Director, Central Initiatives

The George Washington University

Washington (District of Columbia)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The George Washington University in Washington, DC is seeking a Director of Central Initiatives within University Advancement to lead fundraising for student experiences and academics.

Reporting to the Executive Director, you will supervise staff, manage a major gifts portfolio, and execute strategies to secure gifts and provide briefing materials.

This role requires advanced fundraising experience, collaboration with campus leaders, and a commitment to ethical fundraising.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required or higher with relevant experience.
Experience engaging, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
Ability to lead and develop fundraising staff.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of 100–125 major gift prospects to meet $1M+ goals.
Recruit, train, and motivate direct reports; coach on strategy.
Implement Central Initiatives fundraising strategy and build a strong pipeline.
Collaborate with campus leaders and partner offices on joint solicitations.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Major gift fundraising

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Staff coaching

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree or higher

Tools

Donor management systems

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Employer will not sponsor for employment Visa status

I. JOB OVERVIEW

Job Description Summary:

UA is responsible for leading the university’s alumni and fundraising efforts and seeks to promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the university community, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations, and other friends. Our goal is to advance GW’s mission of excellence in education, research, and scholarship.

Reporting to the Executive Director for Central Development, the Director, Central Initiatives will be part of a team of gift officers that drives attainment in support of the student experience outside of academics and athletics. As set by university leadership, fundraising priorities could include student scholarships and fellowships, capital projects, division of student affairs, career services, and other aspects of student life. The Director of Central Initiatives will execute the strategy for Central Initiatives development work and will directly supervise fundraising staff while leading through example as a front-line gift officer.

This position is responsible for managing development team members, including one or more Major Gift Officers of various levels, and provides leadership through advising, collaborating, and partnering with leadership to achieve team fundraising goals and objectives. This role will execute a sustainable development program that broadens the base of philanthropic support of its assigned portfolio. Typical responsibilities include participating in the day-to-day operations of a major gift team, providing direction, coaching, and professional development opportunities for direct reports. In addition to staff management responsibilities, this position will manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects composed of alumni, parents, family members, and friends, and is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of these prospects, and regular prospect visits. Additional responsibilities include providing direct support to leadership, volunteers, and faculty as needed, including but not limited to producing and sharing briefing materials, attending UA events, staffing donor visits, and drafting proposals and correspondence.

The Director creates an environment that fosters sustainable development work under her/his supervision based upon best practices and standard performance metrics. This team member and supervisor will serve as an honest broker of donor interests and fundraising opportunities for a variety of areas across campus and model a collaborative approach to fundraising at all times.

Performs other work-related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Responsibilities:

Manages a pool of 100-125 prospects to meet an individual attainment goal of $1M+ and to achieve individual metrics at the Director level.
Manages, trains, and motivates direct report(s) to achieve individual goals. Coaches staff on prospect strategy. Conducts annual performance appraisals, identifying successes and areas for growth, and recommends professional development opportunities.
Implements Central Initiatives fundraising strategy to build and document a pipeline and achieve attainment goals through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
Represents UA by liaising with campus leaders in each area of the student experience to prioritize funding needs and utilize subject matter experts in donor work.
Partners with school and unit development teams to implement effective joint solicitation strategies. Advises partner offices to execute collaborations including UA Marketing & Communications, Annual Giving, Alumni Relations, and Student Affairs.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualified candidates will hold a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 6 years of relevant professional experience, or, a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant area of study plus 4 years of relevant professional experience. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

Specific experience engaging, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gifts. Ability to engage diverse stakeholders, strengthening their commitment to the organization and garnering their philanthropic support is desired.
Experience leading development efforts, preferably in higher education, in which the candidate demonstrated success achieving fundraising results is preferred.
Demonstrated managerial proficiency through experience and/or education.
Strategy implementation skills that include the ability to execute and monitor short-& long-term goals for engagement, donor acquisition, and retention.
Six years of relevant professional experience, or, a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant area of study plus four years of relevant professional experience, working with prospects for central fundraising allocations is desired.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of alumni and parent giving.
Familiarity with donor management systems and a high degree of comfort with using technology to communicate, track, and share information is preferred.
Understanding of how to navigate and function within a large, complex institutional environment.

GW offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, life & disability insurance, time off & leave, retirement savings, tuition, well-being and various voluntary benefits. For program details and eligibility, please visit https://hr.gwu.edu/benefits-programs.

II. JOB DETAILS

Campus Location:

Campus Location: Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.

College/School/Department:

College/School/Department: University Advancement

Family

Family Dev & Alumni Relations

Sub-Family

Sub-Family Major Gifts

Stream

Stream Management

Level

Level Level 2

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time

Hours Per Week: 40

Work Schedule:

Will this job require the employee to work on site?

Will this job require the employee to work on site? Yes

Employee Onsite Status

Employee Onsite Status: Hybrid

Telework:

Telework: Yes

Required Background Check:

Required Background Check: Criminal History Screening, Education/Degree/Certifications Verification, Social Security Number Trace, and Sex Offender Registry Search

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Employer will not sponsor for employment Visa status

Internal Applicants Only?

Internal Applicants Only? No

Posting Number:

Posting Number: S014478

Job Open Date:

Job Open Date: 09/22/2026

Job Close Date:

If temporary, grant funded, Sponsored Project funded or limited term appointment, position funded until:

Background Screening Successful Completion of a Background Screening will be required as a condition of hire.

EEO Statement:

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Are you a current employee of The George Washington University?
- Yes
- No
* For current GW employees, have you completed your Introductory Employment Period (IEP)? (As a reminder,employees in their IEP are not eligible to apply for other internal university staff and research positions until the IEP is complete.)
- Yes, IEP complete
- No, still in IEP
- N/a - not a current GW employee
* What is your expected salary range?
(Open Ended Question)

Documents needed to Apply

Required Documents