Vice President of Philanthropy, Lifespace Foundation - Lifespace Communities : Job Details

Lifespace Communities

Founded in 1976, Lifespace Communities, Inc. (“Lifespace”) is one of the nation's top ten largest nonprofit senior living organizations. With a mission of creating communities where people are empowered to live their aspirations through personalized experiences, Today, through 16 communities in seven states, Lifespace's presence spans across the country, serving nearly 6,000 residents and employing over 4,000 team members.

As a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), every Lifespace community offers a complete continuum of care. Each community offers Life Care, a widely preferred cost-management plan for care. With Life Care, residents know their costs of living will remain predictable for life, even if they need long-term care.Lifespace promises that such care will come from people they already know and trust – and at a cost that is well below what they would pay for skilled care entered directly. In addition, for Lifespace, living well is the whole idea. Hence, it offers a holistic wellness plan that includes reviewing residents' intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social capabilities for achieving their goals. By aligning residents' lifestyles and goals, Lifespace fulfills its initiative of richly fulfilled living.

The Lifespace Foundation

Established in 1992, The Lifespace Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization supporting Lifespace with a wide range of giving opportunities that empower residents while benefiting their health and welfare. Through the years, the Foundation has evolved into the multi-dimensional organization that it is today, fulfilling the organization's mission to support its residents through philanthropy.

It was once believed that a senior living community should be the next best thing to being home. Now, we believe it must be more than the next best: It must really be HOME. When a resident joins a Lifespace community, they move into a new home in a new “neighborhood.” Their floor plans may change and the lawn may not need their personal attention, but the feeling is still the same of being part of a community and wanting to be a good neighbor.

For more than three decades, The Lifespace Foundation has been providing tax-deductible charitable opportunities for residents, team members, family, and friends who are inspired to enhance the lives of those in our communities and to be a part of “neighbors helping neighbors” and “friends helping friends.”

Core Pillars of Support

Benevolent Care. Thanks to the Benevolent Care Fund, Life Care residents of Lifespace Communities are assured they have care and support for their lifetime, even if they outlive their financial resources. Beyond unwavering care provided, the Benevolent Care Fund provides community members with peace of mind and a sense of comfort and security.

Community Projects and Programming. Each Lifespace community has its own flair and flavor shaped by the passions and personalities of its residents. If its members can dream it, The Foundation will work to find the funding to help the community achieve it. Examples include the construction of outdoor spaces, spiritual centers, fitness facilities, and memorials honoring military veterans, among other initiatives.

Team Member Support. Lifespace team members are a critical component of what makes each community so special. The Foundation helps to deepen resident and team member relationships by facilitating residents' giving for scholarships, end-of-year team member bonuses, and financial assistance for emergencies.

Governance & Revenue

Governed by a 12-member board and staffed by 3 team members, The Lifespace Foundation has recently raised between $500,000 and $800,000 annually and has $3 million in assets under management.

The Opportunity

As a member of the senior leadership team, the Vice President of Philanthropy (VP) will be responsible for rejuvenating fundraising efforts among Lifespace residents and building a robust culture of philanthropy while furthering the strategic direction of Lifespace Communities. Beginning with the stewardship of existing donors and the use of data to identify and cultivate high-value prospects, the VP will work with leaders in each community to identify prospective donors and solicit annual gifts with an eye toward moves management. Over time, initiatives will ideally grow to include larger projects such as capital improvements in communities and the gradual endowment of the Benevolent Care Fund. For the latter, the VP will focus on the cultivation of legacy gifts, including entrance fee refund gifts in addition to traditional bequests or other vehicles.

Reporting to the President and CEO, the VP oversees all fundraising activities for the Lifespace Foundation in support of Lifespace Communities. The VP leads the creation of strategic fund development initiatives to include, primarily: a major and planned giving program, annual giving, donor stewardship and recognition programs, management of volunteer leadership, public relations related to fund development, and developing campus-based campaign strategies, as appropriate. Specifically, the VP will:

Organization Vision, Mission, and Strategy: Work with the board and executives to develop strategic plans to ensure mission perpetuity.

• Lead by example embracing the Lifespace Communities' and Lifespace Foundation's vision, mission, and values.
• Develop strategies to secure significant and sustainable private support to support the mission.
• Develop and execute a balanced fund development program that involves residents, families of residents, board members, the Lifespace team, prospective donors from the greater community, corporations, and foundations.
• Execute innovative ideas for raising increased funding from foundations, corporations, individuals, government agencies, and other sources.
• Ensure continual development of a robust pipeline of prospective donors.
• Prepare and execute Lifespace Foundation's strategic plan with short- and long-range goals to meet Lifespace Foundation's funding objectives. Enlist support from Lifespace's President and CEO, senior team members, Executive Directors, local community leaders, and internal and external volunteer groups, as appropriate.
• Oversee annual campaigns related to established fundraising initiatives and seek to identify additional opportunities for philanthropic support that align with the mission and strategic objectives of Lifespace Communities.
• Manage all aspects of any volunteer activities associated with fund development including volunteer identification, recruitment and training, scheduled meetings, oversight and execution of volunteer-driven activities, and related volunteer committees.
• Cultivate relationships with residents and solicit major, planned, and annual gifts.
• Prepare and submit the Lifespace Foundation budget and report on fundraising activities and progress monthly and annually.
• Maintain a portfolio of prospective donors to the Foundation, cultivating relationships with donors.
• Ensure the availability and promotion of appropriate outright and planned giving vehicles.
• Operations:Communicate a vision for the company and take steps to make it a reality. Oversee and implement appropriate resources to ensure effective and efficient operations.
• Ensure that the Lifespace Foundation team is rightsized to support fund development efforts in all communities as well as strategic organization-wide priorities. Interview, select, and orient new direct reports as needed.
• Provide resources to individual community leadership teams for their role as fundraisers and ambassadors of Lifespace's fundraising priorities.
• Foster a positive work environment that attracts, retains, and motivates team members. Identify appropriate training and professional development opportunities.
• Define and promote performance expectations so direct reports understand and demonstrate excellence through high-quality and consistent performance. Evaluate Foundation performance.

Fundraising: Oversee the development and execution of fundraising strategies, policies, and plans to ensure adequate funding for benevolent operations.

• Serve as the chief spokesperson and ambassador for the Foundation's mission and goals.
• Strategically grow the prospective donor base for donors at all levels of giving capability.
• Oversee and strengthen the donor recognition and stewardship program, including appropriate awards and recognition of donors and volunteers for their support.
• Work to plan, develop, and implement viable, strategic capital campaigns.
• Develop marketing, branding, and community-building strategies. Collaborate with marketing teams in writing and editing marketing materials to attract annual, major, and planned gifts consistent with Lifespace branding and established fundraising initiatives.
• Respond to all giving inquiries received and create proactive strategies for follow-up.

Other:

• Comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations; maintain knowledge of and follow all company policies and procedures.
• Obtain knowledge and demonstrate the principles of Living Lifespace, person-directed care, and successful aging philosophies and their inherent core values of commitment, respect, compassion, dedication, teamwork, and quality. The team member will support, actively participate, and act following the principles of the Living Lifespace service culture and be familiar with and fluent in the language and service pillars of Living Lifespace.
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance at work and meetings.