SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic proficiency in Salesforce or similar donor CRM systems.
• Proven track record of securing 6 and 7-figure gifts.
• Exceptional communication and writing skills, with sound judgment and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize effectively, and maintain attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills, capable of engaging with donors, Board Members, guest speakers, and staff at all levels
• Minimum 1 year experience working with a large nonprofit and/or international NGO.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years professional experience in a fundraising role
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience

About the Organization

There are individuals who may use CARE’s name and trademark in emails and on websites in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. Some examples of these fees are placement fees or immigration processing fees.

CARE does not use recruiting or placement agencies that charge candidates an up-front fee of any kind. Occasionally, CARE does employ recruiting or placement agencies to help us identify candidates for specific employment within CARE. If you’re contacted by a legitimate recruiting or placement agency, there should be no charge to you. If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud from someone purporting to be CARE, please contact us at legal@care.org. Please do not email legal@care.org to apply for this position. Instead, click "apply now" below in order to submit your interest.

CARE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Starting salaries are based on internal equity, candidate experience, and the cost of labor where the job is based. Salaries listed only apply to jobs based in the US.