Director of Major Gifts Type

Job Title: Director of Major Gifts
Office or Division: Institutional Advancement

Reports to:

Director of Institutional Advancement

Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of Institutional Advancement, the Director of Major Gifts builds and strengthens relationships with Landmark School constituents to secure philanthropic support for the school’s strategic priorities, including the annual fund, capital campaigns, endowment growth, and special initiatives. The Director of Major Gifts is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership, major, and planned gifts. This role works closely with prospective donors to align their philanthropic interests with Landmark’s mission and long-term sustainability goals.

Prospect Management

• Manage a dynamic portfolio of approximately 150 major gift prospects and donors, including current parents, parents of alumni, alumni, and friends of the school.
• Develop and implement individualized strategies to advance prospects through the cultivation and solicitation cycle, with a focus on gifts of $10,000 and above.
• Identify, qualify, and actively build the major gift pipeline through prospect research, referrals, list reviews, and relationship mapping.
• Conduct and oversee research on new incoming parents/guardians to identify potential major gift prospects and create comprehensive profiles.
• Coordinate research for key prospects throughout capital campaigns and special initiatives.
• Prepare and submit annual performance goals with specific timelines, projected outcomes, and measurable results.
• Document all prospect activity in the Advancement CRM and maintain accurate records of engagement and solicitation strategies.
• Analyze giving data and generate reports for the Director of Advancement and Board of Trustees.

Donor Relations & Cultivation

• Develop and execute prospect-specific cultivation and solicitation strategies for current-use, capital, endowment, deferred, and non-cash gifts.
• Arrange, staff, and follow up on donor meetings involving the Head of School, Director of Institutional Advancement, trustees, and other key leaders.
• Partner with the Director of Institutional Advancement on the planning and execution of capital campaigns and special fundraising initiatives, including timelines, prospect lists, communications, cultivation events, and proposal development.
• Collaborate with the Director of Annual Giving and Parent Engagement to align strategies for current parents and annual donors, ensuring thoughtful engagement across giving levels.
• Develop a deep understanding of Landmark’s academic programs and strategic priorities to effectively articulate the school’s mission and case for support.

Stewardship

• Oversee comprehensive stewardship of leadership and major gift donors, including those who have established designated or named funds.
• Lead the creation and distribution of annual Impact Reports (including those related to the 50 Forward Campaign), endowment performance reports, and customized donor communications.
• Ensure consistent, meaningful donor recognition and engagement through events, reports, and personalized outreach.
• Work collaboratively with Advancement colleagues to maintain strong donor recognition and stewardship practices.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate actively in school life, including attending events, assemblies, and community programs.
• Attend Advancement meetings and fundraising or cultivation events; some evening and weekend work required.
• Perform additional duties as assigned as a member of the Advancement team.

Minimum of 7 years of relevant development experience, preferably in major gifts or leadership giving within an educational setting.

Demonstrated experience in solicitation strategy and fundraising operations.

Ability to think strategically and creatively about annual and campaign fundraising.

Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and parents.

Tact, discretion, and a strong commitment to confidentiality.

Experience with Google Suite required;
Advancement CRM database experience preferred (i.e. Raiser’s…