Director of Leadership Giving

USA for UNFPA, established in 1998 and headquartered in New York City, is the US national committee for UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health and rights agency. We work to achieve three transformative results: zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero incidents of violence toward women and girls, including harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation.

Under new leadership, USA for UNFPA has developed an ambitious strategy to raise $100 million for UNFPA’s lifesaving work by 2030. As part of that effort, we are seeking an ambitious and results-driven Director of Leadership Giving to help us achieve our revenue goals.

TITLE: Director of Leadership Giving

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

LOCATION: Hybrid, Northeast (New York City tri-state or Washington DC tristate regions preferred) – 40% estimated travel

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time

SALARY RANGE: $125,000-$140,000

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Leadership Giving is a dynamic and strategic leader contributing directly to the organization’s fundraising efforts in achieving its ambitious goal of raising $100M by 2030. This senior-level position requires a visionary thinker spearheading leadership giving, board philanthropy, high-level prospecting, and donor experience. As a key member of the Senior Management team, the Director plays a critical role in shaping the organization’s fundraising strategies and realizing significant revenue growth year over year.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director will develop and execute strategies to increase revenue from U.S.-based individuals, specifically principal and major donors ($10,000+) and high-net-worth individuals. The Director will have a new business development remit, identifying and engaging new potential donors for USA for UNFPA, and will also oversee a portfolio of existing donors. Key areas and responsibilities include:

Leadership Giving Strategy

• Develop an overall strategy to significantly grow the Leadership Giving portfolio, diversifying income and increasing unrestricted revenue.
• Oversee Leadership Council, Planned Giving, and Mid-Level Giving programs, working with the Leadership Giving team to identify opportunities for sustained growth.
• Develop and manage the Leadership Giving budget, completing biannual forecasting, ensuring targets are met, and operating expenses are in line.
• Create an effective system to track ongoing results and KPIs.

Major and Principal Donor Pipeline Development

• Build USA for UNFPA’s fundraising presence in key cities; identifying, engaging, and soliciting high-net-worth individuals to become principal and major donors.
• Work with the highest levels of leadership (CEO, Board, and Leadership Council) to organically build donor pipelines.
• Realize upgrade potential by identifying and creating a strategy for targeted marketing and mid-level donors to move to the major donor level.
• Oversee high-net-worth prospect research, utilizing team and tools to prioritize and focus development efforts.

Portfolio Management

• Manage individual giving portfolio consisting of Board Members, Principal Donors ($50,000+), and prospects who can give 6- and 7- figure gifts.
• Oversee the Board Give-Get campaign, setting clear fundraising targets and supporting board members in achieving their individual and collective goals.
• Create personalized cultivation plans, communications, and effective proposals that are tailored to philanthropic interests.

Donor Engagement

• Model best-in-class relationship building and moves management, leading high-touch engagement programs and cultivating a culture of philanthropy and prospecting amongst staff, board, and donor community.
• Strategically identify and create opportunities to engage donors and prospects in UNFPA’s work, including donor delegations to UNFPA’s field offices, cultivation events and briefings, and fundraising events.
• Oversee the tracking and reporting of major gifts, ensuring accurate and timely acknowledgment and recognition.
• Advise on strategies to effectively utilize our donor management system (currently Raiser’s Edge) for frontline fundraisers and internal benchmarking.

Management

• As part of the Senior Management Team, meaningfully contribute to the organization’s strategy, growth, and culture.
• Manage the Leadership Giving team and external consultants, providing strategic direction and ensuring that overall goals are met.
• Support the CEO in Board engagement, UNFPA partnership, and key donor relationships.
• Lead on the Board Development & Communications Committee to ensure synergy between staff and board on annual development activities, board campaigns, and fundraising opportunities.
• Work with the Governance Committee in identifying and cultivating prospective Board and Leadership Council members, as relevant to the Leadership Giving team.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Seven years of experience in developing and managing a leadership giving program that demonstrated revenue increases year over year.
• Self-starter, with a proven track record in growing principal and major gift pipelines.
• Significant experience securing six and seven-figure donations from high-net-worth individuals
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, techniques, and best practices.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and foster positive relationships with high-level donors and stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate visions into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Prior experience working with Board Members, Development Committees, and/or donor committees.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including team management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Comprehensive experience with donor management software and CRM systems like Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and/or Salesforce for Nonprofits.
• Strong commitment to the USA for UNFPA’s mission and values.

BENEFITS

Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage with 100% of premiums covered for employees; a 401(k) plan with employer contribution and match; 4 weeks of accrued vacation time, upfront sick leave, up to 4 personal days based on start date, generous parental leave policy, paid holidays and more.

HYBRID WORK AT USA FOR UNFPA

We are a small team that offers a dynamic, collaborative work culture. We have embraced a hybrid style that allows staffers to take advantage of improved work-life balance and flexible scheduling. We prefer that staff reside in the Northeast so we can easily facilitate in-person trainings, meetings, and retreats at our NYC office.