Senior Director of Major Gifts - Earthjustice : Job Details

Posted on May 27, 2025 Full Time Development

Senior Director of Major Gifts

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The Senior Director leads a sophisticated, nationwide major gifts team raising more than $25M annually with plans to double major gifts revenue by 2029. To set us up for success, we are seeking an ambitious fundraising leader with a clear track record of growing major giving, significant experience managing a remote team of gift officers, and demonstrated ability to secure six and seven-figure gifts. Our next Senior Director will be a highly skilled strategist, strong and persuasive communicator, and motivating team builder. Success will be defined by revenue growth, increased average gift size, and expanding donor markets.

In addition to leading the major gifts team, the Senior Director is a key member of the department's leadership team. They are responsible for achieving the total organizational fundraising goal, enabling a healthy department culture for 100+ staff, and supporting innovative approaches to growing philanthropic revenue.

Notably, the Senior Director will lead a cross-departmental effort to grow regional donor markets, focused on NYC and SF in the first year. Working with a cross-team cohort, this role will guide a comprehensive approach to expanding these markets. Because of this, the next Senior Director is a hybrid or office-based role in New York City.

The Senior Director reports to the Associate VP of Institutional, Legacy & Major Giving, and directly supervises four staff, including the Major Gifts Director, Major Gifts Senior Associate Director, Earthjustice Council Associate Director, and a Team Specialist. Major gifts staff are primarily “out the door” relationship builders working with colleagues in planned, principal, and mid-level giving while supported by research, data, and writing staff. Therefore, the role works closely with leaders across fundraising and fundraising operations teams.

Responsibilities

Major Gifts Leadership (30%): Provide strategic direction and guidance for the Major Gifts team, creating an environment of success for major gifts staff. As a collaborative leader, you'll ensure excellence in the donor experience, drive a strategic approach to advancing donor relationships, and hold the team accountable to meeting its goals and agreements. You'll do this by:

• Ensuring every donor and qualified prospect has a solid strategy,
• Setting and tracking progress towards ambitious revenue and engagement goals.
• Leading annual planning, ongoing learning, and quality improvement efforts.
• Overseeing a robust Earthjustice Council made up of major donor peer-to-peer fundraisers.
• Establishing successful relationships and processes with teams across the department.
• Guiding an emerging regional market building strategy.

Department Leadership (10%): Serve as a productive member of the Development Leadership Team, alongside other department directors and VPs. As a key departmental leader, you'll help shape the long-term vision, goals, strategies, policies and procedures for the department. You'll do this through:

• Creating and contributing to department-wide recommendations.
• Engaging and enhancing in cross-team planning and problem-solving.
• Owning and communicating department changes, updates, or requests with the major gifts team.

Staff Management (40%): Supervise staff, including managers, based upon guidance from Earthjustice guidelines on Management Effectiveness. As a staff supervisor, you'll provide clear direction aligned with Earthjustice's mission and foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment. You'll do this through:

• Providing mentorship and supporting professional development.
• Giving ongoing performance feedback.
• Modeling and leading conflict resolution.
• Guiding and implementing team-building efforts.

Direct Fundraising (20%): Manage a small portfolio of top tier donors and prospects, especially in the NYC area. As a frontline fundraiser, you'll directly and strategically engage donors and prospects with major gift capacity, collaborate with other program and development staff to maximize giving, and solicit major gifts. You'll do this by:

• Setting and meeting donor visit and move goals.
• Sharing learnings, strategy, and best practices with Earthjustice colleagues.
• Package comprehensive gift proposals that align donor interest with program needs.
• Seeking gifts near or at a donor's estimated 5-year gift capacity.

Please note that the percentage breakdowns provided above serve as a guideline and may shift over time based on the evolving needs of the role and/or department.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of successful major gifts experience in a growing organization.
• 5+ years of experience managing teams, including at least 3 years supervising managers.
• Experience working with CRMs including BBEC, Salesforce, or similar.
• Outstanding communication and comprehension skills as demonstrated through clear writing and speaking as well as ability to translate complex issues for non-expert audiences.
• Highly skilled major gifts strategist with deep understanding of moves management and frameworks for increasing captured gift capacity.
• Ability to synthesize data and fundraising trends in order to inform decision-making.
• Ability to prioritize, manage multiple deadlines, and respond quickly to new opportunities.
• Willingness to work on fast-paced projects in collaboration with other Earthjustice staff members.
• Skilled in leading diverse teams; fosters growth through mentorship, effective communication, and constructive feedback while hiring and developing team talents to align with organizational needs.
• Contributes towards an equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages partnership, active listening, and integrating diverse perspectives.
• Supports Earthjustice's core values of partnership, inclusion, justice and excellence.

Salary & Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and excellent,comprehensive benefits.We also offer a casual and congenial work environment.

Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience levelandworking location.

Salary range in New York, NY:$255,100 – $283,400

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, inclusion, partnership, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Earthjustice employs a “team-centered” approach to hybrid work, where teams collaboratively shape their unique workflow, including what work location — virtual or in-office — is best for them and the tasks at hand.

Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Earthjustice is committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor specified under applicable laws that is not related to the position.

Earthjustice will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, and any applicable local ordinance, such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act, or the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Initiative. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you.

After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Earthjustice is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

Our Values

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.

As part of Green 2.0's Transparency Report Card, Earthjustice is committed to ensuring pay equity for people of color.

Live Well, Work Well

Earthjustice offers a competitive compensation plan, as well as acomprehensive benefits package . We pay 100% of all health and welfare benefits premiums for the employee.

Our health coverage includes medical, dental, prescription, vision and alternative care. We are proud to offer a generous vacation, sick leave, and disability benefit package. Additional benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending account, company-sponsored life insurance, and more.

Earthjustice also offers six weeks of fully paid sabbatical leave, following 10 years of continuous employment.

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