The Opportunity
It is a dynamic time of progress and possibility at Ithaca College (IC). With an emphasis on intentionality, connection, and the creation of a community of care, President La Jerne Terry Cornish is leading the IC community in creating an uncompromising student experience – making the College a model for student success, engagement, and well-being, helping students to develop their unique potential. IC believes in the power of theory, practice, and performance – a distinctive approach that brings learning to life across every corner of the campus. From labs to lecture halls, studios to internships, fields to community service projects, IC is a place where knowledge is applied, tested, and lived.
IC’s dedication to excellence yields tremendous affection for the institution, with a strong sentiment that students and alumni have transformative and overwhelmingly positive experiences. The College is committed to the ongoing stewardship of a community where talents are shared, and relationships and skills are developed to serve a lifetime of learning and growth.
Amid this warm, vibrant culture and period of forward-looking, strategic investment, Ithaca College seeks candidates for the role of Vice President for Advancement. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President's Executive Council, the Vice President is the principal advisor on all matters related to development and alumni engagement, working closely with IC’s most senior stakeholders to establish priorities and devise strategies for college-wide objectives. This leader oversees the Division of Advancement comprising approximately 30 staff, including the Associate Vice President for Development, Associate Vice President for Operations & Strategy, and Senior Executive Director for Alumni Engagement. The Vice President will be empowered to assess and optimize the organizational structure and functional alignment of Division of Advancement team members in consultation with the President, with the understanding that greater staff capacity is needed over time to achieve the College’s untapped potential in development and alumni engagement and aspirations for its next major campaign.
Ithaca College is approaching the end of its current strategic plan, Ithaca Forever, and will undertake a comprehensive strategic planning process during the 2026-2027 academic year, providing an exciting opportunity for the Vice President to help shape the College’s next strategic plan. The Vice President will have the opportunity to energize IC’s base of 70,000 alumni and the external community about the visionary priorities that were met during the last four years of Ithaca Forever and to set and implement bold new strategies in partnership with President Cornish to develop new models of financial sustainability while expanding and diversifying philanthropic revenue streams.
The Vice President will join a highly collaborative Division of Advancement and campus community that is embracing change – ready to establish a deeper culture of philanthropy characterized by strategic, relationally focused, impact-centered engagement that effectively channels alumni pride and broader stakeholder trust. The Vice President will continue to further the concerted efforts in recent years to build durable systems and infrastructure, and best practice policies and processes for development and alumni engagement, while championing data-informed decision-making and metrics-based pathways to success. They will ensure the appropriate integration of functional teams and initiatives across development and alumni engagement, fostering an ethos of shared responsibility, accountability, and excellence consistent with the College’s overall reputation. This leader must balance strategic and operational leadership with their central role in driving frontline fundraising at the highest levels through management of their own portfolio of giving prospects as well as in coordination with the most senior levels of IC’s administrative and Board of Trustee leadership.
Candidate Profile
This position requires a strong and proactive leader who possesses exceptional judgment, superb communication skills, a sense of urgency, a distinctive record of achievement, and the ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with many internal and external constituencies. While Ithaca College will consider a broad range of backgrounds, the ideal candidate will align with the following:
- A deep appreciation, or the ability to develop a deep appreciation for the history, achievements, and aspirations of Ithaca College, and the ability to effectively articulate the President’s vision to a diverse audience.
- At least 10 years of leadership experience in a development and alumni relations program in higher education, ideally in a comprehensive college or liberal arts environment, formulating and executing a successful fundraising plan, including a track record of success in increasing philanthropic revenue and advance planning for a future comprehensive campaign.
- Strong management skills, both strategic and operational, and a demonstrated ability to hire, manage, mentor, and motivate an effective team.
- Proven track record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership gifts at the six, seven and eight-figure levels.
- The credibility, maturity, and sound judgment required to effectively engage and leverage College leadership and volunteers in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of key prospects and donors, and the desire and ability to work collaboratively with administration and faculty partners.
- Superior communication skills; clarity, crispness, and effectiveness in written and oral presentation.
- Computer proficiency required, especially as related to the use of Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge. A sophisticated understanding of and appreciation for the use of technology in building an extended IC community.
- A keen eye for operational efficiency and optimal use of resources; the ability to plan, monitor, and manage a budget.
- The ability to travel frequently and attend evening events.
- The ideal candidate will reflect and embody Ithaca College’s emphasis on intellectual curiosity, artistic expression, and inclusive community involvement.
- Bachelor's degree is required.
Ithaca College Non-Discrimination Statement
As an institution of higher education that promotes the rights and safety of all members of the campus community, Ithaca College prohibits discrimination and discriminatory harassment (including all forms of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct) in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, any program, activity, area, or operation of the College against any member of the Ithaca College community on the basis of age, disability, marital status, military status, national origin (including shared ancestry and ethnicity), race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, an individual's genetic information, or any other bases under federal or state law.
Inquiries related to disability-based discrimination may be directed to Ithaca College’s Director of Title IX Compliance and ADA/504 Coordinator, Linda Koenig, at [email protected] or (607) 274-7761. Concerns regarding any known or suspected instances of discrimination may be reported to the Office of Human Resources via the Discrimination Reporting Form.
Ithaca College’s nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located in the following sections of the Ithaca College Policy manual: 2.3 Non-Discrimination Policy and 2.7 Guidelines for Resolving Discrimination Complaints.
Ithaca College has retained the DSG Fundraising & Advancement Practice of DSG | Storbeck to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link or directed to the leaders of the search team:
https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23012
Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.
Global Managing Partner and Practice Founder, DSG Fundraising & Advancement
[email protected] | 212.542.2587
Beth Schaefer
Managing Director, Education Practice
[email protected] | 781.799.6645