Director, Major Gifts

The Revenue and Philanthropy Department is a major contributor to Sesame Workshop’s $150 million annual budget and works closely with our Distribution team and International Offices to advance the organization’s broader revenue goals.

Sesame Workshop sees a significant growth opportunity in the Major Gifts and Planned Giving space and is building a team to unlock this potential. The Director of Major Gifts role will be a critical part of this new team, helping to establish the business processes and build the donor relationships that bring it to life.

The Director, Major Gifts is a key senior-level frontline fundraiser responsible for securing significant philanthropic support to advance Sesame Workshop’s mission. Reporting to the Vice President of Major Gifts, this position drives the development and execution of major gift strategies for a portfolio that includes high-net-worth individual donors and family foundations. The Director will provide strategic fundraising execution, manage relationships, oversee written communication, and contribute to the overall success of the Major Gifts program.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio management: Manage and grow a portfolio of 100-125 high-capacity individual donors and family foundation prospects, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts at the $10,000+ level.
• Fundraising strategy: Develop and execute comprehensive, individualized moves management strategies for donors in the portfolio, from identification and qualification to solicitation and stewardship.
• High-level solicitation: Personally solicit and secure major and principal gifts by crafting compelling proposals and presentations that align donor and family foundation interests with Sesame Workshop's funding priorities.
• Strategic collaboration: Work closely with the Vice President of Major Gifts, the Executive Team, and Board members to facilitate and support high-level donor and foundation engagement.
• Team mentorship: Provide informal coaching and guidance to other Major Gift Officers (MGOs), sharing expertise and modeling best practices in donor and family foundation engagement.
• Prospect identification: Partner with the Director of Research to proactively identify new major gift and family foundation prospects, leveraging AI-powered insights to expand the pipeline.
• Events & visibility: Participate in donor and foundation cultivation events, program showcases, and other strategic gatherings to build relationships and move prospects through the pipeline.
• CRM management: Ensure accurate records of all donor and foundation interactions, proposals, and gift statuses within the Salesforce CRM, in partnership with the Revenue Operations team.
• Programmatic knowledge: Develop and maintain a deep knowledge of Sesame Workshop's programs, priorities, and global impact to effectively articulate the case for support to all funders.

Engagement :

The Director, Major Gifts engages regularly with internal and external partners to advance donor and foundation relationships. Internally, the role collaborates closely with the Vice President of Major Gifts and the growing Major Gifts team; program, events, and communications teams; Revenue Operations; and executive leadership to craft compelling donor strategies and ensure alignment with organizational priorities. Externally, the Director represents Sesame Workshop in meetings with high-net-worth individuals, family foundation representatives, board members, and other key stakeholders. The role plays a visible, relationship-centered function—building trust, managing high-level interactions, and serving as an ambassador for Sesame Workshop’s mission and impact.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in major gift fundraising, with a demonstrated track record of closing five- to seven-figure gifts from both individuals and family foundations.
• Proven expertise in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-net-worth individuals and family foundations.
• Exceptional proposal writing, reporting, and communication skills, with the ability to engage a diverse range of stakeholders.
• High proficiency in using CRM systems for fundraising, preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to travel regularly for donor and foundation meetings and events.
• Deeply committed to the mission of Sesame Workshop and its global impact.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in media, social impact, and early childhood development fundraising is strongly preferred.

Sesame Workshop Hybrid Work Policy

This position is based at our headquarters office in New York (Manhattan) at 1900 Broadway, New York, NY, and follows a hybrid work model. In-office requirements vary by role and employee group, and currently range from two to five designated in-office days per week.

Pay Transparency Policy Statement

As a federal contractor, Sesame Workshop follows Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions as guided by the U.S. Department of Lab

Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE) Statement

Sesame Workshop is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy-related condition, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

PSEA Statement

Sesame Workshop is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on the business needs, job requirements & suitability of the candidate. Sesame Workshop strictly follows the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of program participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Sesame Workshop staff, consultants, visitors to the program and partner organization, and the standards of behavior expected from them.