Director of Development

Overview

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit university located in the heart of Silicon Valley with a singular focus on mental and behavioral health education. For five decades, PAU has been dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging challenges affecting individuals, organizations, and communities, preparing practitioners and scholars to meet the evolving needs of contemporary society. With an enrollment of approximately 1,200 graduate students and a small cohort of undergraduate students, the University offers a comprehensive portfolio of bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional programs delivered through innovative online, hybrid, and residential modalities.

PAU is distinguished by faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to research, teaching, and clinical practice. Through rigorous academic preparation, applied research, and extensive hands-on clinical training, PAU equips students with the knowledge, skills, and professional judgment required for meaningful impact in the behavioral health fields. Together, these elements define PAU’s mission-driven approach to education and its legacy of preparing confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who make a difference in the communities they serve.

Title: Director of Development

Reports to: Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & University Relations

Location: Palo Alto, CA (Residential- 3 days a week on campus; additional days as needed)

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $145-165K

Target

Start Date:

As soon as possible

The Director of Development is a strategic and visionary fundraising leader responsible for elevating PAU’s national and regional philanthropic presence in behavioral health and higher education, and a key member of the Strategic Partnerships & University Relations team.

This leader will:

• Strategic & Operational Leadership

  Balance strategic vision with hands-on execution to shape the direction of the development program, advance philanthropic initiatives, integrate development activities across the university, and align all efforts with institutional mission and goals. Build scalable fundraising systems and practices that strengthen Development’s impact now and support future expansion. Advance operational excellence by strengthening data integrity, reporting, cross-system integration, and documentation. Equip the PAU community with fundraising strategies, talking points, and opportunities to act as ambassadors.
  
  Foster a culture of philanthropy across the University through engagement and alignment with institutional goals.

• Donor Relations & Stewardship

  Build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors across all giving levels. Design and implement donor-centered stewardship strategies to enhance retention and lifetime giving. Plan and manage donor appreciation events, such as breakfasts, luncheons, and recognition gatherings, to strengthen engagement and highlight impact. Develop and execute a donor communications plan, including newsletters, updates, and impact reporting, to keep donors informed, engaged, and connected to PAU’s mission.
  
  Leverage donor insights and engagement history to personalize communications, acknowledgments, and impact reporting.

• Data Management, Tracking & Reporting

  Participate in the University’s migration to a new data management system, playing a key role in defining functionality, integration, and reporting needs for Development. Manage CRM operations including donor records, gift processing, engagement tracking, and data hygiene. Ensure integration across advancement-related systems to support accurate reporting and donor experience. Track fundraising activity, monitor campaign progress, and generate performance dashboards. Establish metrics and analytics frameworks to measure success, forecast performance, and inform continuous improvement.

• Major Gifts

  Cultivate and steward relationships with individual donors capable of transformational giving. Develop personalized engagement and solicitation strategies that reflect donor motivations and PAU priorities. Collaborate closely…