
• Establish multi-year philanthropic roadmaps aligned with organizational priorities and mission objectives.
• Identify emerging philanthropic developments, funding trends, and strategic opportunities that may affect UNOS.
• Establish performance measures that evaluate the strategic value and organizational impact of philanthropic activity.
• Shape organizational perspectives on the role of philanthropy in advancing mission-focused outcomes.

Institutional Funding & Strategic Partnerships

• Lead strategy development for complex institutional, foundation, and mission-aligned philanthropic partnerships.
• Establish engagement strategies for high-impact funding opportunities requiring executive and Board involvement.
• Build senior-level relationships with foundations, institutional funders, philanthropic advisors, and mission-driven funding organizations.
• Provide strategic guidance regarding donor portfolio development, relationship prioritization, and long-term funding strategies.
• Represent UNOS within philanthropic, nonprofit, public-health, research, and foundation communities as appropriate.
• Develop partnership approaches that strengthen funding opportunities while preserving independence and public trust.

Governance, Ethics & Organizational Stewardship

• Establish enterprise standards governing donor screening, funding acceptance, stewardship, donor influence, and philanthropic risk management.
• Serve as the internal authority on philanthropic ethics, governance considerations, reputational risk, and donor non-influence principles.
• Evaluate highly sensitive or complex funding opportunities and provide recommendations to executive leadership and the Board.
• Develop decision-making frameworks that guide evaluation of donor intent, mission alignment, funding restrictions, and organizational exposure.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Finance leaders to ensure philanthropy-related activities remain transparent, compliant, and appropriately governed.
• Continuously assess and refine governance standards that support organizational credibility and trust.

Strategic Funding Development & Organizational Alignment

• Translate major organizational priorities into philanthropic investment opportunities and strategic funding concepts.
• Establish enterprise standards for concept development, funding narratives, donor communications, and funding rationales.
• Advise leaders regarding which strategic initiatives are appropriate for philanthropic investment and which should remain outside philanthropic funding channels.
• Review and refine complex funding opportunities before executive or Board review.
• Ensure philanthropic opportunities include clear objectives, intended outcomes, governance considerations, and donor boundaries.
• Promote consistent practices that improve quality, alignment, and strategic value across philanthropic initiatives.

Executive, Board & Enterprise Advisory Leadership

• Advise executive leadership and the Board regarding philanthropic strategy, funding opportunities, governance risks, donor considerations, and emerging trends.
• Prepare strategic recommendations, analyses, and presentations supporting executive and Board decision-making.
• Equip senior leaders and Board members with approved messaging and guidance related to donor engagement activities.
• Support executive-level discussions regarding complex funding opportunities, donor concerns, stakeholder dynamics, and reputational sensitivity.
• Influence organizational decision-making through expertise, strategic insight, and governance discipline.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on philanthropy-related matters requiring independent judgment and enterprise perspective.

Capability Development & Organizational Impact

• Establish and continuously improve UNOS' philanthropic operating model, standards, and supporting frameworks.
• Develop scalable processes supporting opportunity identification, donor review, stewardship, reporting, and governance oversight.
• Define measures that evaluate pipeline quality, portfolio health, stewardship effectiveness, and strategic impact.
• Promote best practices in institutional philanthropy, foundation engagement, donor governance, and philanthropic stewardship.
• Assess overall effectiveness of philanthropic activities and recommend improvements that strengthen capability maturity.
• Ensure philanthropic efforts contribute to strategic organizational priorities while maintaining mission integrity and public trust.

Minimum Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in philanthropy, foundation relations, institutional fundraising, nonprofit development, strategic partnerships, or related disciplines.
• Experience supporting public health, healthcare, research, transplantation, technology, or scientific organizations.

Critical Skills

• Enterprise philanthropic strategy and institutional funding expertise.
• Deep knowledge of philanthropic governance, donor influence considerations, and funding risk management.
• Experience advising executive leaders, Boards of Directors, or senior governing bodies.
• Ability to establish governance frameworks, operating models, and funding evaluation standards.
• Expertise developing and managing complex foundation and institutional donor relationships.
• Exceptional executive communication, strategic framing, and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence organizational direction through expertise, thought leadership, and strategic advisory capabilities.
• Strong judgment in evaluating high-risk, high-visibility, or strategically significant funding opportunities.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder dynamics and competing organizational priorities.
• Advanced relationship management and strategic partnership development capabilities.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Recognized expertise in institutional philanthropy, foundation engagement, or mission-driven funding strategy.
• Experience establishing or transforming philanthropic functions.
• Experience developing enterprise governance models, donor acceptance standards, or risk-management frameworks.
• Experience working with national foundations, public-interest funding organizations, or large-scale philanthropic partnerships.
• Experience presenting to Boards, executive committees, or senior governing bodies.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
  • Advanced degree preferred.

Physical Requirements

• General office demands
  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
  • Frequent reaching, handling, and fine manipulation for using office equipment, filing, and managing paperwork.
  • Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, mouse, and other office tools.
  • Occasional standing, walking, and bending.
  • Ability to lift up to 10-20 pounds occasionally.
  • Vision abilities required include close vision for computer work and reading documents.
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.