[Hiring] Director of Leadership Giving @Mercy For Animals

Role Description

We currently seek a Director of Leadership Giving to join our philanthropy team. In this role, you will advance the mission of Mercy For Animals by managing a portfolio of mid-level donors and prospects ($1,000–$10,000), applying a disciplined moves management approach to cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts while strengthening the pipeline of donors transitioning into major giving. This role is distinct in its focus on portfolio scale and donor progression, building a strong pipeline of donors who can transition into major gift relationships over time.

This role is a relationship-based fundraiser focused on managing a high-volume portfolio with disciplined moves management and clear donor progression strategies.

You will do invaluable work:

• Portfolio Management and Moves Management Strategy
  • Independently manage a portfolio of mid-level donors and prospects, using structured moves management to deepen relationships and increase giving over time.
  • Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, including annual plans and measurable benchmarks.
  • Conduct qualification to assess donor capacity, affinity, and readiness for increased investment.
  • Meet or exceed goals for donor outreach, revenue, and pipeline progression.
• Donor Engagement and Communications
  • Conduct virtual and in-person meetings with donors and prospects to build relationships and present meaningful giving opportunities.
  • Communicate organizational priorities and funding opportunities in a compelling, donor-centric way.
  • Draft personalized and semi-personalized donor communications, including emails, proposals, and stewardship updates.
• Mid-Level Program Alignment (Compassion Collective)
  • Serve as a primary relationship manager for donors within the Compassion Collective, representing the program in donor interactions and engagement opportunities.
  • Partner closely with donor experience and direct response teams, who design and execute programmatic communications and engagement strategies.
  • Provide frontline insight on donor sentiment, engagement trends, and opportunities to strengthen the mid-level donor experience.
  • Support consistent messaging and positioning of the Compassion Collective in donor-facing interactions.
• Upgrade Pathways and Portfolio Progression
  • Identify and actively cultivate donors with the capacity and inclination to give at higher levels, regardless of current giving.
  • Develop and execute intentional upgrade strategies to move donors into major gift portfolios.
  • Coordinate thoughtful, timely handoffs to major gift officers to ensure continuity in relationship management.
  • Maintain strong alignment with major gifts colleagues on portfolio strategy and donor movement.
• Data Management and Reporting
  • Maintain accurate, timely records of donor interactions, strategies, and next steps within the CRM.
  • Track progress against revenue goals, engagement metrics, and upgrade outcomes.
  • Partner with advancement operations to support segmentation, reporting, and pipeline visibility.
• Collaboration and Departmental Integration
  • Collaborate across philanthropy, donor experience, and digital marketing teams to ensure a cohesive donor journey.
  • Contribute to broader fundraising initiatives, including appeals, donor engagement strategies, and cross-functional projects.
  • Adhere to all organizational policies and procedures and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, volunteer management, recruitment or sales.
• Demonstrated success managing a donor portfolio and closing gifts in the $1,000–$10,000+ range.
• Strong understanding of donor lifecycle strategy, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and upgrade.
• Proven ability to assess donor capacity and affinity, and translate insights into strategic action.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience crafting donor-facing materials.
• Ability to balance personalized engagement with efficient portfolio management practices.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfort using CRM systems and digital tools to support donor engagement and tracking.
• Willingness to travel occasionally and work some evenings and weekends as needed.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Mercy For Animals.

Requirements

• Consistent achievement of mid-level revenue and engagement goals.
• A well-managed portfolio with clear movement across qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages.
• Increased number of donors advancing into major gift portfolios based on capacity and readiness.
• Strong alignment and collaboration with donor experience and major gifts teams.
• Clear visibility into pipeline health and donor progression.

Benefits

• Earn an annual salary of $89,530–$101,700, depending on qualifications.
• Enjoy a commute-free life as a remote team member.
• Participate in a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Access to no- or low-cost health, vision, and dental insurance.
• Generous paid time off and sick leave.
• 401(k) retirement plan, with a dollar-to-dollar employer match of up to 3.5% of your annual earnings.