Director of Major Gifts

Director of Major Gifts

Location: Rochester, NY | Onsite, 5 days/week

Salary: $75K-$90K

Employment Type: Full-Time

Relay Recruiting is proud to partner with a well-established nonprofit senior care and human services organization in the Rochester community, seeking a Director of Major Gifts to lead major and planned gift fundraising and deepen relationships with a loyal, multi-generational donor base.

The Opportunity

The Director of Major Gifts will step into a well-established portfolio of roughly 130–160 major gift and planned giving relationships, including several multi-generational family foundations, with warm introductions ready to go from day one. Reporting directly to the Foundation's Executive Director and working as part of the senior leadership team, this person will cultivate, solicit, and steward donors while also self-generating new prospects, particularly outside the organization's traditional donor community. Success in this role means blending relationship-driven stewardship with a disciplined process: building trust with donors and families who are often navigating long-term care, rehab, or memory care, while steadily growing gift size and building toward transformational giving. This is a role for a self-starter who thrives on process, enjoys working with a close-knit donor community, and wants a seat at the leadership table for a mission worth showing up for every day.

About the Company

This is a large, multi-service nonprofit serving older adults across independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and memory care, with roughly 1,000 employees across its campus and programs. It's deeply rooted in community and tradition, with a culture that takes care of its employees, residents and their families. The foundation team is investing in its future, launching new signature fundraising events, growing its focus on donor cultivation beyond its traditional base, and renewing its push to engage the next generation of philanthropists. And with a supportive senior leadership team and strong internal relationships, it's a collaborative environment for someone ready to make a visible impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and grow a well-established portfolio of major gift and planned giving donors, including numerous family foundations, picking up warm relationships from day one.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gifts, building toward five- and six-figure asks with an eye toward transformational giving over time.
• Proactively identify, research, and engage new major gift prospects, including donors outside the organization's traditional community, to diversify and grow the base.
• Partner with the Executive Director to build and execute an annual major gift and planned giving work plan, including budgets, goals, and strategy.
• Build relationships with estate and financial planning professionals, and guide donors and their advisors toward planned giving vehicles that meet shared goals.
• Maintain current knowledge of gift and estate tax law and planned giving best practices.
• Support grant writing and funder identification alongside the Executive Director, contributing to an annual portfolio of roughly a dozen grants.
• Visit with donors and their families in long-term care, rehab, and memory care settings, communicating the Foundation's role with warmth and steadiness.
• Represent the Foundation at community and donor events, including an annual golf tournament and emerging young-leader engagement efforts.
• Deliver regular reporting and analysis on giving activity to the Foundation team and Board of Directors.

What We're Looking For

• 5 years of progressive fundraising experience, with proven success in major gift and planned giving work.
• A genuine self-starter who's comfortable building and working a prospect pipeline.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Excellent relationship-building and stewardship instincts.
• Comfort and compassion navigating conversations with families in long-term care, rehab, or memory care settings.
• Experience with donor management systems (Raiser's Edge preferred).
• Strong strategic planning, budgeting, and project management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Grant writing or funder research experience.
• A track record of growing a donor base into new or non-traditional communities.
• Experience or interest in engaging next-generation or young donor audiences.

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary $75K-$90K, commensurate with experience
• Generous PTO package

Relay Recruiting is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law.