Director of Leadership and Major Gifts

Director Of Leadership And Major Gifts

Girard College is one of America's most distinctive educational institutions, founded through the extraordinary vision of Stephen Girard to provide life-changing educational opportunities for young people. As the College enters an exciting new era of growth and philanthropic investment, we are seeking an accomplished advancement professional to help shape the future of our fundraising program.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced frontline fundraiser who wants to build something meaningful while making a lasting impact on students' lives. As the Director of Leadership and Major Gifts, you will:

• Serve as the College's lead frontline fundraiser, working directly with the Chief Advancement Officer to build and grow a comprehensive major gifts program.

• Partner with the President, Board leadership, and distinguished volunteers to cultivate, solicit, and steward transformational philanthropic investments.

• Help shape the future of a growing Advancement Office, with significant opportunity to develop new fundraising strategies, strengthen philanthropic infrastructure, and assume increasing leadership responsibilities as the department continues to grow.

• Build and expand Girard's alumni engagement program, creating lifelong relationships that strengthen alumni participation and philanthropic support.

• Change lives every day by securing philanthropic investments that directly support Girard students and advance Stephen Girard's enduring vision.

Reporting directly to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Leadership and Major Gifts serves as the College's lead frontline fundraising professional and a key member of the Advancement leadership team.

Working in close partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, the President, and volunteer leadership, the Director develops and executes strategies that inspire transformational philanthropy in support of Girard College's mission. The Director personally manages a portfolio of leadership and major gift prospects while maintaining an active schedule of face-to-face donor visits. The successful candidate will devote the majority of their time to cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership and major gift donors while providing strategic oversight of the Annual Fund and building meaningful, lifelong relationships with Girard College alumni.

This position is ideal for a highly collaborative fundraising professional who enjoys working alongside institutional leaders and volunteers, building authentic donor relationships, and helping shape the future of an ambitious advancement program.

Primary Responsibilities:

Frontline Major Gift Fundraising:

• Maintain an active schedule of personal visits with leadership and major gift donors and prospects.

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125–150 leadership and major gift prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 and above.

• Personally cultivate, solicit, close, and steward leadership and major gifts in support of Girard College's highest institutional priorities.

• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that maximize philanthropic investment and deepen long-term donor relationships.

• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified prospects through proactive identification, qualification, and relationship management.

• Utilize best practices in moves management to advance prospects through every stage of the donor lifecycle.

• Prepare compelling gift proposals, briefing materials, stewardship reports, and donor correspondence.

• Maintain accurate donor records, contact reports, and strategic plans within the College's advancement CRM.

Strategic Fundraising Leadership:

• Serve as a strategic partner to the…