Individual Giving Director

Individual Giving Director

The Individual Giving Director is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive major gifts individual giving strategy that grows philanthropic investment and deepens community engagement across City Year Denver. This role will lead efforts to secure financial support from individuals and family foundations, build and manage a high-performing donor portfolio, and strengthen a culture of philanthropy and donor engagement across the site.

The Individual Giving Director will partner closely with the Executive Director, Managing Director of Development, Board members, and volunteers to expand City Year Denver's individual donor base and increase revenue year-over-year. This includes scaling leadership giving programs such as the Red Jacket Society, growing mid-level and annual giving, and building a strong pipeline of new, engaged supporters.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of fundraising experience, with demonstrated success securing gifts of $10,000+
• Proven ability to manage and grow a donor portfolio and meet revenue goals
• Experience building pipelines and qualifying new donor prospects
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and storytelling skills
• Experience working with Boards and volunteer committees
• Ability to develop and execute fundraising strategies and donor engagement plans
• Commitment to education equity
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM preferred
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for donor engagement and events

Responsibilities

The Individual Giving Director will perform the following roles and responsibilities as described below:

Drive Individual Giving Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute a comprehensive individual and major gift strategy to grow individual giving by 15-20% and position City Year Denver as a leader in the local philanthropic community
• Partner with the Managing Director of Development and leadership to set and monitor annual goals and performance metrics
• Analyze portfolio performance and identify opportunities to expand donor engagement, increase giving levels, and improve ROI
• Ensure donor communications reflect asset-based language and center the stories of students and communities served
• Collaborate with Development Operations to leverage prospect research, campaign execution, and data tracking in Salesforce.

Manage & Grow Donor Portfolio

• Drive prospect generation to build and maintain a pipeline of donors at least 2.5x your annual revenue goal.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of individual donors and family foundations, with a focus on increasing retention and upgrading giving levels
• Ensure all donors in portfolio receive regular, meaningful engagement, with a goal of quarterly touchpoints
• Maintain accurate and timely records of all donor interactions and pipeline activity
• Convert mid-level donors and event participants into major gift prospects
• Retain at least 75% of donors giving $1,000+ annually and increase number of $1,000+ donors annually, year over year

Lead Red Jacket Society & Leadership Giving

• Lead strategy and execution for the Red Jacket Society (RJS), engaging donors at the $10,000+ level
• Build and manage a pipeline of leadership donors capable of making annual and multi-year investments
• Identify, cultivate, and move new prospects into active engagement, generating at least $100,000 in revenue
• Partner with Board members, Development team, and site leadership to expand the RJS pipeline
• Oversee stewardship, engagement, and overall donor experience for RJS members

Lead Associate Board & Volunteer Engagement

• Manage and grow the Associate Board (Young Professionals Board), including recruitment, engagement, and fundraising outcomes
• Lead Associate Board meetings, communications, and annual planning
• Support the Associate Board in raising $30,000+ annually
• Partner with the Development Committee and other volunteer groups to drive fundraising and engagement
• Provide strong stewardship, guidance, and relationship management to all volunteer leaders

Strengthen Donor Stewardship & Engagement

• Design and implement an annual stewardship plan across donor segments
• Ensure consistent, high-quality donor communications including thank-you strategies, updates, and recognition
• Partner with Development leadership to leverage Salesforce CRM, dashboards, and reporting and execute donor engagement opportunities
• Leverage events, campaigns (e.g., #ColoradoGivesDay), and experiences to deepen donor relationships
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to create compelling donor materials

Support Site & Organizational Priorities

• Partner across departments to support site-wide goals and initiatives
• Participate in national network collaboration and learning communities
• Attend and support key events including fundraisers, service days, trainings, donor site visits
• Contribute to cross-functional efforts that strengthen City Year Denver's impact and community presence

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage and grow a donor portfolio and meet revenue goals
• Experience building pipelines and qualifying new donor prospects
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and storytelling skills
• Experience working with Boards and volunteer committees
• Ability to develop and execute fundraising strategies and donor engagement plans
• City Year/AmeriCorps experience is a plus

Competencies

In order to succeed in this role, an applicant must have the following competencies:

• Collaboration: Connects with stakeholders to identify shared interests; partners with others to incorporate different perspectives toward a common goal.
• Understanding & Building Connection: Considers perspectives of others and cultivates relationships to strengthen interpersonal bonds with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Project Management: Organizes, prioritizes, tracks, and manages workflow and resources.
• Strategic Thinking: Identifies multiple pathways to address complex and nebulous problems; anticipates barriers and opportunities; develops plans to address them.
• Vision & Focus: Establishes a clear vision aligned with organizational goals; develops teams and activities to maintain alignment.

Physical requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods and occasionally stand or walk
• Manual dexterity for typing, writing, and handling office equipment
• Visual acuity to read screens and printed materials
• Hearing ability to participate in conversations and respond to phone calls
• Occasional lifting or carrying of items up to 10–20 lbs (e.g., office supplies)
• Ability to communicate clearly in person, by phone, and in writing

Working Conditions

• Operates in a hybrid work environment
• May require occasional travel to donor meetings and other metro area locations
• Typical schedule: Monday – Friday 9am-5pm
• Noise level is generally moderate
• Requires a valid driver's license for travel as part of job duties
• Must have reliable internet access for remote or flexible work arrangements

Compensation: $90,000 – $100,000 annually commensurate with experience