Director - Major and Principal Gifts

the CIA•Hyde Park, NY

About The Position

The Culinary Institute of America’s Director of Major and Principal Gifts serves as a strategic partner to the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations and builds and activates a major and principal gifts portfolio in support of the CIA’s vision. The Director identifies mission-aligned prospects and donors whose philanthropic interests support the CIA’s global agenda to advance learning and development in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. The role builds a major and principal gifts program reflecting the CIA’s innovation and leadership in educating the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators globally. The Director manages a diverse portfolio of prospects and donors across constituencies such as food enthusiasts, friends, alumni, parents, and others with an affinity for the CIA’s mission. In partnership with the Vice President and academic leaders, the Director develops and executes cultivation and solicitation strategies to secure six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts for academic and institutional priorities. The position also advances donor stewardship, prospect pipeline development, communications, measurable fundraising goals, and a collaborative, donor-centric culture.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or significant work experience in lieu thereof.
Minimum of ten years of progressive experience in fundraising and development.
Seasoned professional experience managing high-net-worth donors and prospects.
Proven experience closing six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts.
Exceptional relationship-building, writing, communication, and presentation skills.
Strong results-oriented focus.
Ability to use knowledge of prospects’ philanthropic interests to design multi-step prospect strategies.
Ability to design solicitation strategies that blend flexible current-use support with gift-planning strategies.
Strong understanding of relationship-building and prospect and donor engagement principles.
Familiarity with hospitality, culinary, food, beverage, or service-related industries.
Ability to build trust and strong collaborative working relationships.
Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to form and mobilize intra-organizational teams to accomplish goals.
Strong communication, presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
Proven ability to work collaboratively across complex organizations.
Commitment to innovation and experimentation to build growth strategies.
Strong knowledge of supporting organizational evolution work through major gifts.
Demonstrated commitment to service, quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Strong computer skills, including effective use of Microsoft Office products: Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Availability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends as required by business needs.
Ability to undertake frequent overnight domestic travel and occasional international travel.
Ability to use a computer regularly, sometimes for more than eight hours per day.
Ability to walk and stand for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Experience engaging with global audiences and international constituents.
Experience leveraging engagement strategies to support philanthropic outcomes.
Experience working with a robust donor-engagement CRM system, such as Salesforce, Slate Advancement, or Dynamics365.

Responsibilities

Advance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth prospects who are mission-aligned and motivated to support the CIA.
Shape and execute ambitious, multi-year fundraising strategies while personally managing a portfolio of prospects.
Build, develop, and lead the CIA’s major and principal gifts program in support of institutional priorities and the CIA’s long-term vision.
Partner with academic leaders to advance cultivation and solicitation strategies.
Develop and actively manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors.
Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward mission-aligned prospects with the capacity and interest to make significant philanthropic investments in the CIA.
Develop strategies to secure six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts in support of the CIA’s academic and strategic priorities.
Partner with the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations to develop and execute comprehensive donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.
Identify new prospective donors whose philanthropic interests align with the CIA’s global agenda and its commitment to advancing learning and development in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry.
Expand and diversify the major and principal gift prospect pipeline across alumni, parents, food enthusiasts, friends of the CIA, and other mission-aligned audiences.
Build philanthropic relationships that reflect the CIA’s leadership in educating and developing the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders.
Apply an entrepreneurial and strategic approach to prospect identification, donor engagement, relationship development, and fundraising.
Serve as a strategic partner to Development and Alumni Relations leadership in advancing major philanthropic opportunities and institutional fundraising priorities.
Foster a results-oriented, collaborative, donor-centric culture.
Collaborate with advancement communications and stewardship to support proposals, donor correspondence, and stewardship.
Collaborate with the Senior Manager - Development Communications on direct mail, electronic communications, and other communications to prospect and donor audiences.
Develop and implement measurable goals and metrics to monitor the impact of annual and leadership giving on pipeline development, funds raised, donor retention, and acquisition.
Establish and maintain tracking and testing methods for solicitation initiatives and adjust strategies based on data analysis.
Work with the stewardship team to develop recognition activities that support donor retention.
Perform any and all other duties as assigned.