Director of Philanthropy

Purpose of the Position

The Director of Philanthropy is responsible for driving frontline fundraising efforts for Miracle Flights through active donor engagement, relationship management, solicitation, and gift closure. Reporting directly to the Chief of Philanthropy, this role serves as a key revenue-generating position focused on securing major gifts, cultivating donor relationships, and advancing all philanthropic initiatives that support Miracle Flights’ mission.

This role is highly relational, externally focused, and results-oriented. The Director of Philanthropy will spend significant time identifying prospects, building relationships, making asks, stewarding donors, and closing gifts to support organizational growth and sustainability. The ideal candidate is an energetic fundraiser and relationship builder with demonstrated success in donor-facing fundraising environments and a passion for connecting philanthropy to mission impact.

Key Responsibilities Major Gifts & Revenue Generation

Manage and grow an active portfolio of individual, corporate, foundation, and philanthropic partner prospects.

Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of five- and six-figure gifts.

Conduct regular donor meetings, presentations, tours, and relationship-building activities.

Make direct fundraising asks and support the Chief of Philanthropy and CEO in closing transformational gifts.

Develop individualized cultivation and stewardship strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase giving.

Maintain clear revenue goals, pipeline activity, and fundraising performance metrics. Donor Engagement & Stewardship

Build meaningful long-term relationships with donors, partners, foundations, and supporters.

Ensure timely follow-up, donor acknowledgment, stewardship, and reporting.

Help connect donors directly to Miracle Flights’ mission impact through storytelling, experiences, and outcomes.

Support donor communications, campaign outreach, and engagement strategies.

Corporate, Foundation & Strategic Partnerships

Support the development and management of corporate sponsorships, foundation relationships, and philanthropic partnerships.

Assist in expanding relationships with airlines, brands, treatment centers, foundations, and strategic partners.

Support grant opportunities through partnership cultivation, relationship management, and coordination with grant-related fundraising efforts.

Participate in networking events, meetings, and partnership opportunities to increase visibility and philanthropic support.

Collaborate with the philanthropy team to strengthen donor, foundation, and partner engagement strategies that advance revenue growth and mission impact.

Events, Committees & Volunteer Engagement

Support fundraising events through sponsorship solicitation, donor engagement, volunteer coordination, and revenue generation.

Partner collaboratively across the organization to support fundraising initiatives, donor experiences, and community engagement opportunities.

Support        Board committees,   fundraising     committees,   and     volunteer       groups through communication, coordination, follow-up, and relationship management.

Attend and assist with Miracle Flights events, donor experiences, campaigns, and community activations.

Help maximize donor conversion, sponsorship opportunities, volunteer engagement, and postevent stewardship efforts.

Pipeline Management & Operations

Maintain accurate donor records, activity tracking, and pipeline management within CRM systems.

Track donor movement, proposals, pledges, grants, sponsorships, and stewardship actions to ensure accountability and follow-through.

Work collaboratively across departments to support fundraising campaigns, strategic initiatives, and organizational priorities.

Assist with reporting, forecasting, and revenue tracking.

Required Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.

5–8 years of fundraising, sales, business development, donor relations, or partnership experience.

Proven success securing major gifts, sponsorships, foundation support, or revenue-generating partnerships.

Demonstrated ability to confidently make asks and close gifts.

Experience managing donor portfolios and fundraising pipelines.

Strong CRM and donor database experience preferred.

Experience in nonprofit fundraising strongly preferred.

Key Competencies

Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills.

Confident communicator with strong presentation and storytelling abilities.

Results-driven with a strong focus on revenue generation and accountability.

Highly organized with disciplined follow-through.

Self-starter with initiative and strong problem-solving skills.

Collaborative team player who works effectively across departments and stakeholder groups.

Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strong donor relationships.

Passion for Miracle Flights’ mission and impact.

Other Requirements

Occasional evenings and weekends for donor meetings, events, and volunteer activities.

National travel as needed for donor engagement and partnership development.

Ability to represent Miracle Flights professionally and passionately in external settings.