The Vice President for Development of The Pontifical Missions Societies USA (TPMS) serves as a key member of the TPMS leadership team, responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to advance the Church’s universal mission.

The ideal candidate will work principally in either of TPMS’ offices: St. Petersburg, FL or New York City. If based in another city, travel to both offices is required in addition to the travel needed to visit benefactors and to attend conferences. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) is seeking a senior-level fundraising executive for the position of Vice President for Development to join our leadership team at an unprecedented moment in Church history. The Societies are the Pope’s worldwide network that supports the missions and the Church in the developing world with prayer and charity. 

This historic opportunity coincides with the election of Pope Leo XIV in May 2025, the first American pope, and the new leadership of National Director Monsignor Roger J. Landry, appointed in January 2025. The Vice President for

Development will play a pivotal role in advancing philanthropy for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States and helping shape the future of our organization’s fundraising efforts during this transformative period.

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned development professional with comprehensive experience across all fundraising disciplines including major gifts, planned giving, annual fund, foundation relations, capital campaigns, and crowdfunding initiatives. This individual must believe deeply in the mission of TPMS and be able to authentically communicate the need to support TPMS’ mission of proclaiming the Gospel, building churches, and supporting the work and witness of mission priests, religious sisters and brothers, and lay pastoral leaders. TPMS supports work that provides both spiritual support and also food, education, and medical care to the most vulnerable communities in the Pope’s missions.

We seek a strategic fundraising executive with a results-driven approach and proven track record of success at the senior executive level in development strategy, donor relations, and comprehensive stewardship programs. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader with deep understanding of Catholic philanthropy and a passion for supporting missionary work worldwide. The Vice President for Development will lead our development initiatives, working closely with the National Director, Board of Directors, and program staff to expand support for the Church’s missionary activities during this remarkable time of opportunity and growth.

The Vice President for Development will be an individual possessing the highest ethical standards who is an approachable, resourceful, and results-oriented problem solver with a sincere and genuine interest in advancing the Pope’s and the Church’s mission of spreading the message of Christ to the world, especially in the 1,124 dioceses and missionary territories throughout the world where the Church is too new, too small or too poor to sustain itself.  

THE ROLE / VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

Because the Vice President for Development develops and implements a comprehensive fundraising program, this senior executive role requires demonstrated expertise across all aspects of institutional advancement including major gifts, planned giving, annual fund operations, foundation relations, capital campaigns, crowdfunding, and donor stewardship. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President will lead development initiatives, working closely with the Board of Directors, advancement team, and program staff to expand support for missionary work worldwide and ensure sustainable revenue growth.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

  • Develop and articulate a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with the Church’s missionary priorities and organizational goals
  • Create and implement multi-year development plans to grow individual, institutional, and planned giving programs
  • Lead strategic planning initiatives for sustainable revenue growth and donor base expansion

Fundraising Excellence

  • Personally manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects capable of six and seven-figure gifts
  • Cultivate and steward relationships with Catholic foundations, religious communities, dioceses, and high-networth individuals
  • Develop and execute comprehensive campaigns for special initiatives and capital projects
  • Oversee annual giving programs, including direct mail, digital fundraising, crowdfunding platforms, and donor acquisition strategies
  • Lead planned giving initiatives including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and other legacy giving vehicles
  • Manage foundation relations including proposal development, grant writing, compliance, and stewardship activities

Team Leadership & Management

  • Supervise and mentor a team of 5 development professionals across advancement services, stewardship, major gifts, and annual fund programs
  • Establish clear performance metrics, goals, and accountability measures for the development team
  • Foster a collaborative culture focused on mission advancement and donor-centered philanthropy

Relationship Building & Stewardship

  • Represent the organization at Catholic conferences, diocesan events, and mission-focused gatherings
  • Build strategic partnerships with U.S. Catholic institutions, organizations, and leadership
  • Collaborate with Vatican officials and international mission leaders to advance global fundraising initiatives
  • Work closely with TPMS’ communications team to develop compelling mission stories and donor communications

Operations & Accountability

  • Oversee development operations, including CRM management, gift processing, and compliance procedures
  • Prepare and manage annual development budgets and multi-year financial projections
  • Provide regular reporting to the National Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Board of Directors on fundraising performance and strategic outlook
  • Ensure adherence to Catholic fundraising principles, AFP Code of Ethics, and Donor Bill of Rights

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Development Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
  • Minimum of 10 years of progressive fundraising experience as a senior-level executive with demonstrated success securing major gifts ($100K+) and comprehensive experience across all fundraising disciplines
  • At least 7 years of senior management experience with direct supervisory responsibilities for multi-disciplinary development teams
  • Proven track record of leading successful capital campaigns, major gift initiatives, planned giving programs, and annual fund operations
  • Demonstrated experience in planned giving, including knowledge of gift planning vehicles, tax implications, and estate planning strategies
  • Experience managing foundation relations including grant proposal development, foundation research, and compliance reporting

Skills & Expertise

  • Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills
  • Strong communication skills, including written, verbal and large-scale presentations
  • Experience working effectively with boards of directors and volunteer leadership
  • Proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar platforms)
  • Experience with planned giving software and tools (PG Calc, iGift, Crescendo, or similar platforms)
  • Knowledge of gift planning calculations, tax regulations, and estate planning principles
  • Strong grant writing skills and understanding of foundation funding landscapes and requirements
  • Strategic thinking capabilities with attention to operational detail
  • Proven ability to manage complex, multi-million-dollar development operations

Faith-Based Requirements

  • Practicing Catholic of mature faith, in good standing with the Church
  • Deep understanding of, and commitment to, TPMS’ mission and Catholic teaching
  • Strong understanding of U.S. Catholic philanthropic landscape and donor motivations
  • Familiarity with diocesan structures and Church governance

Personal Qualities

  • Highest standards of integrity, confidentiality, and donor stewardship
  • Collaborative leadership style with ability to work across diverse teams and constituencies
  • Cultural sensitivity and appreciation for the global nature of the Church’s mission     
  • Willingness to travel domestically and occasionally internationally

APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS

TPMS has hired Magnanimity Search to oversee the hiring process. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and three references to tpms-search@magnanimity.us, with a CC to jobs@pontificalmissions.org. Please write “Application for VP for Development” in the subject line. Note: References will only be contacted with a candidate’s permission during the later stages of the process. 

TPMS hopes to fill the position ideally by early September, so we encourage interested candidates to submit their application materials as soon as possible, preferably by July 31, 2025. We expect finalists in the search process will participate in four rounds of interviews, with one of those being a written interview. 

We also welcome nominations of strong Catholic development professionals to tpms-search@magnanimity.us.

THE PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES USA IS AN QUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Pontifical Mission Societies USA (“TPMS”) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. TPMS strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. All TPMS employees, other workers, and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.

TPMS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, and all applicable state or local law. Consistent with those requirements, TPMS will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. 

As a Catholic organization recognized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, TPMS reserves the right under Federal law (42 U.S.C.A §2000e-2(e)) and Florida law (Fla. Stat. §760.10(10)) to hire those of the Catholic faith for positions where practice and knowledge of the Catholic faith, its tenets and beliefs, are necessary for the work required. Further, TPMS retains the ability to hire employees whose lifestyle upholds the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.