Senior Director of Philanthropy

Crisis Assistance Ministry; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Executive 401(k) match

Flexible spending accounts

Life and AD&D insurance

Disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Paid time off

Job summary

Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte, NC seeks a Senior Director of Philanthropy to lead fundraising strategy, donor relationships, and systems supporting revenue, engagement, and faith partnerships. The role centers on transforming donor data into action and scaling philanthropic revenue with disciplined moves management.

The Senior Director will guide a multi-functional team, leverage Salesforce data, and ensure alignment with the agency’s mission to assist those in financial crisis.

Qualifications

• Experience leading comprehensive fundraising programs and annual giving.
• Proven ability to develop donor pipelines and major gift strategies.
• Strong data skills, reporting, and stewardship across donor lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across major, mid-level, annual, and institutional gifts.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors to increase engagement.
• Lead data-informed fundraising using Salesforce, wealth screening, and dashboards.
• Oversee volunteer engagement and faith partnerships to deepen mission support.
• Coach a multi-functional advancement team and manage budgets and systems.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relationships

Data-informed decisions

Strategic leadership

Communication & storytelling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Salesforce

Wealth screening

Job description

Career Opportunity

Crisis Assistance Ministry seeks a strategic, data-informed, relational, and mission-anchored leader to serve as its next Senior Director of Philanthropy. This is an opportunity to lead comprehensive fundraising strategy for one of Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s most trusted institutions, strengthen the systems that turn donor information into action, and grow a community of support grounded in dignity, compassion, integrity, and trust.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Senior Director will lead fundraising strategy, donor relationships, and the teams and systems supporting philanthropic revenue, volunteer engagement, and faith partnerships. The role will connect strong donor relationships, Salesforce data, wealth screening, and current fundraising practice to create a disciplined pipeline from first engagement to lifetime giving.

Mission: To provide assistance and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency.

Vision: Our ultimate vision is a community where everyone has the resources and stability to thrive without our services.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Director of Philanthropy reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and leads a multi-functional team supporting fundraising, annual giving, institutional giving, volunteer philanthropy, and faith partnerships.

Salary: Crisis Assistance Ministry offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary range is $100,000-$110,000.

Benefits: The benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; executive 401(k) match; flexible spending accounts (FSA); life and AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage; group accident and critical illness insurance; and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Paid time off includes vacation, sick time, bereavement, volunteer time, and holidays.

Location and Working Environment: The role is based in Charlotte and works primarily from the office, with telecommuting flexibility in accordance with agency policy. Evening and weekend availability is expected as needed.

Leadership Opportunity

Turn donor data into fundraising action. Crisis Assistance Ministry has deep donor relationships, talented fundraisers, enhanced Salesforce information, and current wealth-screening data. The Senior Director will connect these assets through clear donor lifecycle definitions, practical segmentation, actionable portfolios, disciplined moves management, and recommendations that tell senior leaders not only whom to meet, but why and what should happen next.

Bring execution strength to a healthy advancement team. The Chief Advancement Officer is seeking a senior fundraiser who can own development strategy and translate ideas into measurable action. The successful candidate will complement existing strengths, bring current best practices across the donor lifecycle, coach a multi-functional team, and help prioritize investments in tools, vendors, staffing, and systems that can accelerate philanthropic growth.

Lead with expertise and heart during a significant transition. The organization is preparing to welcome its next CEO from a position of stability and trust. This leader will provide continuity, execution, and a valued thought partnership while preserving a culture where dignity, integrity, respect, empathy, kindness, and care are experienced every day.

Key Responsibilities of the Senior Director of Philanthropy

Strategic Fundraising and Annual Giving

Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including major and mid-level gifts, institutional giving, annual giving, appeals, direct mail, digital fundraising, workplace giving, and new revenue opportunities.

Set measurable goals and report return on investment for fundraising activities; analyze acquisition, retention, recapture, direct mail, digital response, and appeal performance to improve results.

Identify and pursue new donor markets, partnerships, giving programs, and third-party opportunities that expand and diversify philanthropic revenue.

Donor Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship

Manage a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects, leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to increase engagement and gift levels.

Build a disciplined donor pipeline and moves-management approach that identifies priority relationships for the Chief Advancement Officer, CEO, and senior fundraisers, together with the rationale and next action for each relationship.

Create clear pathways from first gift, volunteer involvement, and annual giving to sustained major and lifetime support.

Represent the agency at community events, professional associations, and networking opportunities.

Data, Systems, and Fundraising Intelligence

Lead the strategic use of Salesforce and related tools across the donor lifecycle, including definitions, segmentation, portfolios, next actions, dashboards, reporting, and accountability.

Translate wealth screening, donor history, engagement data, and institutional knowledge into practical recommendations for donor outreach.

Oversee shared data infrastructure and reporting standards for fundraising, institutional giving, volunteer engagement, and faith partnerships.

Volunteer and Faith Engagement

Oversee volunteer strategy, including recruitment, training, retention, and a meaningful experience that creates pathways to deeper mission engagement and philanthropy.

Strengthen relationships with congregations and faith communities, connecting partners to giving, volunteer, and advocacy opportunities.

People Leadership and Cross-Functional Partnership

Lead, coach, and develop a multi-functional team that includes supervisors through clear goals, consistent communication, professional development, and accountability.

Foster a positive, inclusive environment rooted in collaboration, employee well-being, growth, and customer dignity.

Collaborate with Marketing and Communications on appeals, donor communications, storytelling, and consistent agency messaging.

Partner with housing stability and customer-facing teams so fundraising remains grounded in customer-centered goals and measurable community impact.

Administrative Excellence

Develop and manage the fundraising budget and recommend strategic investments in tools, vendors, staffing, and systems.

Oversee vendor relationships supporting direct mail, digital fundraising, printing, and annual giving production.

Maintain strong fundraising processes, documented operating practices, and ethical standards aligned with the AFP Code of Ethics and Donor Bill of Rights.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidates will combine demonstrated fundraising results, strategic use of donor data, people leadership, and a genuine commitment to Crisis Assistance Ministry’s mission and culture. Through progressively responsible experience, candidates will demonstrate:

A record of measurable philanthropic revenue growth within a nonprofit or other mission-driven environment, preferably including social services.

Broad command of the donor lifecycle, including annual and digital acquisition, direct mail, retention and recapture, mid-level and major gifts, stewardship, and portfolio management.

Direct experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, with the confidence to make meaningful asks and coach senior leaders in donor engagement.

Demonstrated ability to use Salesforce or a comparable donor CRM, segmentation, wealth screening, dashboards, and appeal results to set priorities and improve performance.

Experience leading a multi-functional team that includes supervisors, with a record of establishing goals, coaching staff, and developing talent.

Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the judgment to represent the organization effectively across diverse communities.

Strong planning and project-management discipline across multiple campaigns, appeals, deadlines, and stakeholder groups.

Knowledge of current fundraising practices and ethical standards; CFRE certification is strongly preferred.

A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience; an advanced degree is welcomed but not required.

Experience engaging faith communities, volunteers, or community partners is an added strength.

Personal Attributes

Deep commitment to Crisis Assistance Ministry’s mission and to treating people experiencing financial crisis or housing insecurity with dignity, respect, empathy, and care.

Strategic and curious, with the ability to move between big-picture opportunity and disciplined execution.

Kindhearted, collaborative, and low-ego, with the confidence to bring expertise and the humility to listen and learn.

Data-informed without losing sight of the human relationships behind the numbers.

Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable leading through organizational change and ambiguity.

Clear, trustworthy, and consistent in communication, follow-through, and decision-making.

About Crisis Assistance Ministry

Founded in 1975, Crisis Assistance Ministry is Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s trusted safety net and a leader in housing stability and financial security. The organization provides emergency rent and utility assistance, free clothing and household essentials, financial empowerment coaching, community education, advocacy, and partnership-building, all grounded in dignity, integrity, compassion, and trust.

Want to know more? Visit crisisassistance.org.