Vice President of Principal Gifts

This search will be led by DSG | Koya, please apply for this role by filling out this Talent Profile for DSG, not through the College Track Website.

The Opportunity 

College Track seeks a Vice President of Principal Gifts (VPPG), a mission-driven leader responsible for shaping and driving the organization’s individual giving strategy to drive impact and long-term sustainability. Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the VPPG provides strategic oversight and direction for the fundraising strategy for major and principal donors, as well as manages their own portfolio of high-net-worth individuals.

As a key member of the Philanthropy Leadership Team, the VPPG partners closely with the Philanthropy Leadership Team, as well as leaders across the Education and Data & Analytics teams, to align individual giving strategies with organizational goals and operational priorities. The VPPG is a visible and influential leader who cultivates partnerships with high-impact funders, Board members, and senior executives, ensuring individual philanthropy fuels College Track’s national growth and impact.

Candidate Profile

The Vice President of Principal Gifts will be responsible for the following:

External Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships (70%) 

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, multi-year individual philanthropy strategy that advances College Track’s financial sustainability and strategic priorities, demonstrating national scale and local impact.
• Provide strategic oversight for over $7M principal giving portfolio, ensuring alignment with College Track’s organizational mission, brand, and programmatic goals.
• Serve as a key external ambassador for the organization, cultivating and stewarding relationships with high-net-worth and principal donors whose partnership fuels transformative investments in educational equity.
• Partner with the CPO, President & CEO, and National Board to deepen engagement with current supporters and expand College Track’s network of individual investors nationwide.
• Collaborate with Executive Site Directors and Local Advisory Boards to strengthen regional fundraising capacity and build aligned, market-level engagement strategies.
• Leverage data, research, and emerging trends to expand the pipeline of high-impact donors and secure multi-year, seven- and eight-figure commitments.
• Provide thought leadership in major gift philanthropy, advancing best practices and representing College Track as a national leader in donor engagement and stewardship.
• Represent College Track at external convenings, philanthropic networks, and industry forums to elevate the organization’s visibility and influence.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to advance organization-wide initiatives that strengthen College Track’s position as a leader in equitable education and college access.

Team Management and Cross-Functional Leadership (30%)

• Lead a high-performing Principal Gifts team—including two Directors of Principal Gifts—by setting vision, standards, and goals that align with College Track’s organization-wide strategy.
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and collaboration, ensuring the team operates as a unified, data-informed, and mission-driven function.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders across Finance, Education, and Communications to align funding strategies with organizational priorities, impact measurement, and resource planning.
• Collaborate within the Philanthropy Leadership Team, to optimize systems, infrastructure, and reporting processes that strengthen the organization’s fundraising capacity.
• Partner with the CPO and the Philanthropy Leadership Team to ensure cohesion and synergy across all philanthropic channels, maintaining best-in-class donor cultivation and stewardship practices.
• Build leadership capacity within the Principal Gifts team, fostering innovation, professional growth, and strategic execution excellence.

First and foremost, the Vice President of Principal Gifts will be a fierce advocate for College Track’s mission to equip scholars confronting systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice, purpose, and power.

The ideal candidate will bring a deep commitment to educational equity, along with the following experience, skills, and mindset:

• 10+ years of extensive experience in fundraising with major donors, ideally within an educational nonprofit, philanthropic, or mission-driven organization of comparable scale and complexity
• 5+ years of leadership experience, including management of high-performing teams and multi-departmental initiatives
• Proven success in designing and leading individual philanthropy strategies that secure multi-year, seven- and eight-figure investments from individual donors and other sources.
• Exceptional relationship-building and influence skills, with a demonstrated ability to engage, inspire, and partner effectively with boards, executives, and senior-level funders across sectors
• Outstanding strategic communication and storytelling abilities, capable of articulating organizational impact and vision to diverse audiences, including funders, policymakers, and partners
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional collaboration, aligning philanthropy with program, finance, and data teams to drive mission and sustainability goals
• Proficiency in leveraging data and systems (e.g., Salesforce) to inform strategy, forecasting, and performance management, in partnership with operations and analytics teams
• Strong business and financial acumen, with the ability to translate strategic priorities into clear plans, budgets, and measurable outcomes
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Physical Requirements: Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting, standing, typing, and using standard office technology

Compensation and Benefits

This position is full-time, exempt, with a salary range of $165,000-$225,000. Exact compensation will depend on experience. However, as someone new to the role, you can expect an offer around $180,000 - $194,999 to ensure internal equity while leaving room for salary growth during your time in the position. 

College Track provides access to extensive benefits centered around three core areas of wellness: health care, work-life balance, and financial security. We believe time off is essential to success and provide up to 27 discretionary time off days (Sick and Vacation) in addition to 28 paid office closure and holiday days in your first year of employment. Learn more about benefits here.

This is a hybrid position based in Oakland, CA at the local College Track Site. Travel may be requested to support events. 

While we hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, we especially encourage applicants who identify as first-generation college graduates to apply for open opportunities.

Contact 

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Trevor Hooper. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

College Track is an equal-opportunity employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. College Track does not discriminate based on race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

About DSG | Koya

DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.