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Director of Advancement

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Director of Advancement

Whitehead Institute

Hybrid Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Whitehead Institute is a leader in groundbreaking biomedical research. With a focus on advancing the fields of genetics and genomics, the Institute empowers scientists to explore the complexities of life with unprecedented depth and breadth. Addressing global challenges—from disease to climate change—Whitehead Institute’s researchers are making paradigm-shifting discoveries that benefit human society across the world.

The Opportunity

The Whitehead Institute seeks a dynamic, collaborative, and intellectually curious fundraiser and manager to serve as Director of Advancement (DoA). Building on the development department’s tremendous progress in recent years, the DoA will lead the Institute into its next growth phase, leveraging its strong reputation and enormous fundraising potential. Reporting to the Vice President of External Relations, the DoA will serve as a senior leader within the institution, setting strategic direction for overall fundraising. Leading a team of six, the DoA will carry a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and be responsible for reaching the unit’s overall annual fundraising goals.

Successful candidates will be exceptional relationship-builders and senior leaders with excellent communication skills. They will understand and embrace the Whitehead Institute’s mission and values, including a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

By admin|2026-09-23T21:21:34-04:00May 18, 2023|Comments Off

About the Author: admin

Jill Lasman has been a key force in setting the Lindauer standard for executive search. A well-known and respected national search executive, Jill has placed senior leaders and their teams in many major education, healthcare and science, arts and culture, advocacy, and mission-driven institutions since joining the firm in 1998.

In 2019, Jill became a partial owner of Lindauer, along with CEO Deb Taft and Senior Advisor and Founding Managing Director Libby Roberts. That same year, Jill opened Lindauer’s West Coast office, and is based in both Los Angeles and Boston throughout the year.

In the area of advancement, Jill has conducted successful chief development officer searches for such esteemed clients as Princeton University, University of Texas at Austin, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Illinois Institute of Technology, Agnes Scott College, Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine, to highlight just a few.

Jill has also been instrumental in placing multiple high-level candidates in prestigious Ivy League and elite colleges such as Cornell University, Yale University, Harvard University, Tufts University, Emory University, Boston College and American University, among many others. At North Dakota State University, she placed the President/CEO of the NDSU Development Foundation, and also filled the high-profile position of Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations and Chief Executive Officer of the Penn State Alumni Association.

In addition, Jill has proven her ability to find the most qualified individuals for such diverse organizations as American Friends of Bar Ilan University, where she placed the Chief Executive Officer and at Boston College, where she brought the Vice President for Development search to a successful conclusion. Offering expertise in all sectors, she led a team effort for multiple recruits at Natural Resources Defense Council, placed the Vice President for Development at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, and led successful search partnerships with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

A skilled interviewer, Jill also specializes in building teams. She spearheaded the recruiting efforts at Carnegie Mellon University, filling 30 positions over the course of three years. She also served as team leader and primary recruiter for 29 of the 44 searches Lindauer completed for the University of Rochester, including the positions of Senior Associate Vice President of Advancement, Associate Vice President of Advancement, and Associate Vice President of Capital and Special Projects. At Emory University, Jill has led searches for senior management at two of its schools along with two university-wide Associate Vice President for Development positions. She has also enjoyed strong partnerships on team builds with George Washington University and Rhode Island School of Design.

Bringing national experience, Jill has also been directly involved with recruitment efforts on the West Coast at the City of Hope, American Jewish University, and the Los Angeles Opera.

Prior to joining Lindauer, Jill worked for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the areas of recruitment, training, and database administration. She is a cum laude graduate of UCLA.

Elsa Gomes Bondlow brings to Lindauer and our clients over 20 years of experience, as a connector, relationship builder, social justice activist, and social change strategist. Elsa is a dynamic leader, known for partnering with communities to create positive inclusive transformation.

As a seasoned fundraiser, philanthropist, and donor advisor Elsa thrives by amplifying traditionally underrepresented voices, empowering them to achieve their own aspirations. She is most fulfilled when she is able to lower barriers to access, encourage dreams and increase the pipeline of opportunities for others.

In 2020, Elsa co-founded the trust-based, woman of color-led, Social Equity Access Fund, which focused on providing basic needs while addressing the social determinants of health. This innovative philanthropic project was established to receive and distribute financial support to traditionally underinvested communities, empowering them to overcome barriers to better their own health and wellbeing.

Elsa served most recently as the Vice President of Growth and Partnership Development at Building Impact, a nonprofit transforming corporate volunteering by partnering with other community-based organizations and corporations for codesigned social impact opportunities. She then contributed there as a Strategic Advisor on Partnerships & Equity coordinating working in business development, client engagement, and the DEIB initiatives.

Elsa was the Chief Development Officer at the International Institute of New England, leading the centennial organization’s fundraising efforts on behalf of immigrants and refugees. Before that, she worked as a Major Gift Officer at both the United Way and at Tufts University. Elsa also served as Director of Development at the MA Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition and started her development career at the MA Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, a health and human services organization.

Elsa currently serves as a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Women in Development of Greater Boston. She graduated from the LeadBoston 2021 Cohort at YW Boston, a competitive program that explores the complexity of Boston’s inequities through an inclusive leadership lens. Elsa was recognized as one of Boston’s Most Impactful Black Women of 2020 in the category of Philanthropy and Social Justice, by the prestigious Get Konnected initiative.

Born and raised in Portugal, in a Cape Verdean family, Elsa moved to the US as a student and obtained a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. She holds a BA Degree in Intercultural Studies and Communications from Fresno Pacific University in CA, and a Management Certificate in Health and Human Services from Suffolk University in MA. She is a native Portuguese speaker and speaks fluent Spanish and French.