Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) stands at the forefront of pediatric healthcare transformation in Australia. As the largest children’s hospitals foundation in the country, and a member of The Woodmark Group, SCHF is dedicated to ensuring that over 170,000 children annually receive world-class healthcare through its partnership with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN). The Foundation, fueled by the support of a generous community, has witnessed remarkable growth, raising over $170 million in the past three years. Embodying values such as caring deeply and thinking big, SCHF serves as a conduit for powerful change, bringing world-leading care to hospital wards and research labs.
The Opportunity
The Head of Principal Gifts role at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is a compelling leadership opportunity that marries strategic philanthropy with the pursuit of transforming pediatric healthcare in Australia.
In this pivotal position, the successful candidate will assume a central role in reshaping the future of SCHF’s fundraising endeavors, ensuring the foundation has the right strategies to propel its mission forward. At the heart of this role is the responsibility to identify, cultivate, and steward major donors capable of making transformative contributions, with a primary focus on gifts exceeding $5 million.
The Head of Principal Gifts will be charged with managing a diverse portfolio of 30–50 prospects, overseeing their qualification, engagement, and stewardship through the entire life cycle of giving and renewal. A key aspect of this role involves leading regular reviews and providing insightful reporting and metrics across the prospect portfolio to make sure that strategies remain on track to achieve organizational goals. Collaborating closely with leaders within SCHF and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, as well as with clinicians, researchers, and principal giving colleagues, the Head of Principal Gifts will be integral to developing and implementing strategies for substantial gifts that are pivotal to advancing SCHF’s priority initiatives.
Furthermore, the Head of Principal Gifts will be entrusted with overseeing a dedicated team of two, ensuring a collaborative and high-performance work environment. A commitment to SCHF’s vision is paramount, as is an unwavering dedication to celebrating equality and diversity in all decision-making processes. The multifaceted nature of this role requires not only a deep understanding of principal gifts fundraising best practices but also a strategic mindset and proven experience in developing and executing comprehensive philanthropic strategies.
