Vice President, Philanthropic Advising

About Us

Climate Lead empowers philanthropic leaders everywhere to take immediate and far-reaching climate action. By serving as an impartial guide, Climate Lead equips new climate philanthropists with the information and insights they need to drive transformative solutions. We cut through the complexity by curating roadmaps, in partnership with a diverse network of experts, to help philanthropists make a bold impact on climate from day one.

Summary

Reporting to the Executive Vice President (EVP) - who leads the philanthropy team - the Vice President, Philanthropic Advising (VP) will divide their time approximately evenly between advising philanthropists as a trusted guide and people management. Advising responsibilities include directly engaging ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, providing strategic guidance to foster transformative and scalable climate philanthropy. Concurrently, the Vice President will manage and support a team of four Senior Philanthropy Advisors (SPAs) and one Manager, helping them to achieve ambitious goals while fostering growth, collaboration, and innovation.

Managerial Responsibilities

The Vice President, Philanthropic Advising will have five direct reports, including four Senior Philanthropy Advisors (SPAs) and one Manager, who will support the Vice President’s philanthropic advising work and also build out the team’s playbook of best practices.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Philanthropic Advising (50%)

The work of philanthropic advising is focused on three primary goals:

 1. Proactively Draw In New Philanthropists to Climate

• Proactively develop strategies to engage philanthropists new to climate, including through peer volunteers, influencers, and curated events and experiences.

2. Serve as a Trusted Guide for Philanthropists New to Climate

• Deeply understand the interests, influencers, and decision-making of philanthropists new to climate and design the impactful steps and strategies that will help them give and scale their giving. This could include support for climate learning, help in setting goals and values, processes to choose their priorities once they understand what is important for climate, portfolio development and more.
• Partner with the Global Climate Strategies and Communications teams to create  products translated for philanthropists new to climate, including thematic landscapes, presentations, tailored portfolio recommendations, vetted solution briefs, and more. 
• Speed philanthropists’ climate journeys through curated connections with peer philanthropists, which can include strategically choosing the right peer connections, briefing participants for maximum impact, and facilitating peer-to-peer engagements for maximum impact and follow-up.

3. Support Experienced Peer Volunteers

• Staff several experienced climate philanthropists in their principal-to-principal engagement with peers as “ambassadors” for climate, akin to campaign volunteer engagement in a development organization.

Leadership, Management and Mentoring (50%)

The Philanthropic Advising work above is also the work of all Senior Philanthropy Advisors at Climate Lead. This position also adds the following responsibilities: 

• As a leader within the Philanthropy team, partner with peers to model leadership and management best practices, and champion a positive, high-performing team environment. Embed Climate Lead’s values and working norms into team meetings, retreats, systems, processes, and practices. Lead with integrity, care, courage, collaboration, a growth mindset, and purpose. Model a collaborative work environment both within and outside the direct-report team that promotes results, innovation, and teamwork.
• Mentor direct reports to set and achieve ambitious goals, in line with Climate Lead priorities. Monitor and evaluate progress, adjusting strategies as needed to ensure success.
• Review and refine SPA donor engagement strategies, ensuring alignment with Climate Lead’s goals and best practices. Support effective projection setting and track to results against our annual and five-year goals. Troubleshoot challenges and offer strategic input and guidance as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement, encouraging innovation and a results-oriented mindset. 
• Develop and implement effective coaching strategies to invest in our talent. To foster professional growth and skill development, provide consistent feedback, reviews, training, and thought partnership. 
• Coordinate team resources and efforts as well as cross-functional collaboration with other Climate Lead teams to maximize donor impact and team efficiency.

Success Criteria

Climate Lead supports a sophisticated global ecosystem to move billions into climate in the coming years. To be successful, the Vice President must understand how donors operate at this level of giving, how to build authentic relationships with them, and how to spur them into action with the speed and scale this issue requires through engagement, learning, listening, and advising.

Experience in principal gifts level development or sophisticated and outcome-oriented donor advising is critical for this role. For those attracted to a dynamic start-up venture focused on mission-driven work, this is an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to an important global effort addressing the climate crisis.

The Vice President must bring extensive team management experience and sophisticated coaching and mentoring skills for senior-level colleagues. Fostering growth and development within the team is essential, as is providing guidance and support to help each member achieve success in their roles. With a collaborative disposition and approach, the Vice President will help ensure the team effectively executes on goals and objectives.

Additional success factors for the Vice President include:

• Advisory Orientation: Enjoys working in both a consultative and action-oriented environment, using strategy, persuasion, and influencing skills to mobilize philanthropists and networks. Demonstrated agility and flexibility in ambiguous or changing circumstances. Appreciates the iterative process for evaluating and scaling climate strategies and solutions. A diligent learner around outcomes and results.
• Team Leadership and Management: Effective management and development of a team comprising advisors and/or senior fundraising professionals. Knowledge of how to lead through organizational growth and demonstrated use of change management tactics.A natural coach and mentor who knows how to use their experience and wisdom to lift up others in their work.
• Agility:   Highly adaptable and flexible, and embraces a culture that requires responsiveness and elasticity in the operating environment.
• Driving Results: Translates priorities into operational reality; aligns communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes to ensure efforts yield results; a solid project manager who is organized and clear with work plans and goals, including tracking priorities and progress. Capable of being both a strategic contributor and hands-on implementer.
• Embrace Collaborative Teams: Brings a genuine respect for the power of collaboration, working in a participatory way across the organization and through Climate Lead’s extensive global networks to achieve shared goals. A demonstrated track record of being an excellent collaborator on high performing and matrixed teams.
• Communication Skills:  Articulate, persuasive, and able to tailor communication styles to suit diverse audiences. Excels in both written and verbal communication, ensuring clarity and understanding in every interaction. An active listener and empathetic, able to build strong relationships and foster collaboration through their sophistication in communication.
• People Intelligence & Inspiration: Considers multiple points of view with ease and encourages constructive, balanced discussions to drive innovation and progress, while simultaneously being able to hold onto the bigger picture. Sophisticated understanding of what motivates someone and how to build solutions that are inspiring and responsive to their needs. Invites candor and a temperament that deploys a sensitive touch in teasing out points of disagreement.

Additional: 

• Climate Sector Experience: Direct experience working in climate-focused organizations is a plus, but not required.

Required Experience

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Progressive leadership experience in principal gift level development roles, UHNW philanthropic advising, or similar positions, either through 20+ years of experience or through demonstrated success leading senior advisory teams in complex, dynamic, and scaling environments.
• Demonstrated success managing teams of senior development professionals or advisors, with a proven ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams.
• Strategic thinking, problem-solving, independent learning, and project management skills, with a focus on results and accountability.

Work Environment

This position is based in Climate Lead’s headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Staff in the San Francisco Bay Area currently work in the office Tuesday through Thursday each week and typically work from home the other days.  Domestic travel of approximately 20% is required, with less frequent international travel.

Salary Range

$300,000 - 400,000

At the Climate Lead, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of or traits historically associated with race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.