Director, Advancement (Principal and Major Giving)

Barmont; North Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 155,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization is seeking a Director, Advancement to develop a comprehensive major and principal giving program. The successful candidate will engage with donors, manage fundraising campaigns, and ensure compliance with charitable giving policies. This hybrid role requires strong interpersonal skills and a proven track record in not-for-profit development.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of demonstrated success in not-for-profit development or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years management experience required.
• Strong history of successful cultivation and closing gifts at five, six or higher figure levels.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute a major and principal giving program.
• Cultivate relationships with a portfolio of 50-70 current and prospective donors.
• Lead the creation of digital and print materials for donor engagement.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Project management

Relationship-building

Persuasive presentations

Initiative

Curiosity

Empathy

Results-oriented

Education

B.A. or B.S. degree

Advanced degree or professional certification (e.g., JD, MBA, CAP, CFP, CFRE)

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT

Presentation software

Job description

Position Overview:

The Director, Advancement is responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive major and principal giving program emphasizing donor and professional advisor engagement, education, and quality stewardship. The ideal candidate is a skilled professional with proven success in relationship-building, charitable gift planning, persuasive presentations, project management, and working effectively in teams. They must possess a high degree of initiative, curiosity, and empathy, along with a genuine desire to achieve the mission of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). This role requires the ability to travel within the United States.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive major and principal giving program including the setting of annual strategies, metrics, and a proposed budget for outreach, donor engagement, education, marketing, and stewardship in support of the FNIH’s strategic plan.
  
• Develop resources in support of FNIH programs, initiatives, and giving opportunities, and provide significant support, both strategic and tactical, to developing and implementing fundraising campaigns.
  
• Serve as a lead contact for new gift inquiries, advise on gift options, answer questions, and close current and deferred gifts.
  
• Raise or exceed unrestricted and restricted philanthropy goals consistent with annual targets as assigned.
  
• Rate, qualify, cultivate and steward a robust portfolio of 50-70 current and prospective donors with a focus on strategies to help them achieve their short- and long-range charitable goals.
  
• Educate current and prospective donors about charitable giving opportunities and strategies at FNIH through personal consultations.
  
• Lead the creation of digital and print materials to address common questions raised in the major and principal gift planning process and highlight solutions.
  
• Plan and execute programs and events focused on charitable gift strategies for audiences such as individuals and families, closely held business owners, corporations, and professional advisors.
  
• Cultivate relationships with the professional advisor community (attorneys, wealth advisors, accountants, bank and trust officers, life underwriters, etc.), build their understanding of the FNIH and charitable giving strategies, and obtain referrals through personal consultations and presentations to professional advisor firms.
  
• Oversee the FNIH’s Legacy Society and continue cultivation through education events and other strategies.
  
• Ensure that all gifts, gift policies, and fund agreements comply with federal and state law, government regulations, Private Foundation National Standards, the AFP Donor Bill of Rights, and FNIH policies.
  
• Keep up to date on developments in philanthropy, laws and regulations pertaining to charitable planning and effective giving strategies.
  
• Perform all administrative duties related to tracking calls, reporting results, and providing proposed budgets, goals, and reports, as requested.
  
• Lead on or assist with the administration and execution of various Advancement projects as requested.

Education & Experience:

• B.A. or B.S. degree required. Advanced degree or professional certification is preferred (E.g., JD, MBA, CAP, CFP, CFRE, etc.).
• 10+ years of demonstrated success in not-for-profit development, trust or financial services, or a related field required. 12+ years of experience preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years management experience during that time required. 8-10 years of management experience highly desirable.
• Exceptionally skilled at collecting and interpreting prospect research and executing effective stewardship practices.
• Strong history of assigned responsibility and successful accomplishment in skilled cultivation, targeted solicitation and closing gifts at the five, six or higher figure levels. This includes complex solicitation proposal preparation and presentation.
• Minimum 3-years of experience with the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, scientific research, and/or global health funders preferred.
• Strong track record of raising both unrestricted and restricted philanthropy
• Experience with hybrid work environment preferred.

Skills:

• Working knowledge of estate planning and/or income, capital gain, and estate tax issues—preferably consisting of cultivating, soliciting, and closing major (six and seven-figure+) outright and deferred gifts.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to build strong rapport and relationships with prospective clients/donors.
• Superior oral and written communication skills with high emotional intelligence and the ability to listen well.
• Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office suite, relational databases—especially Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT, and presentation software.
• Executive presence required to represent the FNIH as an ambassador among diverse constituent groups.
• Results-oriented with a positive attitude and passion for playing a role in fulfilling the organization mission.
• Focused and motivated self-starter who can work independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.).
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge and/or similar donor databases.

The salary range for this position is $155,000 - $180,000 annually.

This is a hybrid position and may require occasional evening and weekend work to support events and donor engagement activities as they may occur.

At FNIH we aspire to live our core values every day. If you are excited about this role and the work of the Foundation, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at FNIH.