Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) supports Johns Hopkins’ focus on research, teaching, and patient care, and its role as a national and global leader in higher education. We create and foster enduring relationships that result in advocacy and philanthropic support for Johns Hopkins University & Medicine—strengthening the institution through partnerships with donors, alumni, volunteer leaders, faculty, students, staff, and patients.

Johns Hopkins University supports a flexible work model that includes four different work modalities. This role has an onsite work arrangement with an onsite presence of 4 days per week. 

The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Principal Giving will lead and manage the Johns Hopkins’ principal giving program, focused on securing transformational gifts to the institution. This position is responsible for both leading teams and directly cultivating and stewarding relationships with the university’s most generous and influential donors, ensuring the alignment of their philanthropic interests with the university’s strategic priorities. The AVP will work closely with the President, senior leadership, and the Board of Trustees to enhance the university’s philanthropic culture and secure financial resources critical to the institution’s long-term success.

The AVP is an expert in big idea strategy development across a complex, matrixed organization, and is responsible for fostering ideas and proposals that inspire philanthropic partnerships in support of the mission of Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. Specifically, the AVP leads the Central DAR Office of Principal Gifts, which includes central principal giving solicitation and coordination as well as staffing and strategy as it relates to presidential donor engagement. They will drive personalized stewardship for the institution’s top donors that enhances connection, builds a sense of community amongst philanthropists, and inspires continued support and investment.

Beyond directly driving Presidential and Provost involvement with donors, the AVP works with University and Medicine senior leaders including Deans and the members of the president’s Senior Planning Group; volunteer leaders, donors and potential donors and their representatives; faculty and program staff; and colleagues across development and alumni relations.

Key responsibilities: 

Principal Giving Strategy, Stewardship & Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive principal giving strategy to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth individuals capable of making significant philanthropic commitments (typically $5 million+, with a concentration on centrally driven solicitation and coordination of gifts over $20 million).
• Oversee and advise direct leaders of the principal giving team, a team of stewardship, research, and communications specialists as well as experienced development officers focused on high-level donor engagement and solicitation.
• Ensure alignment of principal giving strategies with the university’s Ten for One Strategic Plan. Adapt strategies to best meet the priorities of the President and the campaign.
• With a focus on unaffiliated and under-engaged prospects, build and manage a portfolio of principal gift prospects and donors.
• Partner with the President, senior leadership, deans, and faculty to design and execute highly personalized engagement plans for principal donors across giving interests.
• Develop a standardized, comprehensive, and personalized stewardship program for donors with a lifetime giving of $5 million or more to Johns Hopkins. Enrich donor experiences towards multilateral connection, increased access, and a high-impact sense of community and mission.

Reporting, Strategy & Cross-Institutional Relationship Management

• Develop relationships with key internal stakeholders to produce reports for principal donors and develop new proposals for high impact at the $5m+ level.
• Lead strategic discussions with relationship managers of prospective donors to align their philanthropic goals with university needs and opportunities.
• Ensure appropriate stewardship activities for principal donors across teams and campuses, including recognition, reporting, and ongoing donor communication.
• Collaborate closely with Development and Alumni Relations teams, including those in Medicine, divisional development offices, and central DAR, to ensure a coordinated and cohesive approach to principal giving fundraising.
• Oversee the analysis and reporting for principal gift portfolios to ensure accurate projections for campaign and annual planning.
• Foster an innovative and proactive approach to expanding the prospect pool, ensuring the principal giving pipeline is consistently replenished with new, high-potential prospects. Stay attuned to emerging philanthropic trends and identify new sources of potential support.
• Advise and collaborate on a data-driven approach to portfolio management of principal donors, ensuring development officers focus on the most promising prospects. Regularly analyze principal donor data to refine strategies, optimize prospect assignments, and monitor progress toward fundraising goals.
• Oversee the development of comprehensive donor profiles, using research tools and analytics to gather critical intelligence on prospective and existing donors. Ensure timely and accurate information is available to support cultivation and solicitation strategies for principal and transformational gifts.

Presidential Donor Engagement

• Serve as a key liaison between and facilitator for Presidential engagement with donors, facilitating meaningful connections and engagements, stewarding, and Presidential calendar alignment. Provide strategic guidance on engaging with top-level donors and prospective donors, ensuring the president’s involvement is impactful and aligned with the overall fundraising strategy.
• Provide comprehensive briefings and materials to the president in advance of donor meetings and events, ensuring they are well-prepared with relevant donor history, strategic talking points, and potential opportunities for philanthropic support. Work with the president to execute personalized stewardship activities, including thank-you communications, follow-up meetings, and public acknowledgments that recognize donors’ contributions and reinforce their ongoing relationship with the university.
• Leverage the president’s visibility and influence to inspire confidence and commitment among principal gift donors. Ensure that the president’s role in donor meetings, solicitations, and stewardship efforts is both strategic and catalytic, opening doors for significant gifts.
• Work closely with the Office of the President to schedule and coordinate donor interactions seamlessly and effectively. Ensure that the president’s role in donor meetings, solicitations, and stewardship efforts is both strategic and catalytic, opening doors for significant gifts.

Leadership & Team Development

•  Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, collaborative team, setting clear goals and performance metrics.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and results-oriented team culture.
• Ensure ongoing professional development opportunities for the principal giving team.
• Establish a data-driven approach to donor pipeline development and portfolio management, leveraging systems and JHAS (the CRM) to track progress and measure impact.

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Fifteen years of relevant experience, with demonstrated success and effectiveness in major and principal gift fundraising.
• Ten years of experience in supervision, with at least five years managing supervisors and leaders.

• Advanced degree.
• Direct experience working with high-capacity donors at a complex organization with a research mission.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple, complex fundraising activities simultaneously and to coordinate solicitation strategies in a decentralized environment; ability to plan and implement a fundraising plan.
• Proven success closing and stewarding gifts over $50 million.

Classified Title: Associate Vice President-MGM 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Associate Vice President, Principal Giving   
Role/Level/Range: ADMOFF/01/EX  
Starting Salary Range: Minimum: $250,00 - Maximum: $325,000 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm 
Exempt Status: Exempt 
Location: Homewood Campus 
Department name: 10001645-VP Development & Alumni Relations 
Personnel area: University Administration