Description

Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts
 
Main focus: Serve as a strategic connector between grateful patient families and the institution’s philanthropic priorities, using insight, relationship-building, and discovery to advance major gift opportunities at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford University School of Medicine.
 
Location: Palo Alto, CA (hybrid); the successful candidate for this role will be based in the Bay Area. The Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts is a hybrid role, meaning they’ll work in person (i.e. onsite at Stanford, in the office, or conducting field visits with donors) a minimum of two days per week, and often more frequently, as dictated by business needs and donor interactions.
 
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, in partnership with Stanford Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, unlocks philanthropy to transform health for children and families in Northern California – and around the world. Through fundraising and grantmaking, the Foundation drives scientific research, innovation, and policy change that will improve care, advance cures, and reform healthcare systems for this and future generations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As the Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts, you will play a pivotal role in expanding our major gifts pipeline by identifying, engaging, and qualifying grateful patient families across multiple medical service lines. You’ll partner closely with colleagues to deliver a cohesive, donor-centric strategy that advances philanthropic support for Stanford Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

This role reports to the Executive Director of Development, Major Gifts as part of a robust Major Gifts team.

The compensation range for this role is $130,000-$160,000 annually. 

Requirements

YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…

• Leading high-volume qualification efforts through phone outreach, written correspondence, and in-person meetings. You will complete approximately 400 documented actions per month in Raiser’s Edge and conduct 75 in-person visits each year to introduce new prospective donors to our mission.
• Uncovering key information about new prospects, including demographics, interests, and philanthropic priorities, to inform cultivation strategies and future gift proposals.
• Building, managing, and deepening relationships with grateful patient families who have the capacity to make gifts ranging from $100,000 to $5 million or more.
• Demonstrating a strong understanding of institutional priorities and giving vehicles to engage donors with varied philanthropic interests.
• Qualifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors for outright and planned gifts, advancing them through the full giving cycle.
• Providing thoughtful and timely stewardship to ensure donors receive consistent and meaningful engagement and recognition.
• Using data and analytics to prioritize outreach, assess opportunities, and maximize the impact of your work.
• Collaborating across the Foundation to develop innovative discovery strategies and communications that strengthen the grateful patient pipeline.
• Building trusted and productive partnerships with faculty and administrators, grounded in shared goals and mutual respect.
• Setting, monitoring, and achieving clear annual metrics for activity, portfolio development, and performance accountability.
• Qualifying donors for your personal portfolio while also referring prospects to other frontline fundraisers as part of a collaborative solicitation strategy.
• Independently designing and executing a sustainable, mission-focused discovery process that carries donors from initial qualification through to close.
• Piloting new approaches that advance industry best practices in grateful patient fundraising and positioning the Foundation as a leader in the field.
• Partnering with Advancement Services to refine prospecting processes and identifying the most promising grateful patient leads using data-driven insights. 
   

YOU MUST HAVE…

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in non-profit fundraising with demonstrated success securing commitments of $100,000 or more.
• Ability and comfort working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment that places a strong emphasis on metrics and success.

IT’S AN ADDED PLUS IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH...

• Prior experience in grateful patient family fundraising.
• Prior knowledge and/or fundraising experience in academic medicine, academic fundraising and/or children’s health.
• Donor databases.

YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU’RE…

• Donor-focused and deeply committed to field work, including discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. You enjoy meeting with donors, and always make it a top priority, despite competing priorities.
• A strategic thinker: You formulate breakthrough strategies and approaches. You bring fresh ideas to the table to build pipeline. You’re comfortable with prototyping and pivoting, balancing a bias towards action with an eye to complex internal dynamics.
• A strong communicator: You develop mission-driven outreach strategies that engage high-net worth donor audiences. You’re excellent at building trust with faculty in the interest of articulating a compelling vision and a clear path to impact. You know how to partner with creative teams to turn ideas into deliverables.
• A natural connector: You see how people, priorities, and opportunities fit together. You notice patterns, anticipate needs, and understand how decisions influence the broader landscape. You excel at reading the room, building alignment, and connecting the dots to advance complex work with insight and intention.
• A collaborative leader: You’re highly skilled at activating fundraisers and institutional leaders to achieve ambitious goals. You’re a business-minded, feedback-oriented direct communicator. You know how to balance your goals and KPIs with overall Foundation goals. You’re inclusive of people, perspectives, and ideas, while using discernment, data, and expertise to chart a path forward.
• Someone who can manage ambiguity and complexity: You can drive an initiative forward with conviction and composure, even when outcomes are uncertain. You adapt quickly to changing conditions. You always keep risk in mind when making a decision.
• A rigorous thinker: You love learning and are undeterred by complexity. You have an aptitude for science and health and can engage with donors about funding priorities with ease. You’re a business strategist, who knows their way around budgets and forecasts, and can build a concise and compelling business plan, that can be adapted and presented to both internal and donor audiences.

Working at the Foundation

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS & PERKS, INCLUDING…

• Generous leave, including PTO, holidays, Summer Fridays, and a sabbatical (after 7 years of employment)
• Annual bonus
• Retirement plan + employer match
• Premium Medical and Dental coverage
• FSA + dependent care FSA
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Legal services plan
• Commuter Benefits, including CalTrain “Go Pass” Program
• 4-week paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
• Stipend for home office and mobile phone

WE’RE DYNAMIC…

The Foundation is a dynamic organization in a rapidly changing industry. Therefore, the responsibilities associated with this position will evolve and grow in accordance with LPFCH's business needs and growth plans. More specifically, the incumbent may be required to perform additional and/or different responsibilities based on the future growth plans for the Foundation.

WE STRIVE TO EMBODY OUR CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES 

• Mission-first - We can never lose sight of why we exist and exercise profound commitment to advancing child and maternal health.
• Good of the whole - We share responsibility for overall results, think of what’s best for the team and organization, and act as responsible stewards of resources.
• Bold and bendy - We’re unapologetically ambitious for our mission, creative, and take risks by trying new things.   
• Sweat the big stuff - We’re clear on our priorities, calibrating effort and resources to audience and impact; the higher the return, the greater the investment.
• Make it happen - We’re focused on outcomes and prepared with ideas and solutions for every challenge.
• Community matters - We prioritize listening to and supporting each other, not just as colleagues, but as people with varied experiences and perspectives. 

EVERYONE BELONGS HERE 

Our Foundation values the unique qualities each of us brings to our team and community. We take pride in cultivating a workplace where every voice is heard and each of us has the opportunity to achieve our fullest potential—so that together, we can make meaningful impact on the health outcomes for children and their families.  

We are guided by the following principles: 

• Uphold integrity and professionalism in all our actions.
• Foster a welcoming and supportive culture.
• Embrace unique perspectives and contributions.
• Interact with compassion, openness, and an eagerness to learn.

Apply online by submitting a cover letter and resume.