Vice President, Major & Planned Gifts

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a global leader in cancer care and research, seeks an accomplished and forward-thinking fundraising leader to serve as Vice President, Major & Planned Gifts (VP). This is a career-defining opportunity to shape and elevate a philanthropic program that fuels lifesaving treatments today and breakthrough cures for tomorrow. The VP will lead a high-performing team who helped achieve the record-breaking $2.5 billion The Dana-Farber Campaign, one of the largest cancer-focused fundraising campaigns in the U.S. With this historic milestone complete, Dana-Farber is building on that momentum to sustain philanthropy at unprecedented levels. The VP will set and execute a bold vision for major and planned giving, aligning strategies with Dana-Farber’s ambitious goals—including a recently announced fully integrated oncology campus. This is a special invitation for the driven, strategic, and mission-focused leader who is ready to inspire transformational philanthropy at a world-class institution that is creating a world without cancer.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Division of Philanthropy at Dana-Farber, which consistently raises over $400 million annually, is fueled by the passion and dedication of 300+ staff and countless committed donors. Building on the success of The Dana-Farber Campaign, a record-breaking $2.5 billion effort and one of the largest cancer-focused campaigns in U.S. history, the Institute is poised to sustain elevated philanthropy levels to fund innovative research, cutting-edge patient care, and strategic growth priorities.

As the Division evolves its philanthropic model to emphasize alignment with donor priorities and institutional vision, the VP will lead the charge for the major and planned giving team—setting ambitious goals, inspiring a team of 50, and crafting inclusive strategies that deepen the culture of philanthropy and broaden the donor base.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Philanthropy Officer, Jeff Jablow, and collaborating closely with the Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Melany Duval, the new Vice President, Major and Planned Gifts leads the team responsible for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospective major donors with a giving capacity of $250K to $999K and Planned Giving donors at all capacity levels through bequests, trusts, life income vehicles, gifts of real estate, and other planned gift arrangements. This includes the Dana-Farber Society and related donor marketing, events, and stewardship programs. The VP will manage through a team of four direct reports, including three Assistant Vice Presidents and one Senior Associate.

The ideal candidate embodies a growth mindset, leveraging a keen ability to assess and enhance existing philanthropic programs while identifying opportunities for meaningful innovation and collaboration. Motivated by mission and energized by the opportunity to achieve ambitious goals, the VP will bring a proven track record of fostering a culture that values creativity, inclusiveness, and high performance, and will lead with purpose in embedding this culture into a hybrid work environment. The VP will excel at bridging big-picture vision with actionable strategies, ensuring both long-term impact and day-to-day effectiveness. A strong commitment to ethical fundraising practices and a relationship-centered approach are essential, as is the ability to thrive within a dynamic, complex, and mission-driven organization, inspiring others to advance Dana-Farber’s critical work.

RESPONSIBILITIES (partial list)

• Lead, mentor, and coach a team of 50 who manage and oversee the implementation, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities of Major Gifts prospects and Planned Gift prospects.
• Develop and recommend new strategies to enhance Major and Planned Gifts fundraising and for gift solicitations.
• Lead expansion of gift officer team with a suite of hires over multiple years across Major and Planned teams.
• Set quarterly and annual goals for fundraising and donor activities and monitor team progress against goals.
• Lead and advance the Dana-Farber Society (DFS) strategy, goals, and activities as a signature program to include staffing Trustee Co-Chairs of the DFS.
• Collaborate on marketing and stewardship programs, including annual recognition events for Dana-Farber Society (DFS) members and donors.
• Oversee tracking and processing of estate management and assist in administration of estate settlements, bequests, trusts, life income gifts, and gifts of real estate.
• Cultivate, solicit, and otherwise manage a portfolio of prospects.
• Work collaboratively with Transformational Gifts, Principal Gifts, and Annual Giving teams on Planned Giving opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS & CHARACTERISTICS (partial list)

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred with a minimum of 15 years of major gifts fundraising or relevant experience and strong managerial experience.
• Successful track record of major gift solicitations in $250,000+ donor category.
• Experience introducing sophisticated planned giving vehicles (i.e., CGA, CRUT, DAF) during donor conversations with excellent analytical skills to resolve complex and blended gift situations that require the innovative application of technical knowledge.
• High level of confidence and experience working with and proactively engaging professional advisors and estate and trust professionals.

ABOUT DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE

In 1947, Sidney Farber, MD, founded the Children's Cancer Research Foundation, dedicated to providing compassionate, state-of-the-art treatment to children with cancer while developing the cancer preventatives, treatments, and cures of the future.

The foundation officially expanded its programs to include patients of all ages in 1969, and in 1974 became known as the Sidney Farber Cancer Center in honor of its founder. The long-term support of the Charles A. Dana Foundation was acknowledged by incorporating the Institute under its present name in 1983.

Today, the Institute employs more than 5,000 staff, faculty, and clinicians supporting more than 640,000 annual outpatient visits, more than 1,000 hospital discharges per year, and has over 1,100 open clinical trials. Dana-Farber is internationally renowned for its equal commitment to cutting edge research and provision of excellent patient care. The deep expertise in these two areas uniquely positions Dana-Farber to develop, test, and gain FDA approval for new cancer therapies in its laboratories and clinical settings. Dana-Farber researchers have contributed to the development of 35 of 75 cancer drugs recently approved by the FDA for use in cancer patients.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, a federally designated Center for AIDS Research, and a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a federally designated comprehensive cancer center. Dana-Farber also maintains affiliations with several schools of nursing in the Boston area.

Providing advanced training in cancer treatment and research for an international faculty, the Institute conducts community-based programs in cancer prevention, detection, and control throughout New England, and maintains joint programs with other Boston institutions affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dana-Farber is supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the generous support of numerous foundations and individuals who contribute to the Institute's individual research and clinic programs or to the Jimmy Fund, the principal charity of the Institute, named for one of its child patients.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

To express interest in the position, visit https://www.pearlstreetcollective.com/positions/dfci-vpmpg.

Pearl Street Collective, the search firm with purpose, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Adele Mezher, Maeve Clifford, Caitlin Graham, and Shari Berenson are leading the search. Pearl Street is an award-winning, retained executive search and talent strategy firm serving the nonprofit, education, and healthcare sectors. Women-owned and led by a diverse group of talented professionals who are deeply committed to equity in search, Pearl Street disrupts traditional search dynamics by practicing radical empathy; listening and learning from others’ unique perspectives, lived experiences, and identities; and committing to transparency for all stakeholders. This purposeful approach informs every facet of Pearl Street’s comprehensive search process that identifies exceptional talent, builds real relationships, and delivers an unparalleled, value-driven service that honors the whole person. For three consecutive years, Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC) has named Pearl Street one of the Top Search Firms for Women of Color; Hunt Scanlon has included the firm in their 2024 shortlists of top recruiters for nonprofits and higher education; and Forbes recognized Pearl Street in 2024 as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is considered remote and will be expected onsite each week at 10 Brookline Place, Brookline, MA for leadership team meetings and to engage with staff. Employees must reside in New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. Travel and evening and weekend work may be required. This role will have appropriate opportunities to engage with patients.