Director of Individual Giving; Director of Major Gifts

Director of Individual Giving (Director of Major Gifts)

Join to apply for the Director of Individual Giving (Director of Major Gifts) role at DREAM

Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom.

We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools —growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Advancement, the Director of Major Gifts (posted as Director of Individual Giving) is responsible for managing philanthropic partnerships with DREAM’s individual and corporate donors. This individual will cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and work collaboratively across a diverse fundraising team towards a collective goal of $21M in philanthropic annual revenue.

This is a great role for an experienced fundraiser who is looking to build long-term relationships with New York City’s leading individual and corporate donors and maximize their impact. This person will have the opportunity to lead and innovate on securing new partners, while collaborating with a diverse and well-established fundraising team.

• Strategic Portfolio Management
• Manage a dynamic portfolio of 100-150 individual and corporate donors and prospects
• Develop and implement tailored engagement plans for each prospect; write concept notes, proposals, and reports as needed
• Conduct regular donor meetings and tours to deepen relationships and bring donors closer to DREAM’s mission
• Collaborate with the Special Events & Operations team to solicit special event sponsorship
• Brief and support senior executives and board members on multi-pronged relationship management for principal-level gifts
• Design and execute specific revenue strategies for DREAM’s individual giving program with a focus on building the major gifts portfolio
• Partner closely with the broader Major Gifts portfolio team to provide donors with a cohesive experience across individual and corporate affiliations
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in Salesforce
• Pipeline Development
• Build out the individual prospect pipeline in collaboration with the Prospect Research manager, thinking through how to attract new individual philanthropists and convert special event donors
• Attend external events and conferences to expand DREAM’s philanthropic network
• With support from the Special Events & Operations team, plan and facilitate cultivation events with board members and other leading individual philanthropists
• Leadership & Collaboration
• Oversee DREAM’s Ambassadors - a cohort of rising philanthropists and corporate partners; manage quarterly meetings and provide personalized partnership to maximize members’ contribution to DREAM
• Spearhead and support special councils or committees on emerging philanthropic opportunities, including food security and AI
• Provide coaching and mentorship to junior frontline fundraisers

• Bachelor’s degree, required;
  Master’s degree in relevant field, preferred;
• 5+ years of direct fundraising experience cultivating and soliciting individual and/or corporate donors;
• Experience with strategic management of a major gifts portfolio, preferred;
• A high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to quickly build relationships with donors, board members, and colleagues;
• Excellent verbal and written communicator, who can inspire others to join DREAM’s mission and illustrate our impact;
• Strong team player, who works alongside other fundraisers and executives to maximize philanthropic partnerships;
• Fluid and dynamic problem-solver;
• A working knowledge of the New York City philanthropic community;
• Experience…