Description

POSITION SUMMARY
Hawaii Foodbank seeks an experienced, strategic, and visionary fundraising leader to serve as Vice President of Development during a pivotal period of organizational growth and transformation.

As Hawaii's largest hunger relief organization, Hawaii Foodbank is entering a new chapter of philanthropic investment and impact. This is a hands-on fundraising role: in addition to leading the team and department strategy, the Vice President is expected to personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major and principal gift donors.The organization is advancing the $41 million End Hunger Together capital campaign to build a new state-of-the-art facility in Waipahu while simultaneously expanding annual fundraising, major and principal gifts, donor engagement, communications, and development operations.

Reporting directly to the President & CEO and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Vice President of Development is responsible for leading all fundraising, donor engagement, communications, and development operations functions. The Vice President oversees a growing team of approximately 19 professionals and is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive strategies that expand philanthropic support, deepen donor relationships, strengthen organizational capacity, and advance Hawaii Foodbank's mission to nourish our ohana today while working to end hunger tomorrow.

This position requires a collaborative leader who can build high-performing teams, foster a culture of philanthropy, develop transformational donor relationships, and help position Hawaii Foodbank for long-term fundraising success. The successful candidate will combine strategic vision with operational excellence while serving as a key ambassador for the organization throughout Hawaii.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Leadership
  
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with Hawaii Foodbank's strategic priorities and growth objectives.
  • Personally build and manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, and directly secure six-, seven-, and transformational-level gifts — leading fundraising by example, not solely through the team.
  • Provide leadership for all development, donor engagement, communications, brand, and development operations functions.
  • Serve as an active member of the Executive Leadership Team and contribute to organizational planning, decision-making, and strategic direction.
  • Lead development team expansion, organizational change initiatives, and implementation of fundraising best practices.
  • Build and strengthen a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
    Foster collaboration between Development, Programs, Operations, Finance, People and Culture, and Executive Leadership.
  • Serve as a visible ambassador and spokesperson for Hawaii Foodbank internally and externally.
  • Become and remain a knowledgeable advocate for Hawaii Foodbank's mission, impact, strategic priorities, and role in addressing food insecurity across Hawaii.

• Fundraising Leadership
  • Lead all fundraising activities including:
    • Major and principal gifts
    • Capital campaign fundraising
    • Annual and leadership giving
    • Institutional and foundation giving
    • Corporate partnerships and sponsorships
    • Planned and legacy giving
    • Donor engagement and stewardship
    • Events and food drive donor engagement opportunities
  • Establish annual and campaign fundraising goals and strategies to support annual operations and long-term growth.
  • Develop and oversee donor pipeline strategies that identify, cultivate, solicit, steward, and retain donors at all giving levels.
  • Build and personally manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors.
  • Secure and help facilitate six-, seven-, and transformational-level gifts.
  • Develop compelling philanthropic opportunities that align donor interests with organizational priorities and community impact.
  • Establish and execute strategies that drive sustained growth in philanthropic revenue, donor engagement, donor retention, and fundraising capacity.
  • Lead the development and expansion of Hawaii Foodbank's planned and legacy giving efforts.

• Capital Campaign Leadership
  • • Provide strategic leadership for Hawaii Foodbank's End Hunger Together capital campaign.
    • Partner with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, campaign leadership, and volunteer leaders to secure campaign commitments.
    • Oversee campaign planning, prospect strategy, donor engagement, stewardship, reporting, communications, and fundraising performance.
    • Ensure campaign activities strengthen overall donor engagement and annual fundraising efforts.
    • Monitor campaign progress and implement strategies to accelerate campaign success.
• Team Leadership and Talent Development
  • Lead, mentor, inspire, and develop a growing team of fundraising, communications, engagement, and operations professionals.
  • Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Recruit, onboard, retain, and develop exceptional fundraising talent.
  • Establish clear performance metrics and expectations across all development functions.
  • Support professional growth and leadership development throughout the department.
  • Build a team culture that embraces innovation, data-informed decision making, and donor-centered fundraising practices.

• Development Operations and Performance Management
  • Oversee development systems, reporting, analytics, and fundraising infrastructure.
  • Ensure effective use of CRM (Blackbaud NXT), fundraising technology, prospect management tools, and reporting platforms.
  • Establish performance metrics and dashboards that support fundraising growth and accountability.
  • Lead forecasting, pipeline management, campaign reporting, and revenue tracking processes.
  • Promote data integrity, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across development functions.
  • Ensure donor stewardship, gift acceptance, fundraising compliance, and reporting practices meet organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Continuously evaluate and implement systems, processes, and donor experience.

• Community Engagement and Representation
  • Represent Hawaii Foodbank at donor meetings, community events, business functions, philanthropic gatherings, conferences, networking events, and public forums.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, community leaders, elected officials, and strategic partners.
  • Partner with organizational leadership to align philanthropic, public funding, and strategic partnership opportunities that advance Hawaii Foodbank's mission and sustainability.
• Financial Management
  • In partnership with the CFO and Executive Leadership Team, develop, manage, and monitor the annual Development budget and annual fundraising targets.
  • Oversee departmental expenditures, staffing investments, fundraising expenses, campaign budgets, and long-range revenue projections.
  • Track and evaluate return on investment for fundraising strategies and initiatives.
  • Ensure resources are strategically allocated to maximize fundraising performance and organizational impact.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Required
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible fundraising leadership experience.
  • Demonstrated success leading major gifts, annual giving, institutional giving, donor engagement, and campaign fundraising programs.
  • Significant experience securing and supporting six- and seven-figure gifts.
  • Experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
  • Experience working closely with executive leadership and boards of directors.
  • Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead organizational growth, change initiatives, and complex fundraising strategies.
  • Strong strategic planning, relationship-building, and financial management skills.

• Preferred
  • Advanced degree and/or CFRE credential.
  • Capital campaign leadership experience.
  • Experience scaling fundraising programs during periods of organizational growth.
  • Experience implementing fundraising systems, analytics, reporting, and performance measurement frameworks.
  • Experience in nonprofit, human services, healthcare, education, or mission-driven organizations.
  • Knowledge of philanthropy trends, major gifts, principal gifts, campaign strategy, and planned giving.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• The successful candidate will demonstrate:
  • Strategic leadership and organizational vision.
  • Exceptional relationship-building abilities.
  • Highly developed emotional intelligence and collaborative leadership style.
  • Ability to inspire staff, volunteers, donors, and stakeholders.
  • Strong business acumen and financial management capability.
  • Experience leading organizational change and growth initiatives.
  • Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
  • Sound judgment, discretion, integrity, and professionalism.
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
  • Passion for Hawaii Foodbank's mission and impact.

• EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, MACHINES, TOOLS, VEHICLES USED
  • Must have strong computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, teleconferencing/video applications, and familiarity with database management.
  • Donor database proficiency required, with mastery strongly preferred (currently use Raiser’s Edge).
  • Working knowledge of wealth management, financial planning, tax and charitable gift laws, and recurring giving vehicles and methods.
  • Insured vehicle with valid driver’s license and clean driving record.

• WORK ENVIRONMENT
  • Frequent donor meetings, community events, Board functions, fundraising activities, and public engagements.
  • Regular evening and occasional weekend commitments.
  • Local and inter-island travel required.
  • Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

• SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Provide guidance to team members and assist with problem resolution.
  • Conduct or participate in performance evaluations of team members and provide feedback and recommendations to management.
  • Minimum 10+years of management/Leadership experience required.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit the following documents to Hawaii Foodbank Search Committee c/o Inkinen Executive Search via email to Martha Om at mom@inkinen.com:

• Cover letter - expressing your interest in Hawaii Foodbank and how your skills and experiences match the Vice President of Development role.
• Resume