THE IVY TECH FOUNDATION
Mission-Driven. Community-Informed. Future-Focused.
The Ivy Tech Foundation exists to build bridges between philanthropy and possibility. It generates critical resources that help students persist complete and thrive and ensures Ivy Tech can meet the evolving needs of Indianas workforce and communities.
With a statewide reach and a deeply local presence the foundation is governed by a regionally representative board of directors composed of civic business and philanthropic leaders from across Indiana. These volunteers bring a powerful blend of insight and advocacy to the foundations mission: to support Ivy Techs learners and transform lives through education.
The foundation works together with campus development teams alumni relations and institutional leadership to design giving strategies that are aligned efficient and impactful. The foundations fundraising success supports scholarships wraparound services workforce innovation and regional program development expanding opportunity across the state.
This position will inherit a strong committed team and a high-functioning organization and will be empowered to lead the next bold leap forward including the planning and execution of the foundations next comprehensive campaign.
Invest IN Ivy Tech Comprehensive Campaign - The campaign concluded during the 60th anniversary of the founding of Ivy Tech. Donors committed $340 million earmarked for student scholarships and related support workforce development infrastructure and next-generation programs for those attending one of the colleges 19 campuses.
ROLE OF SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLLEGE AND PRESIDENT OF THE FOUNDATION
Chief Philanthropic Strategist and Catalyst for Opportunity
The Senior Vice President for Development of the College and President of the Foundation is the chief executive and operating officer of the foundation responsible for all aspects of its strategy performance and impact. Reporting directly to the President of Ivy Tech Community College the foundation president serves as a key member of the colleges leadership team and provides strategic counsel on philanthropy economic mobility and community investment.
They will lead a team of seventeen foundation staff and matrix manage the development professionals at the regional campuses and be a dynamic persuasive and mission-driven leader who can align philanthropic opportunity with institutional vision and who thrives at the intersection of innovation stewardship and results. This role is an extraordinary opportunity for a fundraising executive who is motivated by scale community impact and building the future of workforce-focused education.
Key Responsibilities:
Serve as chief executive of the Ivy Tech Foundation overseeing all aspects of operations development stewardship and campaign strategy.
Lead the design and execution of the foundations next comprehensive fundraising campaign advancing transformational goals and elevating Ivy Techs national visibility in two-year college philanthropy.
Cultivate and steward major donors corporate partners and philanthropic institutions in collaboration with the Ivy Tech President and senior leadership to drive investment in student success and statewide prosperity.
Inspire and lead a high-performing internal and matrix-managed statewide foundation team ensuring accountability to strategic fundraising goals and operational excellence across all functions.
Design regionally tailored fundraising approaches that reflect community needs empower local campuses and activate alumni engagement.
Serve as a trusted member of the presidents cabinet and contribute to institutional strategy through a philanthropic lens.
Strengthen board engagement through intentional recruitment preparation and facilitation of board of directors meetings retreats and strategic priorities.
Lead efforts to evolve the foundations culture infrastructure and communications to reflect national best practices in advancement data-informed philanthropy and donor-centered engagement.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
The next SVP of Development and Ivy Tech Foundation President will enter at a time of significant momentum and promise. Key priorities for this role include:
Leading a Statewide Multi-Year Campaign
They will design and implement Ivy Techs next comprehensive campaign aligning statewide and local goals into a unified effort that inspires donors and transforms communities.
Driving Transformational Giving
This role offers the opportunity to secure major and principal gifts that unlock new possibilities for Ivy Techs students programs and partnerships. The next president will cultivate a portfolio of high-capacity donors and align institutional priorities with philanthropic interests.
Building a Culture of Excellence and Innovation
The Foundation is operationally strong; the next leader will continue to drive performance metrics embrace data and technology and foster a culture of accountability agility and innovation.
Elevating Equity and Impact
The Foundations future will be shaped by inclusive strategies that prioritize access remove barriers and engage diverse communities. The SVP of Development and President must lead with equity in mind ensuring that philanthropy becomes a force for meaningful and measurable transformation across Indiana.
QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate for the Senior Vice President for Development of the College and President of the Foundation will be a bold collaborative and forward-thinking leader with:
A bachelors degree or masters degree preferred.
Minimum seven years of executive leadership experience preferably in higher education or the nonprofit sector.
Demonstrated experience in building and implementing a strategic plan.
Ability to implement goals and metrics for individuals and the overall organization.
A strong track record in designing and executing successful comprehensive fundraising campaigns.
Demonstrated success in cultivating and closing major gifts from individuals corporations foundations and other institutions and supporting the President and Senior Stakeholders on donor strategies.
Experience with leading foundation operations.
Exceptional strategic thinking emotional intelligence and communication skills.
The ability to lead organizational change and inspire high-performing teams within complex matrixed environments.
Experience working effectively with volunteer boards senior executives and diverse stakeholders.
A deep commitment to equity access and the mission of community colleges as engines of economic and social mobility.
Familiarity with Indianas philanthropic civic and business landscape or a strong ability to quickly build trust within it.
Ability to leverage external relations marketing and communications.
IVY TECH LEADERSHIP
President Dr. Martin (Marty) Pollio
Dr. Martin (Marty) Pollio brings more than 25 years of transformational leadership in education to his role as the 10th president of Ivy Tech Community College. As president of Ivy Tech Dr. Pollio serves as the chief executive officer of Indianas largest public postsecondary institution which enrolled more than 200000 students in the 2024-25 academic year. Dr. Pollio champions the implementation of Higher Education at the Speed of Life the colleges strategy to deliver 50000 annual credential completions aligned with the needs of Indianas workforce. He leads a team of nearly 7000 faculty and staff across the colleges 19 campuses in Indiana and online and oversees major institutional initiatives that strengthen academic quality and improve student retention completion employment and transfer outcomes.
Dr. Pollio joined the college on July 1 2025 after a nationally recognized tenure as superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) one of largest urban public school districts in the United his eight years of leadership JCPS increased its high school graduation rate and nearly doubled its postsecondary readiness rate while reducing achievement gaps.
Central to Dr. Pollios educational philosophy is a deep commitment to preparing students for success at work and in life. At JCPS he directed the Academies of Louisville a nationally recognized initiative that embedded career pathways into the high school experience. He previously led similar efforts while serving as principal of Jeffersontown and Doss high schools where he drove improvements in student achievement by bridging academic instruction with hands-on work-based learning opportunities.
Dr. Pollio holds a Bachelor of Arts in education from Indiana University a Master of Science in health education from Eastern Kentucky University and a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and management from the University of Louisville.
The Presidents cabinet is a team of six including the president of the foundation and the following positions:
Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
Senior Vice President for Workforce and Careers
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Senior Vice President Legal and Public Affairs
The Ivy Tech Foundation Board of Directors
A statewide body representing Indianas regional diversity business expertise and civic leadership. The Board Chair is Lauren Salerno.
Ivy Techs 19 campus leadership teams ensuring localized fundraising success and alignment with community needs.
APPLICATIONS & NOMINATIONS
Selected candidate for employment will be subject to pre-employment background checks including criminal history check and any offer of employment will be contingent upon that outcome.
Ivy Tech Community College is an accredited equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color ethnicity national origin marital status religion sex gender sexual orientation gender identity disability age or veteran status. As required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Ivy Tech Community College does not discriminate on the basis of sex including sexual harassment in its educational programs and activities including employment and admissions. Questions specific to Title IX may be referred to the Colleges Title IX Coordinator or to the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.
Required Experience:
Chief
Ivy Tech Community College offers Associate's Degrees and Certificates to students in more than 70 programs in over 75 communities across Indiana.