Nichols College

Vice President for Advancement

DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES has been retained by Nichols College, located in Dudley, Massachusetts, to conduct a national search for a Vice President for Advancement.

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This opportunity is available immediately and will be filled upon a national search being conducted and the candidate of choice is identified.

Nichols College is a private, coeducational college located in Dudley, Massachusetts, founded in 1815, known for its business and leadership programs with a strong emphasis on experiential learning. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, with a focus on career readiness, and is recognized for its strong return on investment (ROI) and salary potential for graduates. The college has a 220-acre campus and is located near major New England cities like Boston and Providence. For more background, please visit: www.nichols.edu

The Vice President for Advancement provides strategic vision and executive leadership for all aspects of the College’s fundraising, alumni engagement, and advancement communications efforts. As a key member of the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President leads a comprehensive advancement program designed to strengthen philanthropic support, expand constituent engagement, and position the College for long-term success.

The Vice President oversees a current staff of seven (7) including Development, Alumni & Family Engagement, Advancement Services, and Advancement Communications, working collaboratively across campus to advance institutional priorities. The department raises $2-3 million annually, with approximately $1 million representing annual giving. The endowment as of January 31, 2026 is $36,380,561.

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Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the College’s Advancement strategy, including fundraising, alumni and family engagement, and advancement communications.
• Manage, lead and oversee major, annual, and planned giving, while personally managing a portfolio of major donors.
• Strengthen donor and volunteer relationships, including support for the Board of Trustees and key advisory groups.
• Direct Advancement communications, ensuring compelling messaging to alumni, families, donors, and external partners.
• Manage and develop the Advancement team and ensure strong operations, including data integrity, stewardship, and budgeting.
• Collaborate across campus with Academic Affairs, Admissions, Athletics, Student Life, and others to advance institutional priorities and engagement.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for the College at events, donor meetings, and community activities, representing Nichols’ mission and values.

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Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 8 – 10 years of direct experience in Advancement and Development.
• Demonstrated ability to develop relations with major gift prospects, major gift fundraising, and donor relationship management, including the ability to cultivate and close significant gifts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience collaborating with Boards of Trustees or similar volunteer leadership groups.
• Familiarity with Advancement CRM systems and data-driven fundraising strategies.
• Demonstrated track record and experience in leading, developing and motivating staff for success.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in advancement in higher education strongly preferred, though advancement professionals with experience with a mission-driven nonprofit and/or independent school will be considered.
• Demonstrated track record of leading or contributing to successful comprehensive or capital campaigns.
• An understanding of alumni relations, parent engagement, and annual giving strategies.
• Experience working within a small-to-mid-sized institution where collaboration across departments is essential.
• Ability to serve as a ‘player/coach’ team player.
• Ability to serve as a compelling ambassador for the institution in donor, community, and professional settings.

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Bicentennial Campaign

In July 2010, Nichols College laid the foundation for an unprecedented fundraising campaign aimed at celebrating the institution’s bicentennial and setting a bold course for a third century of educating leaders. By its September 2015 public launch, Securing a Legacy of Leadership, had itself secured $35 million towards its ambitious $45 million goal. By June 2017, more than $46.1 million had been raised to support strategic objectives toward the realization of a vision as a college of choice for business and leadership education.

In 2020 the College completed a nine-year, comprehensive campaign celebrating its 200th Anniversary. When the Bicentennial Campaign exceeded its initial goal of $45 million on schedule in 2017, a trustee suggested extending the campaign and offered a $5 million challenge that could be leveraged to add another $20 million to the campaign total. The challenge was met in FY2020, and the campaign finished at just over $66 million, an impressive and historic total for Nichols College.

The College is finalizing a five-year strategic plan focused on the three pillars – transformative academics, the Nichols Difference, and financial strength – which will give shape and momentum to an upcoming comprehensive campaign. As a result, Nichols College is seeking a dynamic, experienced and highly motivated Vice President for Advancement to lead the Advancement team and support the President and Trustees at this pivotal time.

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William C. Pieczynski
President

William C. Pieczynski is the ninth president of Nichols College, beginning his tenure in May 2024.

Pieczynski previously served as vice president for advancement, a role to which he was promoted in 2010. As vice president, he oversaw the successful completion of the College’s bicentennial campaign, Securing a Legacy of Leadership, which raised $66 million to support capital projects, the endowment, and brand-elevating curricular and co-curricular initiatives.

Under Pieczynski’s leadership, Nichols has set new standards for overall giving, President’s Society giving, giving percentage and number of donors.

Pieczynski joined the College as director of the Nichols Fund in 2006.

He serves as a trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

Pieczynski began his career in fundraising at his alma mater, Catawba College. He and his wife, Lana, are proud parents to Will, Joe and Sam.

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Nichols College Mission Statement

Within a supportive community, Nichols College transforms today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business and professional education.

Vision

Nichols College is a college of choice for business and leadership education as a result of its distinctive career-focused and leadership-based approaches to learning, both in and out of the classroom, and through impactful research and professional education.

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Nichols College Brand Pillars Fall 2025

Nichols College transforms ambitious and open-minded students into confident business leaders who make a difference in their professions, their communities and in the lives of others. Founded in 1815, we boast a unique and relevant curriculum grounded in experiential learning, with a strong liberal arts foundation, so our students develop the critical thinking abilities, capacity to analyze data, cultural perspectives, and communications skills that are required of leaders in a global economy—or the head of a beloved family business. We are among just six percent of institutions worldwide accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). As a community, we’re friendly, authentic and singularly focused on career readiness and student success. To learn more about Nichols College, visit nichols.edu.

Brand Pillars

Relevant and Respected Business Education: Nichols provides a relevant and respected business education focused on hands-on learning, career preparation and leadership development, as evidenced by required experiential learning opportunities before graduation, clear connections with industry and an institution-wide commitment to the demonstrated organizational benefits of diversity.

Holistic Professional Development: Nichols offers extensive co-curricular programming focused on successful career outcomes and supports student learning inside and outside the classroom. Here, we focus on all the intangibles—networking, public speaking, personal branding and business etiquette—so students are prepared to launch professional careers or their own businesses when they graduate.

Vibrant Student and Campus Life: Nichols offers a vibrant and engaging residential campus experience in a welcoming and supportive community proximate to major business and cultural centers and world class recreation. The campus features modern dorms, renovated dining and campus life buildings, and many club and intramural sports and student-led clubs and organizations.

Right-Sized Athletics and Nichols Pride: Nichols has 24 varsity athletic teams that provide opportunities for student-athletes to continue their lifelong passion for competitive play while enriching the life of our broader community. The College offers a community-wide commitment to recreation with extensive programming in the fitness center including yoga, cross-fit and strength training, as well as a thriving club and intramural sports program.

Engaged and Influential Alumni: Nichols Alumni give back regularly by directly engaging with students as mentors and providing access to internships and jobs. Philanthropic support from our alumni is strong and provides annual resources to make the Nichols Experience richer and more accessible to prospective students.

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Faculty

The faculty at Nichols College is one of our most important resources. Students can form close and lasting relationships with dedicated faculty members. Nichols’ small size, its student/faculty ratio of 16 to 1, and an institutional commitment to teaching make these relationships possible.

Members of the faculty represent a broad range of academic and professional interests and experiences. The faculty’s academic credentials have been earned through study at major graduate and professional schools in the U.S. and internationally and signify high levels of scholarly achievement. The faculty’s professional credentials include extensive service in both the business and research community. This blend of academic and professional experiences among the faculty gives the student a unique perspective on business and public service.
Students

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Nichols College Undergraduate Students

Nichols College has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,100 full-time and 150 part-time students. Nichols draws most of its students from the region, with 85% hailing from New England states, but the reach is also broad with 30 states and 10 countries represented in the student population.

70% of Nichols undergraduate students identify as white, 9% as black or African American, 11% as Hispanic, and 4% as two or more races.

74% of Nichols full-time undergraduates are residents, while 88% of new students typically choose to live on campus.

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Nichols College Graduate Students

Nichols College offers a small, career-focused graduate student body of roughly 270–300+ students. Programs are designed for working professionals, with 91% attending part-time and many options available online. Key offerings include MBAs (with tracks in Data Analytics, Project Management, and Critical Thinking), an MSA, and MSOL, along with 4+1 accelerated programs for undergraduates.

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Target Hiring Salary Range

This position is expected to pay an annual salary in the range of $190,000 – $240,000. The final compensation offered to the candidate of choice will be determined based on work experience, qualifications, advancement experience and leadership skill sets.

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Nichols College Benefits

Nichols College provides a comprehensive benefits package to employees, featuring health, dental, and vision insurance, 403(b) retirement matching (7% contribution with 5% employee contribution), paid vacation, and sick leave.

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Contact Information

Nichols College has retained the executive search firm of Deerfield Associates to conduct this search.

To explore this career opportunity on a confidential basis, please send your resume, a letter of interest articulating your interest, skill sets and work experiences for this opportunity, and a list of four (4) references (which will only be contacted if mutual interest is determined) to:

Doug Cooney
Executive Search Consultant
DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES Executive Search, Inc.
572 Washington Street, Suite 15, Wellesley, MA 02482
Telephone: 781-237-2800
Email: jobs@deerfieldassociates.com