Director of Fundraising Programs, Major Gifts

Inside Higher Ed; Northampton (MA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedule

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

A leading women's college in Northampton seeks a Director of Fundraising Programs to lead major gifts efforts. This role involves setting fundraising strategies, managing staff, and engaging high-capacity donors. The ideal candidate has a bachelor's degree and extensive experience in fundraising leadership. Flexibility to travel and work outside regular hours is required, fostering an inclusive environment is paramount.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of experience as a successful front-line fundraiser.
• At least five years managing fundraising professionals and support staff.
• Experience with diverse backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Set and implement development strategies for individual donors.
• Manage staff and oversee fundraising activities.
• Maintain relationships with major giving prospects.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Analytic thinking

Fundraising strategies

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Overview

Director of Fundraising Programs, Major Gifts. Smith College is seeking purpose-driven, servant-hearted leaders with 7+ years of experience to champion our mission and vision—both on campus and beyond. If you’re ready to advance a legacy of excellence and empower future generations, we invite you to be part of our bold journey forward.

The Director of Major Gifts serves as a key member of the Associate Vice President for Development’s fundraising leadership team along with the Senior Director of Class Engagement and Philanthropic Support, Director of Planned Giving, and the Director of International Alumnae Relations & Development. In collaboration with the AVP for Development, the Director will set, and ensure implementation of, the overall strategy for development work with individual, high-capacity donors. Working within college and departmental strategy and priorities, and in partnership with the Smith Fund, reunion giving and milestone programs, planned giving, principal gifts, alumnae and donor relations and other key partners, the Director will guide their team to maximize philanthropic support for Smith College; including carrying their own portfolio.

Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Essential Functions

• Program Strategy: Individual Giving (40%)
  • In collaboration with the AVP for Development, the Director will set, and ensure implementation of, the overall strategy for development work with individual, high-capacity donors.
  • They are responsible for setting goals and metrics for the major gifts program, supporting staff in understanding and reaching said metrics.
  • Assure portfolio managers’ fluency in and in-depth knowledge of college priorities, college statistics and pride points, gift vehicles, policies and procedures, and best practices in fundraising from individual donors.
  • Facilitate regular meetings with gift officers and other development colleagues for focused and effective prospect review and strategy discussions.
  • Assist the Senior Vice President and the Associate VP for Development in providing the highest level of support for all presidential-level fundraising activities and ensure that other members of the campus leadership team are prepared and supported in their interactions with prospective donors.
  • Assign philanthropic officers and/or serve as liaison to centers and other priority program areas on campus.
  • Assign philanthropic officers and/or serve as liaison with regional and special initiative volunteers as needed.
  • The Director of Major Gifts will collaborate intentionally with colleagues to ensure the Major Gifts program is integrated into a strategic and comprehensive institutional alumnae engagement and fundraising program.
  • Collaborate with the AVP for Advancement on stewardship strategies, with the Director of Communications on promotional materials for fundraisers, with the Director of Events on special events for donors and VIP experiences. Collaborate with the Director of Advancement Research on staff assignment and prospect management strategies, ensuring well balanced portfolios with prospective donors in qualification, cultivation and solicitation stages. Collaborate with the AVP for Alumnae Engagement and her leadership team to maximize regional and topical opportunities as appropriate.
  • Serve on the AVP for Development’s leadership team to ensure the work of the Major Gifts team is integrated into and operating in cohesion with overall fundraising strategies and other activities of the department and the college.
  • Oversee and manage the program budget, aligning it to program strategy. Ensure open communication with departmental peers around cost sharing for joint efforts.
  • Monitor spending, adjusting program planning as needed and communicating with the AVP for Advancement Operations regarding any major changes.
• Staff Management (35%)
  • Manage a team inclusive of major gift officers, support staff, and a manager. Set individual staff goals and conduct staff performance reviews.
  • Conduct searches for team vacancies.
  • Determine and assign efficient deployment and supervision of administrative support staff.
  • Supervise, support and mentor the frontline fundraisers and manager toward optimal performance in identification, qualification, cultivation and solicitation of major donor prospects.
  • Establish and monitor metrics to measure progress against goals.
  • Lead team in successful collaborations with departmental colleagues.
  • Ensure the gift officers and administrative support staff are appropriately trained and effectively following Smith's policies and procedures that impact their work, including but not limited to Gift Acceptance and Travel policies. Ensure the gift officers and administrative support staff are appropriately trained and effectively using established technological tools such as Salesforce and Workday.
  • Actively partner with key colleagues in Advancement Operations to ensure that technology solutions and tools that enhance individual fundraising efforts are maximized.
• Prospect Management (20%)
  • Manage a select group of major giving prospects, leading by example and modeling effective donor identification, qualification, cultivation and solicitation principles and strategies.
  • Maintain frequent personalized contact with assigned prospects, often traveling to meet with donors.
  • Meet established metrics and goals for the number of visits, solicitations and other meaningful contact with assigned prospects.
  • Promptly submit contact reports, update ask tracking system, and other essential follow up activities.
  • Model following institutional policies and procedures for closing gifts.
  • Analyze activities to achieve progress toward stated goals.
• Other Functions (5%)
  • Participate in team meetings, task forces and committees as required.
  • Back up other staff needs as necessary.
  • Perform related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with a minimum of 7 years of experience as a successful front-line fundraiser.
• At least five years of proven effective experience as a manager of fundraising professionals and support staff teams is required.
• Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education fundraising is preferred.
• Experience working in a complex organization with principal gifts, major gifts, and planned giving programs is strongly preferred.

Skills

• Ability to lead by example and to motivate and inspire team to high performance standards.
• Ability to set ambitious yet realistic goals, to model best practices.
• Ability to hire, supervise, evaluate, and retain high performing staff.
• Ability to develop and implement targeted donor strategies in collaboration with colleagues, program staff, and executive leadership.
• Superb relationship building and communications skills with external constituents and internal campus colleagues.
• Analytic, strategic thinking, and problem-solving capabilities balanced with a calm and thoughtful demeanor under pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively with senior college officers and faculty and high-level volunteers.
• Results-driven, highly organized, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to manage confidential information with appropriate discretion and tact.
• Strong computer skills and technical literacy, including CRMs, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, video conferencing tools, etc.

Additional Information

• Flexible work schedule required with the ability to travel, and to work nights and weekends.

All employees are expected to participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

About Smith College: Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by law.