The client seeks a highly accomplished fundraising leader for the role of Senior Director or Director, Principal Gifts. This position is responsible for expanding The client’s donor base, cultivating major gifts, and diversifying strategic giving in support of the organization’s mission. The Senior Director/Director will report directly to the Chief Development Officer and serve as a key member of the Development leadership team, helping strengthen The client’s financial sustainability and strategic growth in a fast-paced environment.
Key responsibilities include managing a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects with the capacity to make gifts at the $1M+ level, with goals focused on closing $5–10M+ annually. The role leads all phases of the donor cycle for assigned prospects, including discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, while developing individualized engagement strategies that reflect both The client’s mission and donors’ philanthropic values. The leader will identify and qualify new prospects through research, referrals, events, and relationship mapping, and help diversify the donor base by expanding new constituencies such as next-generation donors, family foundations, and impact investors aligned with The client’s mission.
The position also emphasizes collaboration and partnership across leadership and internal teams. The Senior Director/Director will work closely with the CEO, Chief Development Officer, board members, and program staff to develop compelling cases for support and engage donors in The client’s work, and will prepare high-quality briefings, proposals, gift agreements, and stewardship reports for donor meetings and solicitations. The role will collaborate with Communications to develop donor-facing materials and may support exploration of complex gift vehicles such as donor-advised funds, planned gifts, multi-year commitments, and noncash assets; it will also represent The client at appropriate cultivation events, conferences, and community gatherings.