Director, Major Gifts & Tocqueville Society

United Way for Southeastern Michigan•Detroit, MI

About The Position

The Director, Major Gifts & Tocqueville Society is a strategic fundraising leader responsible for cultivating transformational individual philanthropy and stewarding United Way's premier donor recognition society. This role combines hands-on relationship management of a major gift portfolio ($10,000+) with strategic program leadership of the Tocqueville Society. The Director will develop and execute comprehensive strategies to deepen donor engagement, secure major and planned gifts, and achieve ambitious revenue goals while championing a culture of philanthropy across the organization.

Requirements

Strong understanding and passion for United Way programs and initiatives.
Proven success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts ($10,000+), including experience securing new, increased, and multi-year commitments.
Exceptional listening, writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and inspire high-net-worth individuals and volunteers.
Strong organizational, project management, and portfolio management skills, with keen attention to detail and follow-through.
Experience partnering with volunteers and committees to advance fundraising goals.
Proficiency with CRM systems and data-driven fundraising tools to manage portfolios, track progress, and report results.
Ability to collaborate effectively across departments to align donor interests with organizational priorities.
Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business, marketing, sales, public relations, or a related field required.
Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising or development.
Five (5) to seven (7) years of experience in major gifts, corporate, and/or foundation fundraising, including direct solicitation and donor stewardship.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and CRM systems required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with planned giving and/or relevant professional certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Drive growth in major gift revenue by managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects giving $10,000 and above through both workplace and non-workplace initiatives.
Develop and implement comprehensive moves management strategies, including personalized visits, solicitations, tailored mail and digital communications, phone outreach, and curated donor experiences aligned with individual preferences and engagement levels.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects and donors; secure new, renewed, increased, and multi-year commitments through individualized strategies, events, and customized proposals based on donor interests and affinity.
Set strategic goals and provide proactive relationship management for each donor within the portfolio, informed by giving history, engagement level, propensity, and philanthropic interests.
Lead Tocqueville Society administration and operations, including branding, collateral development, and support of the Tocqueville Committee.
Oversee donor designations for Tocqueville Society gifts by managing a cross-functional process involving finance, business success, and philanthropy teams; serve as the primary point of contact for designation requests and ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Maintain accurate and confidential donor and prospect records, documenting substantive interactions in the CRM in accordance with best practices; prepare and provide progress and performance reports as requested.
Partner with the Engagement and Experience team to design and implement stewardship and engagement strategies that enhance the donor experience for major gift supporters.
Collaborate with communications, marketing, grants, finance, and program teams to develop compelling donor proposals, impact reports, and stewardship materials that clearly communicate the outcomes and impact of donor investments.
Represent United Way at external events and throughout the community, enhancing organizational visibility and strengthening donor and stakeholder relationships.