Senior Director of Principal Giving

Senior Director of Principal Giving

Location: New York, NY – Upper East Side

About Asphalt Green

Asphalt Green is a not-for-profit organization that transforms lives and builds community through sports, fitness, and play for all.

From toddlers making their first splash in the water and young people trying a new sport, to athletes training for collegiate, professional, and Olympic competition, or older adults looking to stay active, Asphalt Green empowers athletes of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to live active and healthy lives.

Asphalt Green believes everyone deserves access to excellent sports, fitness, and play opportunities and puts its vision into action through world-class fitness memberships, nationally competitive sports teams, and community programs that break down barriers to play.

Some of these impactful programs include free swim classes for public school students, free sports leagues across the five boroughs, and older adult fitness. Signature programs include Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA), among the nation’s premier competitive youth and Masters swimming teams; nationally and regionally ranked Asphalt Green Soccer Club (AGSC); AG Basketball and Volleyball; and our renowned summer day camp.

Asphalt Green is in the third year of a five-year strategic plan and on an accelerated path to broaden its impact and provide sports, fitness, and play to people of all backgrounds.

Focused on growth, expansion, and new opportunities, Asphalt Green has grown its operating budget by more than 50% and its philanthropic revenue by more than fourfold in four years.

With sites located on the Upper East Side, Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan, and Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Asphalt Green’s programs reach across New York City to all five boroughs and serve 20,000 people every day.

About the Role

Asphalt Green is seeking an exceptional fundraising professional to join our Development team.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Director of Principal Giving will serve as the organization’s principal gifts officer and lead efforts to secure large, strategic investments from individuals and families in support of Asphalt Green’s mission and work.

The successful candidate will bring substantial experience securing and stewarding high six-figure and seven-figure-plus commitments in support of capital, programmatic, and operating priorities and will have played a significant role in one or more large capital campaigns.

Principal Gifts Fundraising & Donor Engagement

• Build and manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects capable of making philanthropic commitments of $500,000–$5,000,000 , including Asphalt Green members, parents of athletes enrolled in sports and aquatics programs, and New York City philanthropists aligned with the organization’s mission and campaign vision.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer to expand the pipeline of principal and leadership gift prospects and drive creative, strategic cultivation and solicitation efforts in support of Asphalt Green’s comprehensive campaign goals.
• Lead highly personalized donor engagement strategies by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding transformational gifts.
• Conduct prospect research and evaluate constituent portfolios to develop highly personalized engagement, cultivation, and solicitation strategies for major comprehensive campaign commitments.
• Craft compelling fundraising proposals, donor briefings, and engagement materials focused on transformational ideas, capital naming opportunities, and key organizational programs in close collaboration with colleagues across the organization.
• Prepare strategic donor briefings and meeting materials to support effective donor engagement and solicitation efforts.
• Manage donor relationship strategy, including communications and follow-up resulting from prospect meetings and interactions.

Collaboration & Strategy

• Partner closely with colleagues across the organization to develop a deep understanding of Asphalt Green’s mission, programs, and impact and translate that vision into compelling donor conversations.
• Serve as a strategic fundraising partner to Board members and volunteer leaders, helping them effectively engage and cultivate prospects within their personal and professional networks.
• Track and document all donor engagement activities, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts, within Salesforce/CRM systems.
• Maintain accurate tracking of donor activity, pipeline development, solicitation progress, and stewardship efforts within Salesforce/CRM systems.
• Monitor and report progress against fundraising goals, including donor engagement activity, solicitation outcomes, closed gifts, and overall moves management progress.

Campaign & Organizational Impact

Asphalt Green is currently operating within a significant period of growth and philanthropic investment.

Current organizational and campaign scope includes:

• Approximately $40 million in annual operating revenue
• Approximately $13.5 million in philanthropic giving across operating and capital support
• A $100 million comprehensive campaign goal over six years
• Approximately $70 million in capital priorities
• More than $30 million in operating campaign priorities
• Approximately $15 million in free and subsidized programming annually
• More than 100,000 people taught to swim
• Approximately 20,000 New Yorkers served daily

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

Strategic Mindset

Ability to see future possibilities and translate them into breakthrough strategies.

Drives Results

Consistent ability to achieve results, including under challenging circumstances.

Drives Vision & Purpose

Ability to communicate a compelling vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

Instills Trust

Ability to build confidence and trust through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

Persuades

Ability to use compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others.

Financial Acumen

Ability to interpret and apply key financial information to support sound decision-making.

Qualifications

• 10 years of relevant experience.
• At least 6 years of experience closing six- and seven-figure-plus commitments and stewarding long-standing relationships with high-net-worth individuals.
• Demonstrated success supporting organizational leadership in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Strong understanding of and ability to communicate Asphalt Green’s mission and programs.
• Ability to conceptualize and describe funding needs and big ideas in a compelling way to prospects, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Results-oriented self-starter with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.
• Passion for Asphalt Green’s mission and the ability to serve as an ambassador for the organization.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• Authorization to work in the United States required.

Work Environment

This position is based at Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side campus.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $170,000–$190,000.

Asphalt Green offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance and generous paid time off.

Equal Opportunity

We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, even if they do not meet every qualification listed above.