VP Major Gifts

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

Since 2000, more than 5 million people and partners have contributed $1 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. Projects range from art supplies to build the set for a school musical, to books and puzzles that affirm students' identities, to bird seed for an at-home science project. We proudly serve all US public schools, public charter schools, and Head Start centers, and we combat systemic inequity by driving a majority of donations to schools that have been historically underfunded due to economic and racial inequity (Equity Focus Schools).

DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.

About the Community Growth and Impact team: The VP, Major Gifts will build a major gifts team that sits within the broader Community Growth and Impact Team which raises the revenue, $150M this school year for the organization, through its marketplace, corporate, and foundation giving. The VP, Major Gifts will develop a comprehensive, multi-year major gifts strategy, as well as build and manage a major gifts team, in support of growing the organization's donor base and revenue.

DonorsChoose is seeking a VP, Major Gifts (VPMG) to develop and manage the major gifts portfolio and team for the organization. Reporting to the Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, the VPMG will be responsible for building the major gifts strategy, as well as for acquiring, cultivating, and soliciting high net worth donors, with an emphasis on donors giving at the five and six figure level. The VPMG will build a major gifts portfolio that reflects DonorsChoose's commitment to equity, with strategies to diversify the organization's high-net worth supporters. Additionally, the VPMG will hire, coach, and manage a major gifts team.

In this role, you'll:

• Develop and execute a Major Gifts Strategy
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year strategy to broaden DonorsChoose's major donor base and deepen relationships with existing and new individual donors
  • Oversee the development and moves management of a portfolio of donors through strategic contacts and face-to-face meetings to identify, cultivate, solicit, and successfully close major gifts
  • Develop a thorough understanding of DonorsChoose's existing funding relationships to effectively integrate major giving into its strong base of support
  • Align fundraising efforts to key priorities and imperatives of DonorsChoose, with a focus on equity and diversifying its major donor portfolio
  • Establish systems and processes to ensure a close feedback loop between key donor prospects and related DonorsChoose teams (e.g. Marketing, Partnerships, Business Development)
  • Drive fundraising best practices, including systems utilization, prospecting, donor reporting, data review, and donor communications
  • Evaluate and develop strategies (e.g. capital campaigns, annual fund) to effectively drive and grow major donor giving
• Cultivate and Steward Major Donors
  • Develop, manage, and maintain an active portfolio of individual donors and prospects making gifts of $10,000+, with a goal of raising $7M+ annually within three years
  • Cultivate champions for DonorsChoose across the country in the spirit of raising awareness of educational inequity, DonorsChoose, its mission, and its track record of results
  • Proactively grow the major donor portfolio by leveraging existing funding relationships and identifying new ones
    
  • Partner with the CEO, Board Members, and other leaders throughout DonorsChoose in relationship-building and fundraising activities
• Build and Manage the Major Gifts Team
  • Recruit, manage, and mentor a small but mighty high performing team of professionals; provide ongoing professional development to team members
  • Set and manage team goals, aligned with strategic planning, stakeholder input, and industry research
  • Promote a team-oriented culture of continuous learning and inclusiveness; build a cohesive, motivated team by fostering individual growth and collaboration
  • Serve as a content expert on the major gifts fundraising function, training and mentoring team members across DonorsChoose to develop their own donor cultivation and stewardship skills

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• A minimum of ten years of professional work experience, with at least five years in major gifts fundraising
• A successful track record of fundraising five- and six-figure gifts
• Experience building strong, long-term relationships with donors and prospects; strong listening skills, and an ability to engage with a diverse group of donors and prospects in a thoughtful, inclusive manner
• A strong command of fundraising best practices; demonstrated success building and leveraging processes and donor management systems to track and steward supporters
• Ability to build and drive growth, and be a detail-oriented implementer who can mobilize teams to translate strategy into results
• A demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity and centering the perspectives of those most impacted in decision-making, including experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Exceptional relationship and trust-building skills, both internally and externally, with the ability to build positive relationships at all organizational levels and with a diverse group of stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for different audiences in a manner that they can understand and relate to

Location:
In this role, you'll have the option to work a flexible hybrid schedule in our NYC office, or to work fully remotely from CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, or WI.

Candidates who are not in the NYC area should expect to travel to our NYC office on an as-needed basis, or about 4-6 times per year. All work-related travel expenses will be covered by the organization, and proper safety precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

DonorsChoose is a fully vaccinated workplace, and all new employees, regardless of their work location, will be asked to share proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 within two weeks of their hire date or request an exemption from this policy due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief or practice. This policy does not apply to employees in states with state restrictions on vaccine mandates.

DonorsChoose participates in E-Verify. We will provide the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Our compensation philosophy ensures that we are both externally competitive with tech-forward nonprofits of a similar size and internally fair in our pay practices. The following ranges represent the target offer range, given the scope and experience expectations for this role.

• The hiring salary range for this role is $131,000- $160,000 and will be commensurate with experience
• We have a hiring salary range of $145,000- $175,000 for specific higher cost of labor locations, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Once an employee is hired, the salary range for their role increases to ensure they are able to receive performance-based raises and grow in their role. We are open to a variety of experiences and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced or more senior than this job description, as posted. If that's the case, an updated salary range will be shared with candidates if they move forward in our hiring process.

In addition, we offer full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 11 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, a matching 401(k) plan (up to 5% of base salary), annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

Qualified Individuals, please apply: https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/3038

DonorsChoose is an organization increasingly representative of the varied races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and abilities that comprise our nation. DonorsChoose.org focuses on attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent because it makes us more effective, high-performing, creative, and resilient.

If you are passionate about our mission, highly skilled in your field, and looking for a place where you can bring all of yourself to work, we want you.

On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. We're working with DonorsChoose to build a diverse team that represents the communities it partners with. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

On-Ramps is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process, including but not limited to those with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact info@on-ramps.com.