Assistant Vice President - Individual Giving and Foundations, AVP Individual Giving and Foundations

How you move is why we’re here. ®
Now more than ever.

Get back to what you need and love to do.
The possibilities are endless...

Now more than ever, our guiding principles are helping us in our search for exceptional talent - candidates who align with our unique workplace culture and who want to maximizethe abundant opportunities for growth and success.

If this describes you then let’s talk!

HSS is consistently among the top-ranked hospitals for orthopedics and rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. As a recipient of the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence, HSS was the first hospital in New York City to receive the distinguished designation. Whether you are early in your career or an expert in your field, you will find HSS an innovative, supportive and inclusive environment.

Working with colleagues who love what they do and are deeply committed to our Mission, you too can be part of our transformation across the enterprise.

Emp Status

Regular Full time

Work Shift

Compensation Range

The base pay scale for this position is $203,500.00 - $310,500.00. In addition, this position will be eligible for additional benefits consistent with the role. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be determined based on various factors, including but not limited to: scope of role, level of experience, education, accomplishments, internal equity, budget, and subject to Fair Market Value evaluation. The hiring range listed is a good faith determination of potential compensation at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future.

What you will be doing

HSS is the world leader in musculoskeletal health serving patients from all 50 States and more than 100 countries. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 16th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2024-2025). The Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates.

HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and just earned its sixth designation. HSS consistently achieves the highest levels of patient outcomes, satisfaction, and professional nursing practice. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida.

HSS performs twice as many orthopedic surgeries as the next highest-volume hospital and 20 times more orthopedic surgeries than the average U.S. hospital, including more hip surgeries and knee replacements than any other hospital in the US. HSS is the provider of musculoskeletal care to more elite sports teams than any other hospital in the world. Members of HSS’s medical staff serve as physicians for the athletic programs of several colleges and universities and numerous professional sports teams, including the New York Giants, New York Rangers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, New York Mets, and New York Red Bulls. In addition, HSS serves as a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence

In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation, and education; HSS is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian and serves as a major teaching hospital for Weill Cornell Medical College. The Hospital also maintains relationships that span patient care, education, and research with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University.

HSS has world-class research capabilities: the organization’s bench to bedside research drives innovation, best practices, and pathways toward treatment and cures. The HSS Research Institute, composed of 20 basic science laboratories and 300 staff members, rigorously investigates care delivery to continuously improve outcomes and is focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair, and tissue regeneration.

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The HSS Innovation Institute also works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics, and devices, leveraging the Hospital’s musculoskeletal experience and data to develop and market new technologies, lines of business, and partnerships.

HSS collaborates with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make HSS care more widely accessible through the HSS Education Institute, a source for outstanding initiatives in education, training, research, and information for local, national, and international communities. Academic programs are a core offering of the Education Institute; for over 150 years, HSS has trained the minds, hearts, and hands of some of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the nation and is consistently ranked as the country’s top Orthopedic Residency Program. A steadfast commitment to excellence in education dates to the Hospital’s earliest traditions and continues to influence its mission and vision.

HSS Florida

HSS Florida provides state-of-the-art care from the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. Prior to opening an ambulatory surgery and outpatient care facility in West Palm Beach in 2020, more than 3,000 Florida residents travelled to NYC for HSS care each year. In 2023, in collaboration with Naples Community Hospital on Florida’s southwestern coast, HSS at NCH began operations. At both locations, HSS offers the same superior quality of surgical care, rehabilitation, and other services that patients need and expect from HSS anywhere.

HSS Orthopedics at Stamford Health

A collaboration between HSS and Stamford Health, initiated in 2017, brought HSS services to the population of southern Connecticut. Under the collaboration, Stamford Health has adopted HSS’s best practices across its entire orthopedic service line, and HSS orthopedic specialists see patients at HSS Stamford at Chelsea Piers, Hamden, Wilton and Westport. If surgery is necessary, HSS

Position Mission
The Assistant Vice President, Individual Giving and Foundations (AVP IG-F) position provides an exciting opportunity to be a key member of the Development leadership team and help guide the strategic vision for HSS Development, connecting it to institutional strategy. The AVP IG-F develops and implements the philanthropic program for major giving and foundations, setting new standards for the grateful patient philanthropy program. They are a key driver of pipeline gift volume, building across all gift bands and priorities, as well as building out metrics and KPIs. The Individual Giving and Foundations team focuses on grateful patient fundraising at the major gift (MG) level, as well as at the principal gift (PG) level, in collaboration with members of the Principal Giving and Campaigns team. The IG-F team of gift officers covers key orthopedic and clinical service lines, as well as regional efforts. The AVP IG-F will lead the high-performing and data driven team by example, inspiring hard work and commitment to mission and demonstrating fundraising success while modeling the qualities of a responsible and principled leader.
The Assistant Vice President Individual Giving and Foundations reports to the Vice President, Development and works in close collaboration with the Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer and Vice President, Development Operations & Donor Relations. Other positions reporting to the VP, Development include:
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Campaigns & Fundraising Strategy Manager
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Senior Development Associate
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Senior Development Writer
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Assistant Vice President, Campaigns & Fundraising Strategy
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The position oversees a total staff of 12 FTEs including the following direct reports:
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Executive Director, HSS Florida
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Executive Director, Development
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Senior Director, Development
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Director, Development
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Associate Director, Development
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Senior Development Associate
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Executive Director, Foundations & Government Relations
Candidate Qualifications
The successful candidate will ideally possess the following qualifications and experience:
Education & Experience
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A bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
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Ten or more years of progressive experience in major gift fundraising and development management.
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Experience in health system, academic medical center, or hospital fundraising in a large, complex academic or specialty health system environment strongly preferred.
Capabilities
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Track record of leadership in healthcare development programs to bring best practice knowledge and creative solutions to the HSS Development program.
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Depth of knowledge to serve as a resource, role model, and coach to members of the IG-F team for prospect strategy and solicitation.
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Solid experience developing performance standards and expectations for gift officer activity, including disciplined moves management and tracking.
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Tech savvy to leverage fundraising systems (current CRM: Raiser’s Edge NXT) and data to manage team portfolios, monitor progress against goals, and ensure consistent use of process (moves management, actions, and reporting) across the team.
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Comfort level using data and systems to inform strategy and performance, ensuring strong relationship management practices for major gift and foundation fundraising.
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Deep development connections to cultivate and maintain a robust professional network, participate in industry associations, and stay informed on best practices in the field.
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Solid financial acumen to set the financial performance goals for IG-F team and participate in goal setting for the Development program broadly.
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Strong executive presence with the self-awareness, motivation, and social skills to build trust-based, respectful, collegial and effective relationships with clinicians, administrators, volunteers, and colleagues as part of a team in HSS’s dynamic, complex environment.
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Stellar verbal, written, presentation, and group facilitation skills with the capacity to convey complex information to diverse audiences at all levels of the organization.
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Exceptional organizational, project, and time management skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex fundraising activities at the same time.
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A visionary coach and leader who can galvanize a team of experienced leaders, ensuring collaboration and a sense of urgency and excitement to develop a high-performance team culture.
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Personal Characteristics and Key Attributes
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Intellectual curiosity and creativity
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Forward thinking and decisive
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Collaborative and culturally fluent
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Diplomatic and discreet
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Analytical and strategic thinker
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High emotional quotient
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Authentic and empathetic
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Strong work ethic and unquestionable personal integrity
First-Year Aspirations
The new Assistant Vice President, Individual Giving and Foundations will be expected to achieve the following goals in the first twelve to eighteen months of their tenure:
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Build rapport with the Vice President, Development, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Vice President, Development Operations & Donor Relations, IG-F team, Development team and key staff throughout the organization.
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Lead the IG-F team to meet its 2026 primary financial goal of raising a combined $30M, along with meeting additional 2026 team goals and KPIs.
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Direct and provide strategic guidance to gift officers focused on building a strong pipeline of individual donors at multiple gift levels and through multiple giving vehicles, in support of enterprise-wide strategic fundraising initiatives.
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Demonstrate successful leadership by coaching gift officers on soliciting and closing gifts, both independently and as part of a team, at the leadership annual, major, and principal gifts levels with a primary focus on solicitations in the $100,000-$1,000,000 range.
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Work collaboratively with the Principal Gifts and Campaign team on strategy and gift conversations at the 7- to 9-figure levels.
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Cultivate relationships with medical and administrative leaders across the organization to collaboratively drive fundraising strategy and identify gift opportunities that are aligned with HSS leadership priorities.
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Create accountability measures to help drive fundraising productivity, with a focus on building pipeline and gift volume.
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Collaborate with colleagues across the Development Department to establish standards and ensure the IG program is adequately supported by prospect research, operations, and analytics.
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In partnership with the VP, Development and AVP, Development Data and Systems, create program goals that grow the donor pipeline and gift volume, particularly at the leadership annual giving and major gifts levels.
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Continue to develop standards for major gifts and foundation giving, incorporating industry best-practice that will guide the work of the IG-F team and create consistency and accountability.
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Work closely with the Development fundraising leadership, as well as Service Line and HSS leadership, to set philanthropic priorities focused on advancing HSS’s strategic priorities at the Service Line/Department and enterprise level.
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As a member of the Development Leadership Team, help set standards for employee engagement and overall team performance, identify challenges, and recommend opportunities and solutions in a transparent, change-oriented environment.
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Assess the abilities of the team, create professional development plans for team members, hold regular and ongoing discussions on performance, and conduct formal performance reviews.
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Passionately model the mission, vision and values of HSS

Non-Discrimination Policy
Hospital for Special Surgery is committed to providing high quality care and skilled, compassionate, reliable service to our community in a safe and healing environment. Consistent with this commitment, Hospital for Special Surgery provides care, admits, and treats patients and provides all services without regard to age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, veteran or military status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law or by accreditation standards.