Director of Major Gifts

About Americans United

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. AU includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular faith. It is a community that welcomes people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions or beliefs, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work.

Position Summary

The Director of Major Gifts will develop and implement our major gift program and will be responsible for qualifying and managing an active major gift level portfolio of roughly 150 donors, implementing strategic and effective donor relations, and securing planned and estate gifts as a source of blended gifts.

This is a full-time, exempt position. This position is a union role; it is included in the bargaining unit represented by AU Collective in connection with SEIU Local 500.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Fundraising
  • Qualify a portfolio of roughly 150 major, with guidance and support from Sr. Manager for Prospect Research.
  • Create and manage individual solicitation goals for each person in the portfolio.
  • Create and execute a moves management plan (including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) for each donor that is driven by that donor’s passions and interests and communication preferences. Execution of this plan will include travel for face-to-face meetings.
  • Secure appropriate project information, including budgets, and create offers, proposals and asks.
  • Work with Sr. Director of Development to create and execute appropriate stewardship opportunities for the full spectrum of donors beyond their portfolio, throughout the year. This includes segmented communications, letters, campaigns, virtual events and small in-person events (nationwide).
  • Support the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship efforts of the CEO and other key staff so that they are properly prepared for each donor interaction that are not directly executed by this individual. This includes donor profiles, briefing materials, talking points and follow up.
  • Participate in appropriate professional development activities to keep current with issues and trends in the fundraising field.
• Reporting
  • Actively record the creation and execution of moves management plans in CRM system (currently EveryAction).
  • Create and maintain reports on portfolio progress using CRM system.
  • Track and report progress using specific metrics.

Skills and Experience

• Research shows candidates from marginalized groups are less likely to apply for positions when they don't meet 100% of listed requirements; please consider applying even if you don’t match 100% of these criteria.
• Skills/Knowledge:
  • Strong oral communication, written communication, and presentation skills.
  • Established track record of soliciting and closing five and six figure gifts.
  • Excellent organizational and people skills.
  • The ability to maintain accountability and to work independently and creatively, while functioning as part of a cooperative and coordinated team.
• Experience/ Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
  • Minimum of 8 years of successful hands-on experience in cultivation and solicitation of six-figure gifts from major donors and prospects
  • Knowledge and experience with blended gifts (i.e. planned gifts).
  • Experience with common fundraising databases, EveryAction preferred.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

This is a remote position that primarily involves working from a home office. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and video conferencing tools. It requires the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods, communicate effectively, and occasionally move about within the workspace.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $112,200 - $132,600. The successful candidate’s placement within that range will be consistent with AU’s compensation framework, which is based on years of related experience. Employees who reside in higher-cost areas, including the Washington, DC metro area, receive a locality pay adjustment. For more information on AU’s compensation framework, see here.

Americans United offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid premiums for health care, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) with match, and commuter subsidy.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AU is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation for a disability to apply to this position, please let us know by emailing hr@au.org. 

Application Information

We will only be accepting applications from candidates in the following states: CA, DC, IN, LA, MA, MD, ME, MT, NY, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI and WY.