Director/Sr. Director, Principal Gifts at United Way of… · Houston

The Director, Principal Gifts manages and advances a portfolio of principal gift ($100,000+) prospects and donors, identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding commitments in support of the Principal Gifts Campaign. This is a high-level individual contributor role that supports the growth of the Principal Gifts program by advancing prospect development, strengthening donor relationships, and contributing to coordinated fundraising strategies in collaboration with team members and senior leadership.

The Senior Director, Principal Gifts will exhibit a higher level of proficiency in the required job experience, skills, and competencies.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio Management and Fundraising: Manages and advances a defined portfolio of principal gift prospects and donors with primary, secondary, and tertiary assignments. Focuses on advancing prospects toward solicitation and commitment. Conducts or facilitates visits, strategic conversations, and solicitation discussions and follow-ups. Develops and implements donor strategies in coordination with team members and senior leadership in support of Principal Gifts Team fundraising goals and objectives. Conducts or facilitates a minimum of 20 meaningful portfolio interactions per month, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, in coordination with volunteer peer solicitors and senior leadership. Maintains timely and accurate documentation of donor interactions and strategies in electronic donor records, supporting personalized donor relationships and effective tracking of donor activity and moves management.

Prospect Identification and Pipeline Development: Identifies, qualifies, and prioritizes high net worth (HNW) prospects aligned with fundraising priorities. Seeks input from HNW individuals closely connected to UWGH in coordination with team members and senior leadership to qualify prospects, facilitate introductions, and support development and progression of donor strategies. Coordinates prospect research efforts to support effective prioritization and engagement planning. Ensures insights are recorded and shared for consistent application in strategy and next steps.

Principal Donor and Prospect Engagement Events and Stewardship: Plans and coordinates principal gift prospect cultivation and donor engagement events in coordination with Events Team members. Initiates and supports stewardship activities in coordination with Principal Gifts Team members and senior leadership. Ensures follow-through and consistency with donor strategies.

Team Collaborations: Participates as a member of the Principal Gifts Team. Maintains consistent communication with team members and senior leadership. Demonstrates discernment in engaging support for research, report and collateral preparation, and moves management tracking to maintain an appropriate balance between administrative tasks and donor engagement priorities. Supports a coordinated and aligned team environment.

Other: Performs special assignments and other work as assigned. Takes on additional duties as needed to ensure the success of the Principal Gifts Team.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree in philanthropic studies, public administration, business, marketing, or other related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• 5-10 years of experience in individual major gift fundraising, preferably within a team-based, portfolio-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage donor and volunteer relationships, leveraging engagement to drive peer-to-peer fundraising efforts
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain accurate documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, Raisers Edge, Salesforce, Wealth-X and RelSci.
• Commitment to ethical standards as defined by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated flexibility, adaptability, and project management skills, with strong interpersonal abilities and the capacity to effectively interact with diverse staff, volunteers, and donors at all levels.

CERTIFICATION/LICENSES:

CFRE preferred