Director of Major Gifts

Director of Major Gifts

Remote; Preferred locations include:

Greater New York Region

Washington, DC

About Hearing Health Foundation

Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is the largest private foundation in the United States focused on preventing and finding cures for hearing loss, tinnitus, balance disorders, and related conditions. HHF's mission is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through groundbreaking research while promoting hearing health. Based in New York City, with a staff distributed around the country, HHF has aggressively partnered with top researchers at leading academic medical centers to advance the quest to find cures for these diseases and conditions.

Since 1958, HHF has provided critically needed funds to scientists conducting groundbreaking research and has played a key role in all significant advancements in hearing loss research over the past 50+ years.

HHF's signature programs include:

Hearing Restoration Project (HRP): A consortium of scientists focused on finding a cure for hearing loss through hair cell regeneration.

Emerging Research Grants (ERG): A program providing investment capital to researchers with innovative and new lines of inquiry. The core of the ERG program consists of awards for early career researchers, Elizabeth M. Keithley, Ph.D. Early-Stage Investigator Awards, those within ten years of receiving their Ph.D. or M.D. and without National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other significant federal funding. ERG features several programs open to researchers at all career stages working on specific topics like Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Ménière's disease, Usher syndrome, and tinnitus. Researchers can leverage HHF support and, on average, secure an additional $59 in federal research funding for each HHF dollar invested.

Keep Listening: A noise-induced hearing loss prevention campaign, which has generated over $70M in contributed media and one billion media impressions in the last three years. It has dramatically increased HHF's overall profile and is continuing to grow dramatically.

HHF recently completed a planned giving matching challenge, securing over 300 planned giving intentions with an estimated value ranging from $30 to $50 million, exceeding the $2 million challenge match. HHF has also embarked on a "Moonshot" strategic planning and fundraising campaign, aiming to raise $100 million in the next ten years for six selected strategic research areas.

In FY 2025, HHF will fund 25 major research projects with a total investment of $2.5 million. HHF's budget is $5.3 million, and it has over $12 million in endowment and strategic reserves. (Note: not inclusive of Keep Listening)

One of HHF's overarching principles is transparency. HHF is:

Rated 100% and 4 Stars by Charity Navigator—the world's largest and most trusted charity evaluator

Accredited by Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance

Rated A by CharityWatch

Rated the highest Platinum Transparency level by Candid GuideStar

Position Summary

Partnering with President + CEO Timothy Higdon, the Director of Major Gifts has a unique opportunity to build and steward a robust portfolio of individuals and private family foundations. Over the last five years, significant progress has been made in growing fundraising successes, including increasing endowment and planned giving, building new major gift relationships, launching a mid-level donor program, and significantly increasing foundation giving.

This is a fundraising portfolio position where the Director of Major Gifts will be measured by funds raised, new relationships established, existing relationships expanded, and activity (meetings, calls, proposals presented and closed). The Director of Major Gifts will be an integral part of the development team led by the President + CEO. While HHF has moved away from fundraising events such as galas, its overall strategy includes cultivation, donor (investor) events, and stewardship events.

Essential Job Functions

Build and maintain a portfolio of major individual donors, ranging from $5k to $100k and beyond

Partner with the President + CEO on principal gifts and family foundation prospects, ensuring multiple relationship touchpoints with each key donor/funder

Meet or exceed annual fundraising goals set in partnership with the President + CEO, including metrics for calls, meetings, asks made, and gifts secured

Track progress towards goals and make mid-course adjustments as necessary

Continue growth of private family foundation donor portfolio in partnership with the Director of Foundation Relations

Play an active role in supporting the development of planned giving prospects and identifying bequest intentions

Actively participate with and support the HHF staff and board

Other duties as required

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is an engaging, fearless self-starter with extensive fundraising experience. This creative strategist possesses the talent to identify new major gift donors, develop authentic and strong relationships with them, and maintain and build genuine relationships with existing major donors by addressing their needs and interests. The successful candidate is naturally a collaborative team player and seeks to join a supportive, congenial Development Team and organizational culture.

Key qualifications include:

Bachelor's degree required

Five or more years of proven portfolio-building and stewardship experience in the nonprofit market

Passion for and/or connection to Hearing Health Foundation's mission

Proven record of success identifying, engaging, qualifying, and cultivating new major gift donors in an environment where there isn't a natural pipeline of donors (e.g., graduates or grateful patients)

Excellent, effective, and persuasive written and oral communication and presentation skills

Strong, empathetic listening skills

Experience or familiarity with science, medicine, academic medicine, research, and/or the aptitude to be a quick study

Experience and a willingness to use Raisers' Edge NXT

Reporting Relationships

The Director of Major Gifts reports to the President + CEO and has no direct reports.

Compensation + Benefits

The salary range for this position is $125,000+, with the opportunity to earn up to a 5+% performance bonus.

The Hearing Health Foundation offers a generous benefits package which includes:

Health Insurance: 100% of the employee premium and 50% of the dependent premium paid by HHF

Dental/Vision:100% of employee premium paid by HHF

Long Term and Short-Term Disability

Flexible Spending Account

Basic (employer-paid) Group Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Voluntary (employee-paid) Group Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Voluntary (employee-paid) Group Insurance: Accident Insurance and Critical Illness Insurance

Adoption Assistance Program

Caregiver Support Program

Educational Assistance

Employee Assistance Program

Financial Wellness Support

Health Advocacy Program

Vacation- four weeks of paid vacation

Holidays – eleven holidays

Sick Days – five sick days

As a reflection of our firm's commitment to equity and equal pay for all, Cooper Coleman requires that salary ranges or salary starting points be published for every search we conduct. The practice of not posting salaries perpetuates the gender and racial wage gap and discriminates against women, people of color, and other historically excluded populations by causing individuals to negotiate from a disadvantaged starting point.

Location + Travel

This is a fully remote position. The successful candidate will preferably reside in one of the following major markets: NY, NJ, CT or DC

The successful candidate must be willing to travel overnight periodically, as required. Travel is estimated at 15% to 20%, depending on the candidate's location.

Submission Instructions (read carefully)

Please do not contact the organization's staff or leadership directly.

Cooper Coleman is leading this search on behalf of the Hearing Health Foundation. To apply, please visit this link (www.coopercoleman.com/current-searches). Nominations of qualified candidates can be sent to:

Kathy Kraushar

kathy@coopercoleman.com

Kindly use the position title as the subject line of your email. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

A cover letter is not required with your initial application but is welcomed to help us understand your fitness for and interest in this role during our initial evaluation. Candidates invited for interviews will be asked to provide a thoughtful letter of interest indicating their specific qualifications for the opportunity, desire to join the Hearing Health Foundation, and connection to its mission.

Cooper Coleman LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

EEO + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

HHF is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants to apply. They do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Background Checks + Credentials Verification

Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Cooper Coleman verifies its candidates' employment and academic credentials at the time of offer, and our clients frequently conduct background checks before finalizing an offer.

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