What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Director of Philanthropy position at Guadalupe Center?
Description
SUMMARY
The Senior Director of Philanthropy serves as a senior leader within the Philanthropy Department, with primary responsibility for driving major gifts and grants revenue through hands-on portfolio management and team leadership. This position provides strategic and operational oversight of the Major Gifts and Grants functions, ensuring the achievement of annual and long-term fundraising goals that sustain and advance Guadalupe Center’s mission, including combined annual revenue of more than $5 million.
The Senior Director is responsible for managing a high-value portfolio of board members, major donors, and grant funders while supervising members of the Philanthropy team. This role leads through disciplined execution, principled management, and collaboration to strengthen donor and grantor pipelines, drive measurable growth in donor engagement, retention, and average gift size, and foster professional growth, accountability, and strong team performance across the department.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and Management
- Provide hands-on leadership of major gifts and grants efforts, including active portfolio management and direct revenue generation, while guiding team performance.
- Conduct annual performance reviews and ongoing professional development planning for direct reports.
- Demonstrate strong team performance, collaboration, and adherence to organizational values.
- Support and model a culture of excellence, integrity, and teamwork across all Philanthropy functions.
- Collaborate with fellow directors to sustain departmental culture, strengthen communication, and ensure alignment.
- Strengthen and expand donor and grantor pipelines, ensuring year-over-year growth in engagement and revenue.
- Mentor and develop philanthropy officers and emerging leaders, promoting skill growth and accountability.
- Represent the Philanthropy Department in cross-functional organizational initiatives and leadership meetings.
- Provide data-informed insights and recommendations to the Vice President of Philanthropy to support strategic planning and decision-making.
- Model principle-based leadership and continuous improvement.
Fundraising and Relationship Management
- Personally manage a portfolio of 180 major donors, board members, and grant funders.
- Develop and execute tailored cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
- Achieve combined annual revenue of more than $5 million in Major Gifts and Grants, with personal fundraising performance contributing $3 million annually through Major Gifts, Grants, Scholarships, and portfolio support for Events.
- Demonstrate measurable growth in donor engagement, retention, and average gift size.
- Produce high-quality proposals, reports, and donor communications.
- Serve as a visible ambassador of Guadalupe Center’s mission, values, and impact.
Requirements
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s Degree Required, CFRE preferred
- Minimum 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts and grants.
- Experience supervising professional staff and leading high-performing teams.
- Proven success in relationship-based fundraising and portfolio management.
- Experience with Raiser’s Edge (or similar CRM) preferred.
SKILLS and ABILITIES
- Strategic thinker with a results-oriented mindset and strong initiative.
- Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain long-term donor relationships.
- High level of discretion and professionalism in dealing with confidential information.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills; detail-oriented.
- Ability to manage up and across departments to achieve shared goals.
- Tech-savvy and comfortable using data to drive decisions.
- Ability to travel locally and work evenings/weekends as required.
- Clearance through local, state and federal background checks
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT
- Indoor office environment with frequent regional travel.
- Regular evening and occasional weekend commitments.
- Exposure outdoor elements during events.
- Periods of sitting, standing, and light lifting (up to 25 pounds).
- Must have access to reliable transportation for donor meetings and off-site events.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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