Fundraising expert Phil Hill joins Graham-Pelton bringing years of experience providing organizations with tailored strategies and expert guidance to achieve their philanthropic goals.
04 JUNE, 2024, NEW YORK, NY – Leading fundraising consulting firm, Graham-Pelton, announced the appointment of Phil Hills as Principal, effective May 1, 2024. Hills joins Graham-Pelton from Marts&Lundy, where he served as President and CEO from 2016 to 2022.
Hills brings to the firm a distinguished career of more than 35 years in advancement across various sectors, including health sciences, higher education, and arts and culture. Among his client roster are Massachusetts General Hospital, Smithsonian Institution, Rutgers University, Tulane University, Wellesley College, as well as Alzheimer’s Association and Make-A-Wish America, to name just a few.
“I am excited to join Graham-Pelton, a world-class and innovative leader in this industry, at a time of great opportunity for philanthropy to help solve many of the world’s greatest challenges,” said Hills.
Hills has made significant contributions to several prominent organizations. As the Executive Vice President for Development at the Livestrong Foundation, he crafted the organization’s first international fundraising strategy and built a major gifts team, extending its global influence. While at Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center, he led a monumental $1 billion health sciences campaign and launched the university’s first comprehensive grateful patient giving program.
With residences in Boston, MA, and Palm Springs, CA, Hills’ bicoastal presence mirrors Graham-Pelton’s footprint across the United States, and his international experience augments the firm’s global client base. His proven track record in spearheading successful billion-dollar campaigns adds to Graham-Pelton’s existing arsenal of talent, particularly as the firm is seeing a trend toward increasingly large-scale campaigns.
“As our clients embark on ever more ambitious multi-million and billion-dollar campaigns, Phil’s expertise fortifies our ability to guide clients through these complex, pivotal initiatives—often the most challenging of their careers—with both confidence and clarity,” says Craig Leach, CEO of Graham-Pelton. “While such campaigns can be exhilarating, they can also be daunting even for our most sophisticated clients. For Phil, navigating such waters is second nature.”
In addition to his role as a Principal of Graham-Pelton, Hills joins Collegium’s Board of Advisors. Collegium is the privately held parent company to select best-in-class professional services firms serving the nonprofit sector. “Phil’s arrival is well-timed given Collegium’s most recent acquisition of Alexander Haas, and it represents a strategic enhancement that benefits from Phil’s extensive experience and visionary leadership,” says Leach.
