Senior Director of Philanthropy

position description

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is a key contributor to CARE’s national Major Gifts team. The Senior Director will manage a team of Directors of Development—Major Gift fundraisers based on both coasts—who are responsible for engaging high-net-worth individuals and family foundations to secure critical funding for CARE’s mission through both unrestricted and program-specific gifts. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, Philanthropy, this role will also build and manage a portfolio of current and prospective donors with the capacity to give between $10,000 and $1,000,000.

They will be tasked with developing and executing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to build meaningful, long-term relationships with donors. The Senior Director, along with the team they manage, will bring donors closer to CARE’s mission and leadership through personalized outreach, individual meetings, and events. A key responsibility is to secure funding for urgent humanitarian needs and longer-term development projects while driving increased donor investment over time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio of 100–120 donors and prospects, developing and implementing tailored engagement and solicitation strategies.
• Partner with the Executive Director, Philanthropy to implement best-in-class Major Gifts strategies in key markets including New York and California.
• Secure gifts of $10,000 and above, with a focus on $100,000+ gifts, meeting or exceeding annual and quarterly fundraising goals.
• Work with the Major Gifts team and CARE leadership to educate donors on their impact and provide opportunities to invest in organizational priorities.
• Consistently share the meaningful impact donors make, ensuring they feel valued and deeply connected to CARE’s mission, projects, and people.
• Creatively and thoughtfully build meaningful connections and community, serving as a liaison between funders, Board Members, CARE program leaders, and partners.

Prospect and Pipeline Development

• Identify and cultivate new major gift prospects through CARE events, small gatherings, and the annual Impact Awards.
• Build and activate a pipeline of major donors identified through events, influencers, emergencies, donor-advised funds (DAFs), and Board Member networks.
• Partner with the Prospect Research team to maximize efforts to engage the next generation of philanthropists by identifying emerging donors and creating tailored engagement strategies.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records and pipelines in CARE’s CRM system, Salesforce.

Supervision

• Manage a team of Directors of Development across CARE’s national Major Gifts team.
• Support the DoDs in securing donations of $10,000 and above, with a focus on $25,000+ gifts, meeting or exceeding annual and quarterly fundraising goals.
• Serve as a resource and thought partner to DoDs while ensuring they hit key performance benchmarks and abide by CARE’s standards of practice.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with CARE’s internal teams to identify and capitalize on opportunities to strengthen donor and prospect relationships.
• Act as a collaborative and enthusiastic representative of the Major Gifts team, fostering strong internal relationships and embodying CARE’s values of inclusion, integrity, and partnership.

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic proficiency in Salesforce or similar donor CRM systems.
• Proven track record of securing 6 and 7-figure gifts.
• Exceptional communication and writing skills, with sound judgment and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize effectively, and maintain attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills, capable of engaging with donors, Board Members, guest speakers, and staff at all levels
• Minimum 1 year experience working with a large nonprofit and/or international NGO.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years professional experience in a fundraising role
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience

Application instructions

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