Vice President, Complex Philanthropic Advising

Our Client.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation occupies a singular position in American philanthropy. Headquartered in Mountain View and founded in 2007, SVCF has grown into the largest community foundation in the world — managing over $18 billion in assets and distributing nearly $2.1 billion in grants in 2025.

The Foundation operates at the intersection of institutional scale and genuine community proximity. Its work is rooted in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, where persistent gaps in housing, economic mobility, and educational access exist in stark contrast to the region's extraordinary wealth concentration. SVCF's response to these disparities is not passive grantmaking — it is active coordination across donors, corporations, government, and community organizations, deploying the full range of philanthropic tools to drive systemic change.

For donors, SVCF functions as a trusted institutional partner with the technical sophistication to match. The Foundation accepts complex assets, structures multi-generational giving strategies, and deploys capital across donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, and impact investments. Its CEO, Nicole Taylor, was named to TIME's inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list — a recognition that reflects SVCF's influence well beyond the Bay Area.

Learn more at svcf.org

About the Opportunity.

This role sits at the convergence of technical mastery and relationship-driven leadership. As Vice President, Complex Philanthropic Advising, you will join SVCF's Leadership Team and spearhead the Foundation's philanthropic advisory practice — working with Silicon Valley's most philanthropically ambitious donors, families, and corporations to structure and execute consequential giving strategies.

The mandate is substantive: grow a practice, lead a team, and serve as SVCF's most sophisticated resource for clients navigating complex wealth, tax, and estate considerations.

This is a full-time, exempt-level position.

Position Responsibilities.

The Vice President, Complex Philanthropic Advising is a strategic, client-facing role responsible for growing SVCF's complex asset philanthropic advisory practice through new client cultivation, exceptional donor stewardship, and sophisticated technical advisory. This position combines deep technical expertise in tax, estate planning, and complex asset gifting with consultative excellence and proven development capabilities.

Reporting to the General Counsel and serving SVCF's Leadership Team, this role requires executive leadership, sophisticated technical knowledge, and a consultative approach to complex gifts, grantmaking strategies, and tax-efficient giving structures.

Specifically, the Vice President, Complex Philanthropic Advising will be responsible for:

• Identifying new prospects and developing tailored cultivation strategies for those prospects with complexity of gifting, grantmaking, and/or investments
• Advising donors, family office and professional advisors regarding charitable gift planning and opportunities
• Collaborating with the General Counsel on major, complex and unusual gift prospects
• Leading the development strategy to expand partnerships with individuals, professional advisors, family offices and corporations to drive new business revenue
• Leading and developing a team of client relationship managers, providing technical mentorship, strategic supervision, and best-in-class complex philanthropic advisory support
• Cultivating and fostering relationships with donors, ensuring effective stewardship, partnership and long-term engagement
• Representing SVCF at current and prospective donor events, building strong partnerships, creating and strengthening referral networks and deepening relationships with attendees
• Expanding SVCF's network and strategic partnerships to differentiate SVCF's brand and service offerings
• Partnering with the General Counsel to establish team goals, work plans, and project priorities; managing and supervising staff to ensure SVCF goals are met
• Developing and delivering compelling presentations to prospects and clients; creating and executing innovative marketing strategies that differentiate SVCF's complex philanthropic advisory services
• Overseeing and coordinating with the Development department’s prospect assignment process
• Establishing and managing the department budget
• Participating actively in strategy development and implementation as a member of the SVCF Leadership Team

Profile of the Successful Candidate.

SVCF is seeking a practitioner of genuine distinction, someone whose command of the technical landscape is matched by the judgment and presence to serve as a trusted advisor at the highest levels. The successful candidate will be equally at home structuring a complex gift alongside a family's outside counsel as they are building the internal systems and team culture that sustain a high-performing practice.

Within this framework, SVCF seeks a Vice President with the following attributes:

• 15+ years of progressive experience in philanthropic advisory, private wealth management, estate planning, or tax advisory serving high-net-worth clientele
• J.D.; philanthropic advising designation (e.g., CAP) desired but not required
• Expert knowledge of complex and large gift transactions including private investment funds (including LP interests and GP carry), private company stock, digital assets, real property and planned gifts
• Deep technical expertise in tax-related matters, including federal and state tax law and regulations, and comprehensive knowledge of legal requirements pertaining to fundraising, donor-advised funds (DAFs), supporting organizations, various charitable giving vehicles, and foundation compliance
• Proven track record of driving and supporting new business development efforts — including prospect strategy, opportunity vetting, proposal development, and closing activities
• Skilled in providing fiduciary oversight and advisory leadership for philanthropic compliance and tax to ensure regulatory alignment and best practices
• Deep subject matter expertise in wealth, estate, tax, and philanthropic planning
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex topics in clear, accessible terms
• Deep knowledge of philanthropic sectors, giving structures, and emerging trends, and the ability to translate that knowledge into practical strategies
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across internal teams and external partners to deliver integrated philanthropic solutions
• Strong strategic, leadership and supervisory experience
• Demonstrated experience with high-net-worth donor advising and engagement through events and innovative, effective strategies
• Strong networker with ability to build strategic relationships with donors and external partners and stakeholders
• Excellent people and project management skills, with the ability to manage teams and work in diverse groups

Additionally, the successful candidate will likely have:

• J.D., Taxation LLM, CPA and/or extensive professional or investment/wealth advisor experience
• A passion for community philanthropy and the common good
• Commitment to philanthropy, impact strategies, and the advancement of the nonprofit community within SVCF's and donors' strategic priorities
• Awareness of local, national, and international issues of importance to donors and the philanthropic sector

Compensation.

This position offers a competitive salary range of $260,000 to $300,000 and includes a comprehensive benefits package. We actively welcome all candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the skills to fulfill this role, regardless of compensation history.

To Apply.

All inquiries are held in strict confidence. Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and letter of interest to chessa@advisorey.com. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

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