Director, Philanthropy (Major Gifts Officer)

Love animals? Want to spend your day surrounded by wagging tails and soft purrs?

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV), a privately funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit, has been serving people and pets in Silicon Valley since 1929. Having facilitated more than half a million animal adoptions, HSSV is a leader in animal welfare through our lifesaving efforts, community programs, and the many ways we are working to move the animal welfare industry forward. Our mission is to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.

We are a passionate, high-performing team who believes that collaboration is key to our success. Our best work is achieved by leveraging each other’s strengths and creating opportunities for professional growth. Join a team that focuses on our key values of kindness, courage, and impact!

Overview

Are you ready to drive impact that is more than meaningful— it’s game-changing, fueling momentum that reshapes the future of animal welfare? As Director, Philanthropy you will forge powerful partnerships and secure critical funding where you power lifesaving programs—rescue operations, shelter expansions, community access to care programs, and helping shelters across the nation. Your fundraising does more than support animal welfare - it accelerates it, expanding reach, deepening impact, and helping build a future where we save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.

Take your fundraising impact to the next level where HSSV and the Board of Directors are deeply committed to the vision, growth, and long-term investment in our philanthropy focus as a strategic driver of mission impact where you will:

• Become part of a high-performing philanthropy team that brings a breadth of experience across sectors — including higher education, performing arts, and animal welfare. Our team members offer diverse perspectives and deep expertise in both nonprofit and business environments, creating a dynamic, collaborative culture rooted in innovation and impact.
• Engage and inspire new and existing donors throughout the giving cycle, successfully securing five to seven-figure gifts by aligning donor passion with our mission.
• Inspire mission-centric experiences including tours of HSSV, visits to offsite medical clinics, and rescue runs to transfer animals from partner shelters for donor engagement.

• Nurture prospect and donor portfolio via strategic engagement touch points on a consistent basis; maintain the utmost confidentiality of all HSSV prospect, donor, and/or other internal information.
• Engage prospects and donors through in-person and/or virtual meetings per month, which over time results in success of closing major gifts, blended gifts, endowment gifts, and multi-year pledge gifts.
• Collaborate with HSSV’s President and Leadership Team to expand HSSV’s fundraising capacity.
• Partner closely with internal teams to optimize the constituent journey, ensuring streamlined experiences that strengthen relationships and drive fundraising success.

• Stay well-informed about HSSV’s programs, keep up to date with changes in charitable giving opportunities and continuously expand your knowledge of fundraising best practices.
• Leverage data and performance metrics to proactively identify new prospects, cultivate relationships, and strategically upgrade existing major donors.
• Represent HSSV at speaking engagements and community events across the Bay Area, inspiring audiences to engage with and support the organization’s mission.
• Enhance your expertise and develop new skills through strategic training, supported by our commitment to investing in your growth as a fundraising professional.

Are you driven to deliver bold, frontline fundraising results while building affinity and loyalty towards HSSV’s mission? If purpose fuels your passion, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.

Requirements

• Experience working in a large, complex fundraising environment—such as a major university, academic medical center, or established nonprofit—with a track record of collaboration within a sophisticated, metrics-driven development team.
• Deep passion to the mission of HSSV – to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people. 
• Proven expertise as the direct driver in closing five to seven-figure gifts in a non-profit environment, with a focus on cultivating donor relationships that lead to increased investment and mission-aligned action.

• Ability to exhibit professional acumen, discretion, and decisiveness necessary to build trust and inspire confidence among prospects, donors, and key stakeholders.
• Outstanding communication and relationship building skills (with internal and external audiences), including excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Proficient with donor management and digital engagement tools such as Salesforce or comparable platform.
• Our benefits are more than any program can offer – the biggest value you will experience on the HSSV Philanthropy team is making a difference…one paw at a time.
• You have a laser focus on identifying, cultivating, and securing high-impact philanthropic opportunities. Relentless in pursuit, you thrive on engaging existing donors, building new relationships, opening doors, and turning leads into committed donors. Besides the ability to be results-driven, this opportunity requires: 

Work Days and Hours

Primary schedule is Monday-Friday, candidate to be located in within the Bay Area for participation in some events that are on evenings and/or weekends. The majority of your time will be spent in the field, actively engaging with donors and cultivating meaningful relationships to advance our mission.

Candidate Tip

Add "apps.bamboohr.com" to your email contact list so you make sure to receive emails from HSSV regarding your application.