Director of Development - Major Gifts

Development Director - Major Gifts

Milwaukee Office

Full Time

Legal Action of Wisconsin is seeking an experienced Major Gifts professional to join our growing External Relations team.

Legal Action’s mission is to deliver exceptional civil legal services and structural change advocacy, free of cost, to those most in need. Our core values (equity, advocacy, client-centered, integrity and community) guide our work and actions. Please see our website for a description of the core values and vision that guides our work.

This position is hybrid and will be based in Legal Action’s Milwaukee office.

Legal Action’s personnel policies govern this position.

The Major Gifts position is responsible for developing and executing strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making significant philanthropic contributions to Legal Action of Wisconsin. This newly created position will advance Legal Action’s mission by managing a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, driving relationship development, and growing the organization’s philanthropic support. While this is a new position, we have donors ready for major gift requests today and are looking for someone excited to hit the ground running in this role.

The ideal candidate understands donor strategy, is skilled in making direct asks, and can confidently discuss assets and planned giving options. The Major Gifts position will foster strong, collaborative relationships with colleagues, keep internal partners informed of donor interactions, and effectively articulate organizational priorities. They will also accurately record donor activity in Legal Action’s donor database.

As a key ambassador of Legal Action—the state's largest civil legal aid firm providing exceptional free civil legal services statewide to those most in need—the Major Gifts position will connect visionary donors to life‑changing opportunities for impact. This position is part of Legal Action's External Relations Department. The Major Gifts position reports to the Chief External Relations Officer and collaborates closely with colleagues across the department and firm.

This is a highly visible role and an opportunity to elevate the organization’s public profile and ability to help people with life altering legal problems find their way forward at some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. The Major Gifts role will accept the challenge to raise significant funds in uncertain times and expand the base of support over time.

He/she/they will join the dedicated team of a nationally recognized organization that serves vulnerable families across Wisconsin.

You’ll be joining our statewide legal aid organization at a moment of transformation. Following a historic merger, Legal Action is strengthening its voice, expanding its reach, and investing in how we show up publicly. This role offers a rare opportunity to build financial support and strong partnerships for an organization deeply embedded in equal justice work that is critical to the well‑being of communities across Wisconsin.

If you’re motivated by work that blends creativity, relationship building, and impact—and you’re ready to shape the future of access to justice in Wisconsin—we encourage you to apply. This is a role where your skills can make a meaningful difference every day.

Portfolio Management & Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 60–120 major and leadership annual gift prospects.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with the goal of securing five to seven‑figure gifts.
• Conduct 8–12 meaningful donor visits per month, both in person and virtually, to deepen engagement and move prospects through the donor cycle.
• Develop individualized donor strategies grounded in donor motivations and Legal Action’s strategic priorities.
• Create and execute annual portfolio plans, forecasting activity and revenue, and providing regular progress updates to the Chief External Relations Officer.
• Engage in proactive discovery to identify new major gift prospects and strengthen the pipeline.
• Make direct…