Vice President of Advancement at Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin

About Second Harvest

At Second Harvest, we believe that healthy food belongs to us all. Since 1986, we have supported our neighbors to achieve food security across 16 counties in southwestern Wisconsin. As a food bank, we work with a network of over 300 food distribution partners to achieve our strategic goals of nutrition security and food equity for all.

Vision - Everyone in our community has enough nutritious food to thrive.

Mission - Second Harvest exists to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin.

Values – Integrity | Trust | Humility | Inclusion | Equity | Innovation

Summary:

The Vice President of Advancement (VPA) is an executive leader responsible for advancing the organization’s mission through strategic fundraising, cross-sector partnerships, and community-centered engagement. This role develops and aligns people, processes, and resources to ensure long-term sustainability and measurable impact on food security, with a strong focus on responding to evolving community needs.

The VPA provides executive oversight of development, communications, marketing, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement – ensuring cohesion, strategic clarity, and results. As a proactive change leader and ambassador, the VPA aligns organizational priorities with community-identified needs while strengthening relationships across donors, partners, businesses, government entities, and nonprofits.

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Position Responsibilities & Essential Functions

Organizational Strategy

• Lead organization-wide advancement strategy and contribute to enterprise-wide strategic planning and change management in alignment with mission, vision, and community priorities.
• Provide executive leadership to Director-level staff in establishing goals, tactics, metrics, and performance expectations aligned with organizational objectives.
• Partner with the Executive Director and VP of Finance to guide development and alignment of advancement and program budgets; direct forecasting of additional funds required to advance strategic initiatives.
• Oversee advancement-related research and analytics functions to inform strategy, donor engagement, and community impact.
• Lead strategic initiatives and organizational change efforts as defined by the Executive Director.
• Monitor and evaluate organizational effectiveness; identify opportunities to strengthen relevant systems, processes, and program service delivery methods; and direct implementation of improvements.
• Oversee preparation of Board agenda items related to advancement and provide regular fundraising performance reports and projections.

Cross-Departmental Project Strategy and Execution

• Set long-term direction for cross-functional initiatives within VPA responsibility areas that reflect organizational priorities, values, and community impact goals.
• Guide development and messaging around SHF’s thought leadership and opinions/positions.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration on advancement priorities to strengthen communication, shared ownership, and coordinated execution across departments.
• Provide leadership in cross-sector coalitions and external collaborations that influence or reflect the organization’s long-term strategy and community impact.
• Ensure departmental initiatives incorporate broad input, assess organization-wide impact, and align with capacity and available resources.

Interdepartmental Leadership and Collaboration

• Provide strategic leadership and supervision to the Director of Partnerships and Community Impact, Director of Marketing & Communications, Director of Development, and Director of Volunteer & Community Engagement, ensuring alignment, performance, accountability, and impact.
• Participate in and help lead the Directors Team, strengthening shared accountability, clarity of priorities, and organizational cohesion.
• Ensure consistent internal communication of advancement strategy, priorities, and progress across the organization.
• Serve as a key ambassador and liaison to Board members, community leaders, partner agencies, government entities, corporate partners, peer organizations, and national networks.
• Develop people and teams through coaching, performance management, and strategic delegation to achieve measurable results.
• Oversee and hold accountability for advancement functions executed by the Director of Development, including major donor stewardship, fundraising strategy and implementation, campaign execution (annual, special, and capital),
• Provide strategic leadership to director-level outreach and community engagement functions to elevate impact as identified by community voice and need.

Skills and Abilities

• Accomplished executive leader with demonstrated ability to articulate vision, establish clear processes, and lead proactively through change.
• Results-oriented strategic thinker who effectively delegates, empowers leaders, and integrates cross-functional initiatives.
• Exceptional relationship builder with demonstrated success in building and sustaining multifaceted, reciprocal partnerships across sectors.
• Demonstrated commitment to equitable and inclusive leadership practices.
• Demonstrated success overseeing comprehensive fundraising strategies, including annual revenue, special campaigns and capital initiatives.
• Strategic oversight experience in brand, marketing, and communications functions that strengthen engagement and advance mission.
• Forward-thinking leader who anticipates trends, navigates complex systems and partnerships, and translates strategy into action.
• Strong analytical judgment with the ability to assess risk, weigh costs and benefits, and implement proactive solutions.
• Compelling communicator able to serve as an ambassador and effectively convey mission, vision, values, and strategy to diverse audiences.
• Executive-level capacity to deliver clarity, vision, and measurable results through disciplined planning, performance monitoring, and accountability.

Computer Skills

• To perform this job successfully, the individual should have strong working knowledge of, or the ability to effectively learn and use relevant software and computer systems.
• Experience with CRMs, consumer research, and data presentation desired.

Salary Range: $131,000 - $167,900 annually

To ensure consideration for this opportunity, please apply by 4/10/2026.

Benefit package includes:

• Health Insurance (we pay 90% of premium for full-time employees)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with 5% match
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Paid Time Off starting at 23 Days per year
• 15 Paid Holidays per year
• Floating Holidays
• Paid Family Leave
• Employment Transition Pay

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job operates in a professional office and at community sites within the territory for meetings. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc. The employee is occasionally required to work in outdoor conditions and extreme temperatures. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

In instances of a federal, state or locally declared emergency, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is typically considered an essential service and emergency responder; all its employees may be called in to perform regular or emergent duties outside the scope of their usual responsibilities.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk; and hear. The employee must have the ability to work on a computer for several hours at a time. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste/smell and lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent combination of work and lived experience, education, and training.
• Minimum of five (5) years of senior-level leadership experience managing cross-functional teams.
• Ability to travel throughout service areas for meetings.
• Demonstrated experience setting, monitoring and meeting quarterly and annual goals.
• Experience working with Board of Directors
• Ability to successfully pass background check
• Demonstrated experience with strategic planning, communication management, operational planning and analysis, budgeting, and project management.
• Previous experience with non-profit or government management preferred