Associate Director, Individual Giving & Donor Relations

FAS•Washington, DC

1d•$145,000 - $160,000

About The Position

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is hiring an inaugural Associate Director, Individual Giving & Donor Relations to build and lead its individual giving and major gifts program. This is a sole-operator role responsible for developing the program end to end, including a donor pipeline, stewardship philosophy, fundraising systems, and a culture of individual giving. The role focuses particularly on securing unrestricted funding that supports FAS’s strategic priorities and enables the organization to respond to important issues. The Associate Director will qualify prospects, manage an active donor portfolio, and develop cultivation and solicitation strategies for each donor. The role will create multi-year giving plans and work strategically with executive leadership and the Board to advance donor relationships and giving opportunities. Success in the first two years includes a qualified, durable pipeline that generates predictable and growing unrestricted revenue; a trusted base of long-term high-net-worth partners; scalable fundraising infrastructure; and greater FAS visibility among philanthropists interested in science serving the public interest. The position reports to the Director of Partnerships and works closely with the CEO and Board of Directors. It may be hybrid or remote depending on the position’s ultimate location, with Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA listed as location options. The work includes relationship-building and meetings with prospective donors and funders across the country, and travel is required. Salary range: $145,000–$160,000.

Requirements

10 or more years of major gift fundraising experience.
A track record of building fundraising strategies or significantly expanding an individual giving program and translating the work into measurable revenue growth.
Experience cultivating high-net-worth donors and making the case for unrestricted giving.
Demonstrated ability to partner with a CEO and Board and represent an organization credibly with donors.
Experience developing fundraising strategies and cultivating high-net-worth individuals.
Deep experience managing an active major gifts portfolio across all stages of the donor lifecycle.
Proven ability to steward relationships and work effectively with donors, board members, and constituents from varied backgrounds.
Understanding of and commitment to professional fundraising ethical standards, donor confidentiality, and sound stewardship practices.
Database fluency with Salesforce, WealthX, RelSci, or an equivalent system.
Excellent written communication skills, including experience developing proposals, correspondence, and briefings.
Ability to identify and engage prospective donors when an established pipeline does not exist.
Ability to design multi-year giving strategies and personally close six-figure gifts.

Responsibilities

Build and lead FAS’s individual giving and major gifts program, including its strategy and operations.
Qualify prospective donors and identify and engage new prospects where an established pipeline does not exist.
Manage an active major gifts portfolio throughout all stages of the donor lifecycle.
Develop tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies and multi-year giving plans for donors.
Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth donors, with a focus on securing unrestricted gifts.
Engage FAS executive leadership and the Board strategically to advance donor relationships and giving opportunities.
Establish a qualified, multi-year individual and major donor pipeline that supports measurable fundraising goals and growing unrestricted revenue.
Create the systems, stewardship cadence, and practices needed to make the individual giving function scalable.
Elevate FAS’s visibility among individuals interested in science serving the public interest.
Develop fundraising strategies and translate them into measurable revenue growth.