Sr. Director of Major Gifts

Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Locations: Remote, U.S.

Team Overview:

As the Sr. Director of Major Gifts, you will report to the VP of Transformational Partnerships, and oversee a focused portfolio of operations, including: (1) Strategy and Execution lead on all Major Ministry Friend relationships, (2) multi-year Campaign and shorter project-based fundraising; events (both ADF-sponsored and partner-sponsored), along with public speaking engagements. (3) Leading the major gift relationship fundraising team of 10+ Directors of Transformational Partnerships.

Key Responsibilities:

Management

• Establish a strategic a systematic focus on closing 6 and 7 figure gift opportunities, and meet or exceed annual revenue goals.

• Manage, lead, and develop a team of 10+ with the skills and experience necessary to reach revenue goals. Develop a multi-year Ministry Friend engagement plan in concert with the multi-year strategic vision designed for organizational revenue growth.

• Execute the organizational vision of the CEO and President consistent with the leadership of the SVP of Development within the major gift team.

• Determine KPIs for Major Fundraisers and ensure accountability to defining metrics for the team.

• Ensuring team members are annually negotiating and closing 15+ six-figure gifts and multi-year commitments, and a number of seven-figure gifts, and meeting multi-million dollar annual revenue goals.

• Create a comprehensive high-net-worth prospect development & management program targeted at building a continuous base of lead gifts and principal gifts, to reach annual revenue goals.

• Set strategy interacting with a deployed team across multiple networked, qualified prospects and Ministry Friends.

• Meet or exceed $60M+ goal for lead and principal gifts from individuals.

• Systematize mining, screening, rating, and qualifying for prospective Ministry Friends.

• Engage Ministry Friend, Committee/Cabinet members, allies, and senior staff in the development process.

• Equip the team with the resources required to articulate the campaign case for support.

• Develop and document departmental goals, policies, and process, and ensure team accountability for results.

• Develop accurate activity and pipeline reports and revenue forecasts.

• Establish protocols for collaborative project management across multiple fiscal years.

• Customize development tools for team use from resources to systems and technology.

• Establish strong mutually-beneficial relationships with alliance partners and organizations.

• Coach and develop emerging fundraising talent among ADF staff and team.

• Provide spiritual encouragement and mentoring of others.

Fund-Raising:

• Systematically identifying, qualifying, and strategizing a pipeline for six-seven figure gifts

• Routinely networking with and access to Fortune 500 C-level execs in major metropolitan areas, and interacting with high-net-worth individuals for the purpose of cultivating personal relationships and developing personal giving.

• Routinely engaging organization executives and current donors in peer-prospect identification, visits, and both six and seven figure closings.

• Defining prospect development (moves management or sales cycle) strategies.

• Demonstrating a keen sense of curiosity for Ministry Friends – seeking to “crack the code” of what compels each donor to give substantially by asking the right questions – and able to personally adapt as needed to meet the needs of Ministry Friends.

• Successfully aligning partner interests with ADF’s strategy.

• Guiding the development of compelling proposals and overseeing the development of creative presentations and reports.

• Collaborating with Legacy and Planned Giving team on closing complex sales such as international gifts, endowment gifts, planned gifts, and investment and financial products.

• Collaborating with Foundation Partnerships teams on shared relationships driving toward transformational gifts and stewardship and reporting on those gifts.

Other Responsibilities (Non-Essential):

• You will be asked to perform related duties or special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

• 7+ years of experience in major gifts development in a large, multi-national setting.

• 5+ years of experience in leading and managing teams.

• Successful experience closing seven-figure gifts.

• Experience in a nationwide and international organization

Pay & Benefits:

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

This salary range is reflective of a position based in Washington, D.C. This range is a good faith estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and office location.

Washington, D.C. Salary Range
$95,000—$152,000 USD