RICE UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 1

Senior Philanthropic Advisor

Rice University Houston, TX

http://www.rice.edu/

Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to:

Faith Eutsay

Search Director

617-262-1102

feutsay@LLLSearches.com

Introduction

Set in the heart of Houston, Texas, the nation’s fourth-largest city,

Rice is a comprehensive research university with a distinctive

commitment to undergraduate education. It aspires to

pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching and contributions to

the betterment of the world.

Accessibility and affordability are among Rice’s core commitments.

About half of its annual endowment distribution is spent on

undergraduate and graduate aid. The University seeks students of

keen intellect and diverse backgrounds who not only show

potential for success at Rice, but who will also contribute to the

educational environment of those around them.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Rice University as #14 (Tie) National

Universities and #3 Best Undergraduate Teaching. The Wall Street

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Journal and Times Higher Education ranks the institution #14 U.S. Colleges and Forbes Magazine cites it as

#22 Top Colleges, #21 Private Colleges, #15 Research Universities and #14 Best Value Colleges. The

Princeton Review ranked Rice #1 for race/class interaction. Princeton Review also ranked Rice as #1 for Best

Quality of Life and #2 for Happiest Students.

The Opportunity:

An excellent time to join the team, Rice is in the earliest stage of what will likely be the largest capital

campaign in the school’s history with a goal set at a minimum of $1.5 billion. President Leebron is socializing

the plan and setting the stage for a great accomplishment

with a target end in 2025. With new leadership across

several schools, the energy and interest is high for

tremendous success.

The Senior Philanthropic Advisor will have extensive

contact with the upper levels of administration, including

the president, provost and other senior officers. In addition,

s/he will have personal contact with Rice’s largest donors,

Board members, volunteers, alumni, friends and allied

professionals related to donor cultivation and solicitation.

This position will afford the right professional a seat at the think-table, managing the highest level of

strategic conversation, ultimately leading to deep and meaningful volunteer engagement. S/He will bring a

well-prepared, informed, collaborative attitude to every interaction and serve as a key contributor on a

dynamic, nimble and cohesive team.

Position Overview – Senior Philanthropic Advisor

The Senior Philanthropic Advisor (SPA) is responsible for developing professional cultivation and solicitation

strategies for prospects rated at $5 million and higher; s/he plays a critical role in developing fundraising

strategy and cultivating relationships with unaffiliated or loosely affiliated principal gift prospects. The SPA

works to build Rice’s portfolio of prospects capable of giving at the principal level.

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Duties:

40% - Fundraising

• Develop and implement fundraising strategies for high net worth individuals and families;

• Develop strategy to engage unaffiliated prospects; and

• Engage in the long-term achievement of the University’s goals and objectives.

35% - Leadership and Volunteer Support Management

• Partner and support the president and university leadership in the fundraising process;

• Engage volunteer leaders in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of leading philanthropic

families in Houston; and

• Develop strategies to further engage other communities and constituents through Rice’s

development efforts.

15% - Relationship Building

• Foster and maintain relationships with faculty, staff and students;

• Enhance Rice’s ability to integrate donors and potential donors into the Rice community; and

• Represent Rice across the campus and throughout the community.

10% - Principal Gift Strategy

• Partner with and support the vice president for development and alumni relations in development

related strategies;

• Engage with team members in refining strategies for principal gift prospects; and

• Execute plans to identify, cultivate and close principal gifts.

Requirements:

Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s degree is preferred. Experience may not be substituted

for the education requirement.

Type of Experience: Professional fundraising experience, including individual donors capable of gifts of

seven figures plus, and demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding principal level gifts;

experience working in a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Experience Preferred: Fundraising experience in an institution of higher education; track record of project-

related fundraising in a research-intensive organization; experience working on gifts of $5 million or more;

and experience in manipulating database information.

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Skills Required: Strong computer skills in a Windows environment; familiar with word processing and

spreadsheet use; strong interpersonal, speaking and writing skills; possess a personality which merits the

confidence and trust of prospective donors; ability to plan and implement effective development strategies;

strong team management skills in working with diverse personalities and interests; strong record of success

in expanding donor participation in giving efforts and expertise in working with high-level giving

constituencies; strong time management and organizational abilities and able to delegate responsibilities to

others as necessary; energetic, self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision; and ability to

maintain confidentiality of donor information and development records.

Client Overview

In his 1912 inaugural address, Rice University President Edgar Odell Lovett set forth an ambitious vision,

proclaiming, “The new institution … aspires to university standing of the highest grade… For the present it is

proposed to assign no upper limit to its educational endeavor.”

Rice has followed Lovett’s vision even as it has transformed

over the years. Over the past decade, the University has

significantly increased the size and diversity of its student

population, enhanced its educational and research missions

and funding, increased the capacity and vibrancy of the

campus with $900 million in new construction, created a

campus art program and added to its arts offerings,

deepened its relationship with its home city of Houston, built

strong international relationships and programs and earned greater visibility locally, nationally and across

the globe.

In 2017, Rice received 18,063 applications and admitted 16% of those applicants; 57% of its student body

are undergraduates and 43% are at the graduate level. Roughly half of its students hail from out of state

and 13% from other countries.

Its focus on teaching is evident in an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6-to-1, while its emphasis on

research excellence is bolstered by approximately $140 million in annual research expenditures. Rice

encourages both undergraduate and graduate students to engage in the creation of new knowledge and

technology, and 65% of its undergraduates participate in research during their time on campus.

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Rice offers more than 50 undergraduate majors

across six divisions of study, including Architecture,

Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences

and Social Sciences. The University comprises eight

schools:

• The Shepherd School of Music

• School of Architecture

• School of Social Sciences

• School of Humanities

• George R. Brown School of Engineering

• Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business

• Wiess School of Natural Sciences

• Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies

Experiential learning is a core component to intellectual life at Rice, giving students opportunities for

internships, research and study on campus and off, in Houston and around the world, expanding the

foundation of classroom learning and adding to its

dynamic educational experience.

Rice's more than 40 institutes, centers and consortia

provide multiple opportunities for research and study.

Much of the work of these centers and institutes of

excellence is highly interdisciplinary, contributing to

the advancement of science and technology in

nanoscale science, computing and information

technology, quantum phenomena and cross-

disciplinary research and education encompassing

the biological, chemical and engineering disciplines.

Off campus, Rice students can study abroad through more than 500 University-approved programs in 60

countries. They intern with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and government agencies in

Houston and around the globe.

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The Vision for the Second Century – A Strategic Plan

In 2005, Rice’s community held a series of conversations

that laid the groundwork for Rice’s Vision for the Second

Century (V2C), a strategic plan that has informed its

progress to date. As the University embarks upon its

next chapter, the institution looks to capitalize on the

gains of recent years, while addressing the new

challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving

educational landscape.

Since the creation of the strategic plan, Rice has

enhanced its interdisciplinary endeavors, created a more comprehensive undergraduate experience and

strengthened its graduate programs. Its schools and institutes have achieved new levels of excellence and

recognition. The University has grown its student body, while expanding its commitments to need-blind

admission, diversity and maintaining its distinctive sense of community. Rice has enhanced the vibrancy of

its campus with dynamic gathering spaces and residential colleges, a west campus dedicated to creativity in

the arts, and new recreational and athletic facilities. It has invested in the competitive success and leadership

of its student-athletes. Rice has deepened engagement with the city of Houston and partnerships with local

institutions. And at the same time, it has become a more international university in every aspect, and in

particular in its engagements with Latin America and Asia.

Such gains are a direct result of the hard work, expertise, volunteer efforts and resources that so many in the

Rice community have contributed over the years, whether through the $1 billion Centennial Campaign

(2005-2013) powered by principal gift work, the Initiative for Students (2014-2017), or a wide range of other

important efforts. The ongoing support of the Rice community will continue to fuel success as an institution

dedicated to "no upper limit.

Location

Houston, TX:

Houston, once again, gained national and international recognition in 2012 when it was named

by Forbes as America's Coolest City. In 2013, Forbes recognized Houston again as America's Next Great

Global City; and in 2014, Business Insider recognized Houston as the #1 City in the U.S. for Job Creation,

showing that a paycheck goes farther in this city than in any other major metropolitan area.

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Houston in the News:

#2 City to Live in the World Among

Expats (Business Insider, November 16, 2016)

One of America's Best Food Cities (Jetsetter,

October 6, 2016)

Most Charitable City in the Country (Charity

Navigator, September 6, 2016)

#6 Best Metropolitan Area to Start a

Business (CNBC, August 11, 2016)

#19 Among the World's Most "Future Ready

Cities" (Dell, April 5, 2016)

#7 Best Foodie Destination in the USA (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)

#2 Friendliest City in America (Travel + Leisure, 2016)

#10 in "America's Best Music Scenes" (Travel + Leisure, 2016)

#2 Metropolitan Area for Finding a Job (Forbes, June 28, 2015)

3rd Most Cultured City in the U.S. (Travel + Leisure, April 30, 2015)

#3 City of the Future (FDI Intelligence, April 13, 2015)

America’s Best Food City (Time Magazine, March 20, 2015)

America’s Fastest-Growing City (Forbes, January 27, 2015)

Best Metro Area for STEM Professionals (U.S. News & World Report, January 14, 2015)

One of the Best Places to Visit Internationally in 2015 (The Boston

Globe, December 27, 2014)

Houston Named #1 Real Estate Market to Watch in 2015 (Urban

Land Institute, October 22, 2014)

2nd Fastest Growing Population of College Graduates (The New

York Times, October 20, 2014)

#2 Favorite City in the United States (Travel + Leisure, October,

2014)

America’s #4 Coolest City (Forbes, August 6, 2014)

18 Facts That Make Houston the Best City in America (Business

Insider, July 1, 2014)

Houston Rising — Why the Next Great American Cities Aren't

What You Think (The Daily Beast, April 8, 2013)

Click to view Rice’s Houston Brochure

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Background Checks:

Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic

credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an

offer.

To learn more, call

Faith Eutsay, Search Director at

617-262-1102

or send nominations or cover letter and resume to

feutsay@LLLSearches.com.

All inquiries will be held in confidence.

Setting the Standard in Development Search

LOIS L. LINDAUER SEARCHES, LLC

420 Boylston Street, Suite 604, Boston, MA 02116

617.262.1102

www.LLLSearches.com

RICE UNIVERSITY BACKGROUNDER | 9

Appendix

Leadership:

David W. Leebron

President

David W. Leebron has served as Rice University’s seventh president since

2004, a period of growth and transformation for the University. Pursuant to a

strategic vision adopted in 2005, the University has significantly increased the

size and diversity of its student population, enhanced the research capability

and vibrancy of the campus with $900 million in new construction, deepened

its relationship with its home city of Houston, increased the commitment to

the arts, established new research and education institutes, programs and

centers, built strong international relationships and programs and earned

greater visibility locally, nationally and across the globe. Supporting all these efforts was the success of the

Centennial Campaign, raising $1.1 billion.

A native of Philadelphia, Leebron is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where he was

elected president of the Harvard Law Review. Following a judicial clerkship on the United States Court of

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, he taught at the UCLA School of Law in 1980. After two years practicing in an

international law firm, he joined the faculty at the NYU School of Law in 1983. In 1989, Leebron joined the

faculty of Columbia Law School, where in 1996 he was appointed dean and served in that position until

coming to Rice. Leebron has also been a visiting fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and

International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany, and a Jean Monnet Visiting Professor at Bielefeld University.

He is a member of the political science faculty at Rice, and has written in the areas of international trade and

investment, torts, privacy, corporate law and human rights. He is a member of the Council on Foreign

Relations and serves on the boards of Association of American Universities (chair), Internet2 (board chair),

the Greater Houston Partnership, BioHouston, COFHE (prior board chair), and the IMAX Corporation. He is

the recipient of an honorary degree from Nankai University in Tianjin, China, and is an honorary professor of

law at Tianjin University. He has also been awarded Commandeur de l'Ordre National du Mérite by the

government of France and the Encomienda de la Orden de Isabel La Católica by the government of Spain.

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Darrow Zeidenstein

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Darrow Zeidenstein, Ph.D., is vice president for Development and Alumni Relations at

Rice University, where he oversees all aspects of Rice's fundraising, alumni affairs and

development services functions.

Prior to his current role, he served the institution as an associate vice president in

charge of individual fundraising programs and capital campaign strategy. Under his leadership, Rice

University surpassed its first $1B campaign.

Before arriving at Rice, Darrow was a managing director and senior consultant with Marts & Lundy. He was

previously executive director for strategic planning and marketing strategy at The University of Texas at

Austin, where he facilitated the design and implementation of the institution's advanced development

strategies, and played a key role in planning its successful $1B comprehensive campaign.

Awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study in Syria, Darrow also received fellowships from the National Science

Foundation and the Social Science Research Council. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received both his

master's and doctorate in Anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin.

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Organization Chart