Senior Director of Major Gifts & Strategic Fundraising Initiatives

Summary

The Senior Director of Major Gifts and Strategic Fundraising Initiatives provides leadership, strategy, and oversight for all individual giving efforts outside of Workplace Campaigns at United Way, with a focus on growing revenue, strengthening donor engagement, and expanding long-term philanthropic investment.

This role is responsible for developing and overseeing strategies across the full individual giving pipeline—including annual, mid-level, major, and planned giving—while also leading asset-based giving and other strategic fundraising initiatives such as legacy and endowment gifts. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Director ensures alignment across teams, drives innovation in fundraising strategies, and is accountable for achieving or exceeding revenue goals.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth:

• Develops and oversees a comprehensive individual giving strategy aligned with organizational revenue goals
• Leads strategies to increase donor retention, acquisition, and overall giving across all individual donor segments
• Accountable for achieving or exceeding individual giving revenue goals
• Identifies trends in donor behavior and implements strategies to grow giving at all levels
• Ensures alignment between annual, mid-level, major, and planned giving strategies
  
  

Strategic Fundraising Initiatives

• Develops and leads strategies to grow asset-based giving, including IRA rollovers, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), stock gifts, and other non-cash contributions
• Oversees and expands planned giving, legacy, and endowment strategies, including stewardship and growth of the United Way Endowment Fund
• Collaborates with senior leadership and Finance to align long-term philanthropic strategies and investment opportunities
• Leads innovation in new and emerging fundraising opportunities to diversify revenue streams
  
  

Portfolio & Donor Engagement Leadership

• Manages a portfolio of high-level donors and prospects, including major and legacy donors
• Oversees development of donor pipelines across all giving levels, ensuring clear pathways for donor growth and engagement
• Ensures consistent, compelling donor messaging and experiences across all touchpoints
• Creates opportunities for donor recognition, engagement, and stewardship at all levels
  
  

Team Leadership & Execution Oversight

• Leads and oversees all Individual Giving staff and Gift Officers
• Supervises Associate Director of Individual Giving and Associate Director of Major Giving, ensuring alignment of strategy and execution across portfolios
• Provides coaching, performance management, and professional development to team members
• Establishes clear performance metrics, accountability measures, and revenue expectations across the team
• Fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and results-driven performance
  
  

Campaign Integration & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partners with Corporate Giving and Workplace teams to align individual donor strategies within workplace campaigns
• Works with Marketing & Communications to develop donor-centric messaging and campaigns
• Collaborates with Community Impact to connect donor investments to measurable outcomes
• Partners with Finance and Operations to ensure accurate revenue tracking, forecasting, and reporting
  
  

Data, Systems & Performance Management

• Oversees portfolio data integrity, reporting, and performance tracking within CRM systems
• Utilizes data analytics to inform strategy, segment audiences, and optimize fundraising outcomes
• Provides regular revenue projections and performance updates to the Chief Development Officer, CEO, and Board of Directors
• Ensures accurate and timely documentation of donor engagement
  
  

Organizational Leadership

• Serves as a senior leader within the Resource Development team, contributing to long-range planning and organizational strategy
• Consistently demonstrates the mission and values of United Way
  
  

ROLE CLARITY WITHIN INDIVIDUAL GIVING STRUCTURE

Senior Director Of Major Gifts And Strategic Fundraising Initiatives

• Oversees all Individual Giving activities and Gift Officers
• Develops and leads strategy across all donor segments and fundraising initiatives
• Responsible for growth in asset-based giving, planned giving, legacy, and endowment gifts
• Supervises Associate Directors and ensures alignment and performance across all portfolios
• Accountable for total individual giving revenue performance
  
  

Associate Director of Individual Giving (Donors under $10,000):

• Develops strategy for donors under $10,000
• Oversees execution across annual and mid-level giving segments
• Responsible for achieving or exceeding fundraising goals within assigned portfolio
  
  

Associate Director of Major Giving (Donors $10,000 ):

• Develops strategy for major and leadership-level donors
• Oversees execution of major gift strategies and donor engagement
• Responsible for achieving or exceeding fundraising goals within assigned portfolio
  
  

Mid-Level Gift Officer

• Provides input into strategy for donors $1,000-$9,999
• Leads execution of strategy for this portfolio
• Accountable for relationship management and revenue outcomes within assigned portfolio
  
  

Skills And Competencies

• Strategic leadership with strong execution focus
• Expertise in donor engagement and fundraising strategy
• Team leadership and staff development
• Data-driven decision making and financial acumen
• Strong relationship management and influence skills
• Effective communicator and storyteller
• Innovative, adaptable, and forward-thinking
• High level of professionalism and integrity
  
  

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience
• 7-10 years of experience in fundraising, sales, or relationship management
• Demonstrated success leading fundraising strategies and achieving revenue goals
• Experience managing high-level donor portfolios
• Proven experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional teams
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit fundraising, including major gifts, planned giving, and asset-based giving
  
  

REPORTS TO: Chief Development Officer

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Supervises Associate Director of Individual Giving, Associate Director of Major Giving, and other Individual Giving team members

TRAVEL: Local travel required; occasional evenings and weekends for donor engagement events

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

SALARY RANGE: $90,000-$115,000

• The expected rate of pay for this position is shown above. Compensation offers are based on a wide range of factors including relevant skills, training, experience, education and, where applicable, licenses or certifications obtained. Market and organizational factors are also considered.