Director of Major Gifts & Campaign Strategy

University of Southern California; Glendale (CA); Hybrid; USD 133,000 - 149,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Southern California’s USC Viterbi School of Engineering Advancement team seeks a Director, Advancement - Major Gifts to manage a ~75-prospect portfolio and secure $250K–$5M+ gifts. You will develop strategies, build senior donor relationships, and collaborate with school leadership to advance priorities.

You’ll prepare proposals, staff leaders for meetings, and coordinate stewardship and travel to maximize fundraising impact across campaigns.

Qualifications

• 25 years of fundraising or related field experience highlighted
• Experience securing gifts in the $250K–$5M+ range preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication for proposals and presentations
• Ability to build and manage senior-level donor relationships
• Demonstrated capacity to staff and prepare leadership for donor meetings

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of ~75 major gift prospects, with focus on gifts of $1M+
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors at scale
• Develop and present fundraising proposals for priorities like endowed chairs and capital projects
• Collaborate with Dean and leadership to create gift opportunities and secure commitments
• Prepare leaders for donor meetings, solicitations, and follow-up
• Engage volunteers to assist with prospect identification and stewardship
• Oversee donor stewardship plans and recognition activities
• Maintain accurate prospect records, forecasts, and next steps
• Achieve fundraising revenue, activity, and pipeline goals

Skills

Major gifts

Donor cultivation

Donor stewardship

Proposal development

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Combined experience/education

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM tooling

Job description

University of Southern California’s USC Viterbi School of Engineering Advancement team seeks a Director, Advancement - Major Gifts to manage a ~75-prospect portfolio and secure $250K–$5M+ gifts. You will develop strategies, build senior donor relationships, and collaborate with school leadership to advance priorities.

You’ll prepare proposals, staff leaders for meetings, and coordinate stewardship and travel to maximize fundraising impact across campaigns.