Associate Director, Major Gifts

Associate Director, Major Gifts

The Associate Director, Major Gifts is a key fundraising role within the Individual Giving team at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Major Gifts team is dedicated to securing sustained, transformational philanthropic support by engaging new and existing donors across the United States through meaningful, donor‑centric strategies aligned with institutional priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high net‑worth individuals capable of making six‑ and seven‑figure philanthropic investments.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a leading institution focused on cancer care, research, education, and prevention. Through collaboration with faculty, volunteers, and leadership, the Associate Director, Major Gifts advances the mission of UT MD Anderson by aligning donor passions with critical funding priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts manages a highly personalized donor portfolio and contributes to the long‑term sustainability and growth of philanthropic revenue for UT MD Anderson.

The ideal candidate for the Associate Director, Major Gifts is an experienced development professional with demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, strong relationship‑building skills with high‑capacity donors and institutional partners, the ability to manage a complex donor portfolio with accountability for significant revenue goals, and the capacity to collaborate effectively with faculty, leadership, and planned giving colleagues.

Annual Salary Range:
Minimum $100,000 - Midpoint $114,000 - Maximum $128,000

The typical work schedule is day shift.

Work Location:

Texas only.

• Employer‑paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
• Defined‑benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer‑paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and existing donors to the institution.
• Build rapport and trust with donors, faculty, institutional leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Align donor interests with appropriate giving opportunities and facilitate meaningful engagements.
• Grow and manage a portfolio of approximately 75 individual donors and prospects.
• Actively pursue referrals from grateful patients, annual fund donors, volunteer leaders, and other sources.
• Foster relationships with Board of Visitors members, Advance Team colleagues, and campaign volunteers.
• Network regularly with donors and prospective donors to expand the donor base.
• Solicit and secure six‑ and seven‑figure philanthropic gifts generating significant net new revenue annually.

Perception and Attentiveness

• Accurately assess donor interests and motivations to inform engagement strategies.
• Synthesize institutional priorities to advance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Develop and execute customized cultivation and solicitation strategies for assigned donors.
• Maintain situational and institutional awareness while managing multiple donor activities.
• Navigate and collaborate with cross‑functional prospect teams to support donor plans.
• Provide timely and accurate annual, quarterly, and monthly gift revenue forecasts.

Portfolio Management and Strategy

• Maintain personal accountability for all donors under assignment.
• Establish and sustain a portfolio that generates a minimum of $3 million in annual gift revenue.
• Continuously investigate and qualify donors with capacity for six‑ and seven‑figure support.
• Strategically move donors through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycle.

Collaboration and Teaming

• Partner with faculty, leadership, peers, and volunteers on donor strategy development and execution.
• Collaborate with Planned Giving…