Director of Major Giving

Save the Sound, Inc.•New Haven, CT

12d•$115,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Save the Sound is an environmental organization dedicated to defending and restoring waterways and green spaces through science and strategic legal expertise. For over 50 years, they have been active in the Long Island Sound watershed, working to build resilient communities, fight climate change, save endangered lands, protect the Sound, and restore its rivers and coastlines through advocacy, legal action, engineering, monitoring, and volunteer efforts. The Director of Major Giving will be responsible for advancing relationships and raising funds from individuals, families, and family foundations. This role involves managing the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship of major gifts, planned giving, and annual fund donors and prospects. The position will manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospects capable of making gifts of $10,000 or more, with an increasing focus on six- and seven-figure gifts. This role reports to the Executive Vice President of Philanthropy and manages the major gift team.

Requirements

Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in major gift fundraising, with proven success securing gifts of $100K+.
Strong knowledge of and execution of best practices in major giving, donor engagement, and stewardship.
Skilled in cultivating donor relationships aligned with organizational goals and donor interests.
Superb written and verbal skills; able to craft compelling proposals and convey impact through data and storytelling.
3-5 years experience in supervising teams and strong management skills, with a demonstrated ability to set strategy, manage performance, and build a collaborative team culture.
Excellent interpersonal awareness and skills working with large and small teams, with the ability to collaborate across departments, engage board members and volunteers in fundraising, and represent the organization at the highest levels.
High degree of comfort communicating information to a wide range of audiences, from individual major donors to the general public.
Fluency with Microsoft office suite, CRM platforms and data-driven pipeline management; able to leverage technology for portfolio analysis, forecasting, and team accountability.
Highly organized with outstanding attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities at once.
Committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and discretion.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout employment.
Save the Sound participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

Preference for a candidate who lives in Fairfield or Westchester Counties as the majority of current major donors reside there.
Willingness to travel regularly for donor meetings and cultivation events.

Responsibilities

Drive all major donor ($1,000 and over) fundraising streams (e.g. annual major giving, campaign giving and planned giving) to achieve organizational individual giving goals creating giving strategies and opportunities that align with programs and projects.
Supervise and guide the Major Gift team, two Major Gift Managers and the Development Associate ensuring that organizational major donor and team goals are achieved. Set performance goals, build team capacity, and foster a collaborative, high-performing culture focused on donor-centered fundraising.
Personally cultivate and solicit a portfolio of 75-100 high-capacity prospects capable of making investments of $10,000 or more, with a focus on six- and seven-figure gifts. Drive a data-informed pipeline strategy from identification through stewardship.
Lead the organization’s planned giving strategy, engaging donors in meaningful conversations about philanthropic legacy, estate planning, and long-term impact. Grow the planned giving pipeline as a strategic priority for organizational sustainability.
Become part of our Sound Future Campaign team to complete a $12 Million campaign, 90% completed. Help shape the vision for post-campaign fundraising and long-term philanthropic growth.
Maintain prompt and accurate records of donor interactions and strategies in the organization’s CRM.
Direct major donor communication plan: drafting, production and mailing of major donor appeals, impact reports, and other materials necessary for major donor fundraising and coordinating on email and social media communications to align with plan.
With the team, design and oversee a calendar of major donor cultivation events, including at least 4 major donor reception events and 3-5 field trips for major donors.
Maintain positive and productive working relationships with all Save the Sound staff members, including providing and receiving constructive feedback.
Participating in building productive relationships with Save the Sound's members, external partners, policy makers, and the general public.
Completing all administrative work on time, such as timesheets, purchase orders, project reports, and planning documents.