Connecticut Children's

About Us

Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children’s offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families and team members.

At Connecticut Children’s, treating children isn’t just our job – it’s our passion. As a leading children’s health system experiencing steady growth, we’re excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children’s health and well-being as one team.

Job Description

This role will be responsible for leading major philanthropic initiative in complex, sophisticated organization and must have at least 10+ years of senior leadership experience. It requires utilization of proven fundraising practices with innovative, data-driven approaches that significantly grow the base of support. The role will oversee a current revenue program of approximately $30 million and manage a team of 12 professionals including 6 direct reports.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Major Giving Strategy- 30%

• Develop and execute comprehensive major giving strategies that fuel the success of the campaign’s silent and public phases.
• Create exceptional donor experiences that drive engagement and move donors toward significant, multi-year commitments.
• Leverage hospital relationships, Foundation leadership, and senior volunteers to deepen donor engagement at the highest levels.

Planned Giving Strategy-5%

• Build a robust planned giving program to secure meaningful legacy commitments.
• Capitalize on special relationships throughout the hospital system to inspire donors to include Connecticut Children’s in their estate plans.

Philanthropic Strategy and Innovation-30%

• Lead the overall philanthropic strategy, developing and executing a multi-year, phased, proactive campaign and detailed implementation plans
• Translate evolving industry best practices into dynamic, actionable strategies that grow philanthropic revenue and strengthen donor retention.
• Position Connecticut Children’s Foundation as one of the most admired and strategic healthcare charities in the nation.

Team Leadership and Staff Development-20%

• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration, innovation, and excellence across the development team.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain top fundraising talent, ensuring professional growth, succession planning, and alignment with campaign priorities.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide timely, constructive feedback to support individual and team success.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration-10%

• Model and champion horizontal leadership, providing strategic guidance and mentorship across the Foundation and hospital leadership teams.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration to ensure unified, donor-centric engagement across all philanthropic efforts
• Drive strategic alignment between annual fundraising activities and the priorities of the comprehensive $250 million campaign.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned- 5%

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience Required:

• Education: High School Diploma/GED/Equivalent.
• Experience: 15 years philanthropic practice with 10 years in successful leadership roles.

Education and/or Experience Preferred:

• Experience: Leading large-scale transformation campaigns in healthcare or higher education preferred.

License and/or Certification Preferred:

• CFRE or equivalent certification strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge:

• Expertise in major gifts, planned giving, strategic planning and team leadership.
• Proficiency with Salesforce and related fundraising and data analytics software.

Skills:

• Superior communication, relationship building, and strategic planning skills.
• Data driven approach to donor engagement, retention and pipeline development.
• Highly organize, creative, mission-driven and results oriented.

Abilities:

• Demonstrated excellence as C-Suite executive or senior placement philanthropic leader.