Director, Strategic Philanthropy

For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential.

Since 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is incredible potential. As the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 5 through young adulthood in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

The Director of Strategic Philanthropy serves as a frontline fundraiser responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of major individual donors in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's (BBBSA) mission and strategic priorities. Reporting to the VP, Strategic Philanthropy, this role builds meaningful, long-term relationships with donors capable of six and seven-figure gifts, translating BBBSA's impact and strategic priorities into compelling, donor-centered cases for support.

The Director of Strategic Philanthropy partners closely with the Resource Development team, program and agency leaders, and executive staff to develop personalized cultivation strategies, craft gift proposals, and ensure a high-quality donor experience across the giving lifecycle. The role plays a critical part in growing BBBSA's individual giving program and advancing its national fundraising goals.

The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven fundraiser with a track record of closing six and seven- figure gifts, sound judgment, and the ability to manage a dynamic portfolio of prospects and donors in a mission-driven, federated organization.

Location: Continental United States (100% Remote),
FSLA Status :
Full time, Exempt
Travel :
Approximately 30-35%, with occasional additional travel as needed.
Remote Work Location Requirement: This position is approved for remote work within the Continental United States only. Any permanent change to the geographic location of an employee’s remote work arrangement from the region identified at the time of hire must be reviewed and approved in advance by both the employee’s direct manager and Human Resources.

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100-150 major donors and prospects, with individual gift capacity typically ranging from $25,000 to $100,000+.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each donor in the portfolio using a moves management framework.
• Maintain an active pipeline of qualified prospects sufficient to meet annual revenue goals, tracking stage, next steps, and timing for each relationship.
• Document all donor interactions, moves, and strategies in the CRM in a timely and accurate manner to ensure institutional knowledge is preserved and shared.

• Partner with the prospect research function to identify new major gift prospects through wealth screening, referrals, and relationship mapping.
• Qualify prospects through discovery visits and calls, assessing capacity, affinity, and readiness for solicitation.
• Collaborate with local BBBS agency leaders to identify and cultivate donors with connections to both the national office and local chapters.
• Design and deliver personalized cultivation experiences, including donor visits, briefings, campus and program tours, and executive engagement opportunities.
• Draft compelling, donor-centered gift proposals, briefing materials, and stewardship reports in partnership with the Marketing & Communications and Program teams.
• Directly…