SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

CARE; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

CARE is seeking a Senior Director of Philanthropy to lead the Major Gifts team. This role involves managing donor relationships, securing significant funding, and developing innovative fundraising strategies to further CARE's mission. The position requires strong leadership, fundraising expertise, and a passion for building connections with high-net-worth individuals.

Qualifications

• Experience in major gifts fundraising.
• Proven track record of securing large donations (10k+).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 100-120 donors and develop tailored engagement strategies.
• Secure major gifts, focusing on those of $100,000 and above.
• Lead and support a team of Directors of Development.

Skills

Fundraising

Team Management

Donor Engagement

Relationship Building

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is a key contributor to CARE's national Major Gifts team. The Senior Director will manage a team of Directors of Development—Major Gift fundraisers based on both coasts—who are responsible for engaging high-net-worth individuals and family foundations to secure critical funding for CARE’s mission through both unrestricted and program-specific gifts. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, Philanthropy, this role will also build and manage a portfolio of current and prospective donors with the capacity to give between $10,000 and $1,000,000.

They will be tasked with developing and executing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to build meaningful, long-term relationships with donors. The Senior Director, along with the team they manage, will bring donors closer to CARE’s mission and leadership through personalized outreach, individual meetings, and events. A key responsibility is to secure funding for urgent humanitarian needs and longer-term development projects while driving increased donor investment over time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio of 100–120 donors and prospects, developing and implementing tailored engagement and solicitation strategies.
• Partner with the Executive Director, Philanthropy to implement best-in-class Major Gifts strategies in key markets including New York and California.
• Secure gifts of $10,000 and above, with a focus on $100,000+ gifts, meeting or exceeding annual and quarterly fundraising goals.
• Work with the Major Gifts team and CARE leadership to educate donors on their impact and provide opportunities to invest in organizational priorities.
• Consistently share the meaningful impact donors make, ensuring they feel valued and deeply connected to CARE’s mission, projects, and people.

• Creatively and thoughtfully build meaningful connections and community, serving as a liaison between funders, Board Members, CARE program leaders, and partners.

Prospect and Pipeline Development

• Identify and cultivate new major gift prospects through CARE events, small gatherings, and the annual Impact Awards.
• Build and activate a pipeline of major donors identified through events, influencers, emergencies, donor-advised funds (DAFs), and Board Member networks.
• Partner with the Prospect Research team to maximize efforts to engage the next generation of philanthropists by identifying emerging donors and creating tailored engagement strategies.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records and pipelines in CARE’s CRM system, Salesforce.

Supervision

• Manage a team of Directors of Development across CARE's national Major Gifts team.
• Support the DoDs in securing donations of $10,000 and above, with a focus on $25,000+ gifts, meeting or exceeding annual and quarterly fundraising goals.

• Serve as a resource and thought partner to DoDs while ensuring they hit key performance benchmarks and abide by CARE's standards of practice.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with CARE’s internal teams to identify and capitalize on opportunities to strengthen donor and prospect relationships.
• Act as a collaborative and enthusiastic representative of the Major Gifts team, fostering strong internal relationships and embodying CARE’s values of inclusion, integrity, and partnership.