Vice President, Center for Philanthropy

The Vice President, Carle Health Center for Philanthropy is the executive leader responsible for advancing a comprehensive, system-wide fundraising enterprise in support of Carle Health's strategic growth, clinical excellence, research innovation, and patient-centered care.

This role provides vision, strategy, and operational leadership for a system-wide healthcare philanthropy program, including campaign planning and execution, major and principal gift development, foundation governance, and integration of auxiliary and volunteer services, to support the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the health system. The VP serves as a key architect of enterprise campaign strategy and partners with system executives, physicians, and board leadership to secure transformational philanthropic investment.

The position plays a critical role in building a sustainable culture of philanthropy across a complex healthcare system and ensuring that donor engagement strengthens community trust and enhances patient experience.

Onsite Office Location: can be flexible within the four regions; position requires a strong, visible presence across the system and within the communities served.

Certifications:

• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) or similar credential (preferred)

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Advanced Degree (Preferred)

Work Experience:

• Healthcare Philanthropy Leadership - 10 years, or
• Large-scale nonprofit fundraising - 10 years, and
• Demonstrated success leading capital or
• Demonstrated success leading comprehensive campaigns, and
• Experience in a complex, multi-entity organization
• Proven ability to secure principal and major gifts
• Strong governance and board partnership experience

Preferred:

• Healthcare system fundraising experience
• Oversight of volunteer or auxiliary programs
• Experience in campaign feasibility and capital planning

Core Leadership Competencies:

• Enterprise strategic thinking
• Campaign architecture and execution
• Executive presence and influence
• Relationship-centered leadership
• Physician and clinical partnership
• Results-driven accountability
• Mission alignment and ethical stewardship
• Change leadership in complex systems
• Emotional intelligence and diplomacy

Salary Range: $300,000 to $420,000/year

Enterprise Campaign Leadership

• Design and lead comprehensive system-wide fundraising campaign: feasibility, planning, execution, & stewardship
• Align campaign priorities with system strategy, capital initiatives, clinical expansion, research, community health initiatives, and workforce development goals
• Partner with leadership to translate strategic priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities
• Personally manage relationships with principal and transformational gift prospects
• Drive campaign performance through data-informed strategy, pipeline management, and accountability systems
• Ensure campaign messaging reflects system impact, patient outcomes, and community benefit

Health System Philanthropy Strategy

• Develop and execute a long-term philanthropic growth strategy across multiple hospitals, service lines, and regions
• Integrate philanthropy into system planning, capital strategy, and service line development
• Lead major gifts, planned to give, corporate partnerships, employee giving, and foundation grants
• Strengthen physician engagement in philanthropy as ambassadors and partners
• Establish system-wide donor stewardship and impact reporting standards

Foundation Governance & Financial Stewardship

• Provide executive oversight of the foundation board and affiliated boards and councils
• Guide board governance, fundraising performance, and fiduciary accountability
• Guide board member recruitment, orientation, and development
• Ensure compliance with healthcare and nonprofit regulations
• Partner with Accounting and Treasury on financial management, endowments, and investment stewardship
• Maintain transparent reporting and donor accountability

Auxiliary & Volunteer Integration

• Provide strategic oversight of auxiliary organizations across the system
• Align volunteer and auxiliary services with patient experience, hospitality, staff appreciation, & community engagement goals
• Expand volunteer programs that enhance care delivery and patient satisfaction
• Strengthen auxiliary fundraising alignment with system campaigns
• Strengthen recruitment, training, and retention of volunteers
• Foster a welcoming, mission-driven volunteer culture that supports staff and patients
• Ensure compliance with healthcare regulatory standards and safety requirements

Executive & Community Leadership

• Serve as a senior advisor to executive leadership on philanthropic strategy
• Represent Carle Health as a visible ambassador in the communities served
• Build partnerships with civic, corporate, and philanthropic leaders
• Strengthen Carle Health's reputation as a trusted healthcare partner
• Lead high-profile donor and community engagement events
• Represent Carle Health at major donor and community events

Operational Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing, system-wide philanthropy team
• Build and lead a high-performing, system-wide auxiliary and volunteer services team
• Establish measurable goals, performance standards, and accountability
• Promote collaboration across hospitals, service lines, and regions
• Ensure operational excellence and ethical fundraising practices
• Manage budgets, staffing, and resource allocation
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building abilities

Find it here.

Discover the job, the career, the purpose you were meant for. At Carle Health, we're committed to fostering a workplace where every team member feels valued, respected and empowered, where passion and purpose come together to positively impact the lives of our patients and our communities. Find it all at Carle Health.

Our nearly 17,000 team members and providers work together to support patient care across central and southeastern Illinois. We've grown to include eight, award-winning hospitals and a multispecialty provider group with more than 1,500 doctors and advanced practice providers. We're developing the next generation of providers and healthcare professionals through Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the world's first engineering-based medical school, and Methodist College. Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Carle Health Proctor Hospital, Carle Health Pekin Hospital, and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center hold Magnet designations, the nation's highest honor for nursing care. We offer opportunities in several communities throughout central Illinois with potential for growth and life-long careers at Carle Health.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. Carle Health participates in E-Verify and may provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. | For more information: human.resources@carle.com.