Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Title: Vice President, Institutional Advancement

Department: Institutional Advancement

Salary Range: $215,000 – $250,000 annually; bonus opportunities

Location: New York, NY (Hybrid – 4 days in-office); open to exceptional remote candidates in other cities

FLSA: Exempt

OVERVIEW

The Birthright Israel Foundation (BRIF) is the U.S.-based philanthropic partner of Birthright Israel, the landmark program that has brought nearly 1 million young Jewish adults from over 70 countries on free, immersive trips to Israel since its founding in 1999. BRIF leads fundraising, donor engagement, and stewardship efforts in North America — mobilizing major donors, foundations, family offices, and community partners to sustain and expand the program’s reach.

In the wake of October 7, 2023, BRIF’s mission has taken on renewed urgency. The organization has been at the forefront of efforts to resume the Birthright Israel experience for the thousands of young Jewish adults who were waitlisted or whose trips were interrupted, all while simultaneously deepening its engagement with donors motivated by an unprecedented moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. BRIF has prioritized expanding program capacity, strengthening its donor community, and ensuring that connection to Israel remains accessible to the next generation at exactly the moment it matters most. Our team is lean, mission-driven, and operating with the intensity and ambition that this moment demands. We work across major gifts, events, marketing, finance, legal, and operations — and we are growing.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President, Institutional Advancement builds and supports the major gifts efforts of Birthright Israel Foundation (“BRIF”). Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the VP serves as a leader within BRIF’s institutional advancement team, which is responsible for all BRIF major gifts and more than half of its overall annual campaign. The team is entering a planned period of growth that coincides with a pivotal moment in BRIF’s history as it enters the third year of the Birthright Israel Generations Campaign – the campaign will bring more than 200,000 young Jewish adults to Israel by 2029 and raise $900M to do it. The VP will own many of BRIF’s most significant existing relationships, identify new major gift funders, and grow these partnerships through securing transformational and named gifts.

The VP role combines frontline fundraising at the highest levels with responsibility for the strategy and discipline that will sustain major gifts growth over the long term. The ideal candidate is a seasoned major gifts leader who is equally effective in the room with a principal donor and in building the systems and team that allow the department to scale.

This Opportunity Appeals To

• Accomplished major gifts and foundation relations leaders who want to steward some of the most significant relationships in Jewish philanthropy during one of the most ambitious moments in BRIF’s history.
• Fundraising managers who enjoy building, coaching, and growing high-performing teams.
• Professionals who thrive in campaign environments and are motivated by ambitious, measurable goals.
• Strategic relationship-builders who excel at matching a funder’s interests to transformational opportunities.
• People energized by mission-driven work who want their day-to-day to connect to something larger.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Portfolio & Revenue

• Lead a portfolio of some of BRIF’s top relationships, with full accountability for retention, growth, and revenue.
• Build a clear strategy for every relationship: interests, decision-makers, giving history, capacity, and next steps.
• Design and close major gifts that match each donor’s priorities to the campaign’s biggest opportunities, including naming and funding options that fit their interests and capacity.
• Partner with the CEO and Chief Advancement Officer on select solicitations where senior leadership adds value.

Pipeline & Operations

• Manage the Institutional Advancement pipeline in Salesforce, with accurate forecasting and consistent moves management.
• Qualify and prioritize donors on BRIF’s Major Prospects list, supporting the Chief Advancement Officer in cultivating and closing top gifts.
• Coach and support colleagues on major gifts strategy and help shape the team as the department grows.

Partnership & Engagement

• Work closely with the AVP, Institutional Giving on the strategy for engaging major new and existing foundation partners, strong grant proposals, and compelling reporting.
• Partner with regional fundraising leaders on shared relationships and portfolio strategy.
• Coordinate with the VP, Israel Initiatives on donor engagement in Israel, including trips for top funders.
• Represent BRIF to funders, peer organizations, and the community.

What Success Looks Like

In the first year, the VP will know and map every relationship in the Institutional Advancement portfolio. Each one will have a strategy, and targeted/named gift opportunities will be in active conversation. The VP’s pipeline will be accurate and forecastable. The VP’s portfolio will meet or exceed goal as the VP secures named and transformational commitments.

You Are Someone Who

•    Is energized by cultivating deep, long-term relationships with philanthropists, families, and foundations.

•    Communicates with warmth, clarity, and credibility, including with senior leaders and board members.

•    Asks confidently for transformational gifts and knows when to bring in senior leadership.

•    Leads by example and inspires a team to cultivate, follow through, and deliver.

•    Is highly organized, data-driven, and accountable for results.

•    Balances strategic thinking with disciplined execution.

If these statements describe you, you will be successful in this role and should apply.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

Required

• 10+ years of frontline major gifts or foundation relations experience, including personally closing gifts of $1M or more.
• 3+ years managing gift officers.
• Experience in a campaign environment, and fluency with CRM-driven portfolio management, with Salesforce preferred.
• Capacity and curiosity to leverage AI and emerging technologies to work more efficiently — streamlining prospect research, donor briefings, proposal drafting, pipeline management, and reporting — so that more time goes to building relationships, and to help the team adopt these tools as it scales.
• Strong relationship, writing, and presentation skills, and comfort working with proposal teams, senior leaders, and board members.

Preferred

• A passion for the mission of Birthright Israel.
• Experience structuring naming and funding opportunities.
• Experience with international or Israel-related donor engagement.

Travel Expectations: Regular travel to meet with donors and team members, plus occasional national travel.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At Birthright Israel, you’ll be part of a team that is shaping the future of the Jewish people. Your work will help ensure that donors feel connected, valued, and inspired to make Birthright Israel possible for generations to come. A fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where your work has visible, immediate impact. We offer a collaborative, supportive team culture. Our benefits are generous, and include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance. Employees have access to set aside funds for retirement through our 403(b) plan, which includes a 5% salary match that vests over the first 5 years of employment. Additional perks include generous sick time, annual personal days, as well as a work calendar offering time off for Jewish and secular holidays.

The Birthright Israel Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.