Posting Note: Phoenix Children’s Foundation seeks a strategic and innovative Director of Gift Planning to lead the advancement of our gift planning program, encompassing both current and deferred giving strategies. As a key member of the Individual Giving leadership team, the Director will oversee a team of three Gift Planning Officers and one Coordinator, working in partnership with Major Gift Officers and professional advisors to drive significant philanthropic revenue through blended gifts, asset-based contributions, and legacy commitments.
The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in charitable estate planning, a collaborative leadership style, and a passion for transforming pediatric healthcare through philanthropic investment. This is a leadership role that requires both strategic vision and frontline fundraising success, with a focus on scaling impact through integration across the development enterprise.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Program Design
• Lead the vision and strategy for an integrated gift planning program that maximizes current and future support through complex and blended gift structures.
• Establish annual goals and long-term growth strategies aligned with Phoenix Children’s fundraising priorities and revenue targets.
• Serve as an internal subject matter expert on planned giving instruments including bequests, donor-advised funds, charitable remainder and lead trusts, retained life estates, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and gifts of appreciated assets.
Team Management
• Supervise and coach three Gift Planning Officers and one Coordinator, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and high performance.
• Support team members in portfolio management, proposal development, and professional growth.
• Collaborate with peers in Major Gifts, Principal Gifts, and Development Services to ensure integration and consistency across the donor experience.
Donor and Advisor Engagement
• Manage a personal portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects with an emphasis on blended and complex gifts.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with estate attorneys, financial advisors, and wealth managers to promote philanthropic planning among Phoenix Children’s constituents.
• Represent Phoenix Children’s at estate planning councils, advisor forums, and donor education events to grow the Foundation’s reach and reputation.
Innovation & Integration
• Drive innovation in digital will-making tools, legacy marketing campaigns, and advisor engagement strategies.
• Partner with Major Gift Officers to develop customized gift plans that align with donor goals and institutional priorities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to increase asset-based giving, including real estate, business interests, and non-cash assets.
Stewardship and Compliance
• Oversee the management and reporting of expectancies, ensuring accurate documentation, forecasting, and stewardship.
• Maintain compliance with ethical standards, internal policies, and applicable tax and legal regulations.
• Work with Development Services and Finance teams to ensure timely realization and documentation of estate distributions.
Qualifications
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in gift planning, estate administration, or financial planning, preferably in a healthcare or higher education setting.
• Demonstrated success in soliciting and closing complex and blended gifts.
• Strong knowledge of charitable estate and tax planning strategies, current trends in philanthropy, and legal aspects of gift planning.
• Proven leadership experience with staff management, mentorship, and program development.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to build trust and credibility with donors, advisors, and colleagues.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certification (JD, CFP, CAP®, AEP®, or CGPP™) strongly preferred.

Key Competencies
• Strategic and forward-thinking with a growth mindset
• Technically proficient in planned giving vehicles and donor engagement strategies
• Collaborative and diplomatic, with a high degree of emotional intelligence
• Results-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills
• Committed to the mission and values of Phoenix Children’s

Working in close collaboration with the Vice President (VP), the Director of Foundation Development designs and executes on a comprehensive development strategy for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Director oversees and executes on both capital campaigns and ongoing fundraising efforts. This position also forms and manages the Phoenix Children’s Foundation development team, and reports directly to the Vice President.

• Leadership:
  
  * Cultivates existing relationships with vendors with the goal of ensuring sufficient space and resources, and access to services.
  * Develops and implements strategies that will maximize the synergies among program areas.
• Team Management and Development:
  
  * Develops and implements a system to evaluate the skill, experience, and professional development needs of all staff.
  * Implements a professional development program to address employee experience and skill gaps.
  * Works with staff to develop objective performance measurements across all sites, to ensure consistent, high-quality evaluation and goal setting for all employees.
  * Instills a sense of accountability among team members by modeling tight oversight of individual and organizational performance standards.
  * Recruits, hires, and oversees training and orientation of all staff members.
• Design Development Strategy:
  
  * Works with the management team to identify funds needed, preferred funding targets, and approaches.
• Form and Manage Development Team:
  
  * Works with the VP and senior leadership team to form a Development Team.
  * Oversees Development Team and identifies staffing needs for campaigns and ongoing development.
• Fundraising:
  
  * Conducts research, prospecting, and applications to multiple donor sources.
  * Manages capital campaigns, engaging and overseeing capital campaign firms as necessary.
  * Oversees ongoing development efforts.
• Build a Robust Donor Base:
  
  * Develops and maintains key long-term relationships with donors and prospects.
• Communicate and Train:
  
  * Trains and mentors Development Staff and communicates fundraising goals and progress throughout the organization.
• Performs miscellaneous job related duties as requested.
  

To advance hope, healing and the best healthcare for children and their families

Phoenix Children's will be the leading pediatric health system in the Southwest, nationally recognized for exceptional care, innovative research and advanced medical education.

We realize this vision by:

• Offering the most comprehensive care across ages, communities and specialties
• Investing in innovative research, including emerging treatments, tools and technologies
• Advancing education and training to shape the next generation of clinical leaders
• Advocating for the health and well-being of children and families

• We place children and families at the center of all we do
• We deliver exceptional care, every day and in every way
• We collaborate with colleagues, partners and communities to amplify our impact
• We set the standards of pediatric healthcare today, and innovate for the future
• We are accountable for making the highest quality care accessible and affordable