About the Opportunity - Director of Major Gifts
The Opportunity:
The Director of Major Gifts will have the unique opportunity to help shape the future direction of Reach Out and Read (ROR) by developing and implementing a national major gifts program. The Director of Major Gifts will be an experienced front-line development professional with a strong knowledge of and track record in broad-based individual fundraising and engagement best practices that result in identifying, qualifying, cultivating and closing major gifts. Successful candidates will have experience working within a national network, engaged in both frontline fundraising and providing technical support and guidance to affiliate Executive Directors and their teams. The Director of Major Gifts will focus on engaging both regional and national individual giving opportunities that support the organization as a whole. This role reports to the Chief Development Officer.
Qualifications and Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:
- Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and to recognizing factors known to significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status
- 10+ years of professional fundraising experience in a comprehensive fundraising shop
- Proven track record of growing annual and major donor pipelines and expanding fundraising programs
- Expertise in establishing and stewarding relationships with prospective and current donors; significant experience closing six and seven figure gifts
- Ability to successfully build new or expanded annual and major gifts programs
- Strong leadership and management skills, including excellent organization, project management, and time-management skills, with attention to detail and follow-through.
- Demonstrated ability to influence, educate and engage colleagues and work effectively with senior leaders with diverse perspectives
- Strong interpersonal and public communications skills, including effective public speaking experience and excellent writing ability
- Self-motivated and inspirational problem solver with demonstrated ability to coach, manage, and develop high performing, diverse teams to achieve strategic objectives
- Entrepreneurial, energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team player who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising and development initiatives
- Confidentiality, integrity, humility and direct communication style
- Experience working for a national organization with a network of affiliates
- Experience with Salesforce CRM