Senior Director of Philanthropy

About Fistula Foundation

Fistula Foundation combines the dynamism of a lean startup with the stability of a mature organization. We are demonstrating to the world that a new approach to women’s health can change the trajectory of women’s lives and have a profound impact on local communities.

An estimated one million women in Africa and Asia suffer from obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth injury that leaves a woman incontinent and, as a result, too often abandoned by her family and shunned by her community. Surgery is the only cure, which we deliver through partners in more than 35 countries across Africa and Asia. Since 2009, we have provided more than 100,000 free, life-transforming surgeries to women in need.

Each year since 2006, we’ve received the highest rating from every nonprofit sector watchdog group. Charity Watch gives us an “A” grade and lists us as a Top-Rated Charity, and Guide Star has awarded us Platinum Participant status—the highest designation available to charities. We have also earned the recognition of leaders such as Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, Grammy winner Paul Simon, and internationally renowned ethicist Peter Singer.

The Opportunity

As the world’s largest private funder of fistula repair, Fistula Foundation stands alone in ensuring life-changing care to women suffering from one of the most devastating yet treatable injuries in maternal health. Today we provide more of these surgeries to more women than any other organization, including the U.S. government and United Nations.

The engine of our growth is our ability to raise funds. We are a dogged fundraising organization with exceptional marketing acumen and an unrelenting drive to advocate on behalf of some of the world’s most marginalized women. We’ve grown from supporting 500 surgeries in 2009 to providing more than 18,500 in 2025. While our revenue has increased by a factor of 7, our surgery total has increased by a factor of more than 30.

Laser-focused on one measurable outcome—the number of women we can help, we send 85% of our revenue to the field to support our core “business”—fistula surgeries.

The Senior Director of Philanthropy will play a pivotal role in this work, serving as a frontline fundraiser responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of major donors and prospects at the $10K+ level, including cultivation and solicitation of six-figure gifts. Major donors collectively contribute more than half of the Foundation's annual revenue from individual giving, and this role will manage a significant portion of this critical donor segment.

Reporting to the Chief Partnerships Officer, the Senior Director of Philanthropy will be a key member of the Philanthropy team, helping advance a dynamic and highly coordinated major gifts program. This role blends relationship-based fundraising, strategic donor engagement, and personalized stewardship with a commitment to measurable results.

The ideal candidate will be an exceptional communicator, a thoughtful relationship-builder, and a highly organized fundraising professional motivated by the opportunity to help some of the world’s most vulnerable women access life-transforming care.

Responsibilities

Major Donor Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100–150 major donors and prospects, with clear goals for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Develop individualized donor engagement plans with targeted strategies for each prospect, advancing them through the donor pipeline toward increased giving.

• Conduct regular donor outreach, including personal meetings, calls, emails, and written updates, with a focus on deepening donor connection and loyalty.

• Solicit gifts ranging from $10,000 to six-figures, coordinating closely with Chief Partnerships Officer, CEO, and other senior leaders as appropriate.

Donor Cultivation & Engagement

• Identify new major donor prospects through research, referrals, and portfolio analysis, actively expanding the pipeline of high-capacity supporters.

• Create compelling cultivation experiences, such as donor briefings, small gatherings, personalized updates, and behind-the-scenes content aligned with…