Director of Planned Giving
Director of Planned Giving
insight globalArlington, VA
Apply for this role →2 days ago
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director, Individual & Planned Giving leads Client's individual giving strategy, serving as the primary architect of annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving programs that build long-term, sustainable revenue from individual donors. This role requires exceptional, hands-on experience cultivating relationships with and personally soliciting high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), and the successful candidate will bring a demonstrated track record of closing significant gifts directly with high-net-worth donors, not simply overseeing a team that does so. The ideal candidate has spent most of their career as an individual gift officer personally closing substantial gifts, and brings 2 to 3 years of experience managing people, having already built a foundation of management skills and now ready to apply that experience to leading and growing Client's individual giving team. Reporting to the Senior Director, Development, this individual is responsible for building, managing, and growing a diversified portfolio of individual donors while directly supervising the Senior Manager, Individual Giving and overseeing the broader individual giving function. The Director works in close partnership with the Senior Director, Development to expand Client's individual donor base, with a particular focus on building and personally managing a portfolio of high-net-worth prospects and establishing planned giving as a durable, long-term revenue channel. This role requires deep expertise in individual and planned giving fundraising, exceptional skill in cultivating trust with sophisticated, high-capacity donors, and the confidence and polish to make direct, high-dollar asks. Incumbents typically have significant, hands-on experience as an individual gift officer along with 2 to 3 years of management experience, and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. This role may be based remotely, or on a hybrid schedule out of Client's Arlington, VA headquarters for candidates based in the Metro DC area. 1 COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS • Strategic Leadership — Sets a clear and ambitious vision for individual and planned giving growth; translates organizational priorities into actionable, donor-centered fundraising strategies; aligns the individual giving team around shared goals. • Revenue Generation — Demonstrated ability to build and manage a substantial individual giving portfolio, including annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving vehicles. • High-Net-Worth Donor Cultivation & Solicitation — Exceptional, demonstrated skill in identifying, cultivating, and personally soliciting high-net-worth individuals; comfortable navigating sophisticated financial and philanthropic conversations, and confident making direct asks at the five-, six-, and seven-figure level. • Personnel Management — Directly supervises the Senior Manager, Individual Giving, bringing 2 to 3 years of prior management experience; establishes clear performance expectations; mentors staff; effectively manages direct and indirect reports. • Donor Stewardship — Builds and maintains long-term, trust-based relationships with individual donors, major gift prospects, and planned giving supporters; models a donor centered approach across the team. • CRM & Data Fluency — Leverages Salesforce and other tools to manage donor pipeline, track giving performance, and drive accountability across the team. • Communication — Communicates compellingly with internal and external audiences; represents Client with major donors and planned giving prospects at the highest levels, including in proposal development, donor correspondence, and gift conversations. • Interpersonal Skills — Demonstrates emotional intelligence in interactions and collaboration with others; listens actively and respectfully without interrupting; remains open to feedback and new perspectives; manages conflict constructively; builds trust through empathy, discretion, and respectful engagement, even under pressure. • Ethics — Treats people with respect; works with integrity; upholds organizational values; avoids actual or perceived conflicts of interest. • Judgment — Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making processes; makes timely decisions. • Professionalism — Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for their own actions; follows through on commitments. • Adaptability — Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
2 1. Individual Giving Strategy & Revenue Growth • Own and drive Client's individual giving revenue portfolio, with accountability for meeting or exceeding annual and multi-year revenue targets across annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. • Build and maintain a robust, multi-year pipeline of major gift and planned giving prospects, moving donors thoughtfully through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages. • Set annual revenue goals and performance benchmarks for the individual giving portfolio, in close partnership with the Senior Director, Development. 2. Team Leadership & Talent Development • Directly supervise the Senior Manager, Individual Giving, providing regular guidance, coaching, and performance feedback. • Advance a team culture defined by bold ambition, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. • Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and development of individual giving team members in partnership with People Operations. 3. Major Gifts & High-Net-Worth Donor Cultivation • Personally identify, cultivate, and solicit a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, serving as Client's primary point of contact for the organization’s most significant individual donors and prospects. • Lead high-stakes donor meetings and solicitation conversations directly, bringing the discretion, polish, and relationship-building skill required to earn the trust of sophisticated, high-capacity donors. • Develop and implement a moves-management strategy that expands Client's high-net worth prospect pipeline year over year, with clear milestones for identification, cultivation, ask, and stewardship. • Craft compelling, highly personalized gift proposals and donor communications that connect individual philanthropy to Client's mission and social impact goal, tailored to the interests and giving capacity of each high-net-worth prospect. 4. Planned Giving • Establish and grow Client's planned giving program, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, and other planned giving vehicles, as a long-term, sustainable revenue channel. • Educate donors, prospects, and internal stakeholders on planned giving opportunities, working closely with legal and finance partners as needed to ensure gifts are properly structured and documented. • Build relationships with donors’ advisors, estate attorneys, and financial planners where appropriate to facilitate planned gift conversations, particularly among high-net-worth donors for whom planned gifts represent a significant giving vehicle. 5. Annual Giving Oversight • Provide strategic direction to the Senior Manager, Individual Giving on annual giving campaigns, direct response efforts, and digital fundraising appeals, ensuring these efforts build a strong pipeline for future major and planned gifts. • Ensure annual giving strategies are data-informed, donor-centered, and aligned with broader individual giving goals. 6. Cross-Divisional Collaboration • Partner with the Director, Advancement Systems and Operations to ensure CRM integrity, donor data accuracy, and reporting systems support individual giving goals. • Serve as a liaison between the individual giving function and the Brand, Marketing & Revenue team, ensuring donor-facing messaging and campaigns are aligned with fundraising priorities. • Collaborate with other development leaders as needed to support division-wide planning and cross-functional initiatives. 7. Data & Reporting • Champion a data-driven approach to donor management, pipeline tracking, and performance reporting within Salesforce. • Provide regular pipeline and revenue updates to the Senior Director, Development, flagging risks and opportunities proactively. • Other responsibilities as required. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS • Significant, hands-on experience as an individual gift officer, with the majority of one’s career spent personally cultivating and closing gifts with individual donors. • Exceptional, demonstrated experience personally cultivating and soliciting high-net worth individuals, with a proven track record of closing five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts directly with donors. • 2 to 3 years of management experience required, ideally within a nonprofit development context, but relevant management experience from other fields will be considered. • Demonstrated success building and managing a substantial individual giving portfolio, including major gifts and planned giving. • Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop staff, with a track record of setting clear expectations and supporting team performance. • Working knowledge of planned giving vehicles such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts, and experience discussing these vehicles with high-net-worth donors and their advisors. • Strong Salesforce or equivalent CRM proficiency. • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including proposal writing and donor presentation experience, with particular comfort operating in high-net-worth donor circles, including donor-advised fund holders, family offices, and philanthropic advisors. • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred. • Familiarity with the aging, health equity, or economic justice sectors a plus. • CFRE certification a plus.
Also on the board Same function, level within a rung
Level
Manager
Location
Arlington, VA
Occupation
Fundraising Managers
Industry
Other Grantmaking and Giving Services
Posted
2 days ago