Director of Philanthropy

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Develop, oversee, and expand a qualified portfolio of major donors and prospects.

• Cultivate, solicit, secure, and manage significant individual contributions.

• Create a Chapter-to-major-gift pipeline in collaboration with Development Operations & Revenue Intelligence and Chapter Operations.

• Identify, qualify, and nurture high-potential Chapter-connected donors.

• Formulate lead and relationship strategies for important Chapter-connected prospects.

• Design strategies for donor-advised funds, stock contributions, QCDs, planned and legacy gifts, family philanthropy, and other complex donations.

• Direct relationship strategy for significant opportunities with private, family, community, healthcare, and other foundations.

• Spearhead cultivation, requests, and stewardship for new, large, complex, or strategically important foundation relationships.

• Convert Kesem’s strategic priorities and program growth into compelling fundable opportunities.

• Review and enhance significant proposals, LOIs, concept notes, budgets, reports, and multi-year funding strategies.

• Maintain transparency regarding National and Chapter foundation pipelines.

• Collaborate with the CEO and COO/CGO on key donors and funders.

• Equip senior leaders and Board members with strategies for prospects, relationship histories, meeting objectives, talking points, guidance on requests, and subsequent steps.

• Manage and prioritize the CEO’s calendar for philanthropy-related engagements.

• Lead major-gift and foundation pipeline practices and moves-management protocols.

• Work in partnership on wealth screening, segmentation, systematic prospect identification, research, and qualification.

• Establish criteria for portfolio assignments, qualifications, handoffs, and ownership of relationships.

• Ensure intentional stewardship and engagement strategies for major donors, strategic foundations, and significant prospects.

• Guarantee that donor commitments, restrictions, reports, recognition, and follow-through are executed accurately and in a timely manner.

• Manage, mentor, and develop the Philanthropy & Prospect Development Coordinator.

• Collaborate with Development, Events & Major Gifts, Corporate Partnerships, Chapter Operations, Finance, Marketing, and other teams.

• Create repeatable systems and delegate execution while preserving frontline relationship fundraising capabilities.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience in the nonprofit sector, with substantial direct responsibility for major gifts, foundation/institutional philanthropy, or closely related relationship fundraising.

• Proven success in personally cultivating, soliciting, and securing significant five- and six-figure gifts.

• Demonstrated capability to forge relationships with both individual donors and institutional/foundation funders.

• Strong grasp of major-gift strategy, donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, moves management, and pipeline development.

• Experience in developing or overseeing foundation proposals, LOIs, reports, budgets, and multi-year institutional relationships.

• Excellent writing, communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.

• Experience collaborating with executives and Board members on significant donor relationships.

• Proficiency in using Salesforce or another CRM to manage portfolios, opportunities, activities, forecasting, and reporting.

• Strong judgment regarding donor intent, relationship ownership, confidentiality, and ethical fundraising practices.

• Ability to manage and develop staff while retaining substantial personal frontline fundraising responsibilities.

• Experience with private/family foundations, donor-advised funds, planned giving, stock gifts, QCDs, and family philanthropy is preferred.

• Background in a national, chapter-based, volunteer-led, higher-education-adjacent, or distributed nonprofit is preferred.

• Experience in developing Chapter-connected or geographically distributed major donors and institutional funders is preferred.

• Familiarity with prospect research and wealth-screening tools is preferred.

• CFRE or a comparable fundraising credential is preferred.

• Reliable internet connection and a professional remote work environment are required.

• Availability to work from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. in the local time zone, unless otherwise approved.

• Flexibility to address time-sensitive organizational priorities, donor and partner relationships, incidents, Board responsibilities, cross-functional needs, and meetings or events outside of normal working hours.

• Willingness to travel approximately 10–15 times per year.

🏝️ Benefits

• Employer-subsidized health benefits.

• Employee-funded dental and vision benefits.

• Employee-funded 403(b) retirement plan.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Healthcare concierge service.

• Flexible work scheduling.

• Telecommuting options.

• Paid Time Off (PTO).

• Short-Term Disability coverage.

• Parental leave offerings.

• Travel opportunities for Board meetings, staff meetings, donor and partner meetings, fundraising events, camps, leadership gatherings, conferences, and other organizational priorities.