Vice President for Principal Giving

About SMU

Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a nationally ranked private university located near the heart of Dallas. With more than 12,000 diverse, high‑achieving students from all 50 states and over 80 countries, SMU offers small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study, and innovative programs across eight degree‑granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology, and Mood School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. SMU is data‑driven, leveraging a powerful supercomputing ecosystem and entrepreneurial drive to deliver research excellence and prepare ethical, enterprising leaders.

Fundraising and Financial Overview

The Office of Development and External Affairs (DEA) comprises 147 professionals who secure funding for university priorities, promote meaningful involvement, heighten awareness of SMU, and support enrollment of a diverse student body. In Fiscal Year 2026, SMU raised over $300 million in philanthropic support. From 2017 to 2025, the “SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow” campaign exceeded its goal three years early, raising over $1.656 billion from more than 67,500 donors, volunteers, and supporters.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The Vice President for Principal Giving provides executive leadership for SMU’s principal‑giving strategy and serves as the university’s senior fundraising leader for transformational philanthropy. Reporting to Senior Vice President for Development and External Affairs Shontel Grumhaus, the VP partners closely with President Jay Hartzell, academic deans, trustees, volunteer leaders, and senior university leadership to secure the institution’s most significant philanthropic investments.

• Executive leadership for SMU’s principal‑giving strategy and senior fundraising leader for transformational philanthropy.
• Partner closely with President Jay Hartzell, academic deans, trustees, volunteer leaders, and senior university leadership to secure the institution’s most significant philanthropic investments in support of strategic priorities.
• Represent SMU with donors, trustees, volunteer leaders, foundations, and external partners while serving as a trusted ambassador for the university’s mission and strategic vision.
• Strategic partnership with university leadership: advise senior leadership on philanthropic strategy, align donor interests with institutional priorities, translate goals into transformational opportunities, and support board engagement, volunteer leadership recruitment, and briefing preparation.
• Principal gift fundraising: develop, manage, and personally lead a portfolio of the university’s highest‑capacity prospects and donors by cultivating, soliciting, negotiating, and stewarding transformational gifts in close coordination with university leadership.
• Presidential and executive partnership: serve as the strategic fundraising partner to the President, SVP, deans, and academic leadership by developing donor engagement strategies, preparing presidential briefings, coordinating donor meetings, and providing strategic counsel on principal‑gift opportunities.
• Presidential and university events: provide strategic leadership for events involving principal‑gift prospects and donors, partnering with university leadership and advancement colleagues to leverage these opportunities for cultivation, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Team leadership and staff development: build and scale a best‑in‑class principal‑giving program, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement; lead a team of five to six professionals, including Senior Director of Principal Giving, Director of Principal Giving, Principal Gift Proposal Writer, Executive Assistant/Program Coordinator (to be hired), and additional Principal Gift Officers as the program grows.
• Portfolio strategy and pipeline management: develop and oversee principal‑giving portfolio management processes, prospect strategy meetings, donor pipeline reviews, and fundraising analytics to maximize principal‑gift opportunities.
• Campaign leadership: in partnership with the SVP and VP for Campaign, provide leadership for comprehensive campaign planning and execution by developing transformational gift strategies aligned with campaign priorities and institutional objectives.
• Cross‑functional collaboration: partner with key advancement units—including schools and unit development, corporate and foundation relations, gift planning, prospect development, stewardship, alumni engagement, parent and family philanthropy, and development services—to coordinate donor strategies and maximize fundraising success.
• Proposal development and donor communications: oversee development of customized investment opportunities, principal‑gift proposals, case statements, presidential briefings, impact reports, donor communications, and stewardship strategies supporting transformational philanthropy.
• Budget and resource management: develop and manage departmental budgets, monitor fundraising performance, assess resource needs, and recommend organizational improvements to enhance effectiveness.