Manager, Philanthropy Advisor

William Blair’s philanthropy advisory services offer custom and personalized services to individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs, family offices, corporations, and nonprofits to establish and strengthen their philanthropic purpose.  We are seeking a seasoned professional who is experienced in philanthropic consulting, wealth planning, or an affiliated field or practice to help deliver client success and optimize the expertise and thought leadership. This individual will lead and manage our Philanthropy Associate and support our advisor teams with charitable giving insights and resources and work directly with clients to provide strategic guidance on how to give meaningfully invest in their communities and create lasting impact.

In partnership with the Head of Philanthropy and Sustainability and our Philanthropy Associate, this role will build and deploy grant strategies, best practices, and thought leadership. They will serve as William Blair’s subject matter expert on foundations, trusts, public charities, and donor-advised funds to help clients make sophisticated grantmaking and philanthropic investments. This role will lead third party relationship management with donor-advised fund sponsors, outside counsel, and additional philanthropic leaders. They will also host family meetings, develop philanthropic roadmaps, and work to uplift the next generation of philanthropic leadership.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

• Advise clients on how to be high-impact and mission-driven philanthropists. Create short and long-term goals and strategies for families to achieve their charitable giving plans.
• Lead and manage the Philanthropy Associate, providing coaching, mentorship, performance management, and ensuring high quality execution of client deliverables and team priorities.
• Develop, cultivate, and maintain client relationships and engagement with their grantees. Represent clients in their philanthropic and civic activities.
• Lead sophisticated coordination with client advisors in legal, estate, and accounting matters.
• Build tools, systems, technologies, and other internal infrastructures to help William Blair be as effective and efficient as possible in supporting philanthropic clients.
• Serve as the leadership liaison with William Blair’s strategic partners ranging from donor-advised fund sponsors, philanthropic membership organizations, and other philanthropic alliances.
• Maintain procedures, governance, and best practices for major charitable giving and for charitable organizations.
• Act as a subject matter expert in specific philanthropic practices such as next generation engagement, impact investing, launching philanthropic vehicles, and issue-area specific trends and focus areas.
• Evolve subject matter expertise and utilize data to create though leadership for the firm, convene and inform clients, and host events and author white papers.
• Convene like-minded clients and exchange best practices.

Qualifications:

We are looking for a highly motivated, impact-driven, analytical, and entrepreneurial expert in philanthropy who will help our clients activate, collaborate, and optimize their philanthropic goals.

The ideal candidate will have: 

• A bachelor's degree and 10+ years of grant-making and philanthropic advisory experience.
• Prior experience in a leadership role with responsibility for developing and coaching direct reports.
• Dedicated to providing excellent service, increasing client satisfaction, and fostering strong relationships.
• Experience in financial services and a good understanding of wealth planning tools, planned giving, investment principles and investment policy.
• A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), or equivalent, certification.
• Experience with individual, family, and corporate philanthropy. Consulting and/or project management experience a plus.
• Business-development orientation with a strong sense for building existing client relationships and developing new business opportunities for the firm.
• Team collaboration skills with the ability to identify themes, trends, and opportunities amongst multiple stakeholders. Support a broader team of community engagement and sustainability professionals.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail, the ability to work with ambiguity, navigate a complex environment, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• The role calls for excellent organizational, written and verbal communication, and effective presentation skills.

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