Director, Major & Planned Giving

Department: Philanthropy 

Reports to: Chief Philanthropy Officer 

Status: Exempt, Non-Union

CENTER'S MISSION

Building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY

The Philanthropy Department at the Los Angeles LGBT Center is responsible for securing private philanthropic support to advance the Center's mission and sustain its diverse programs and services. The department raises nearly $20 million annually through individual giving, private foundation grants, corporate contributions, estate and legacy gifts, and signature fundraising events such as Center Ride Out and the LA LGBT Center Gala. Through strategic fundraising, donor engagement, and stewardship, the department builds long-term philanthropic partnerships that provide the resources necessary to deliver life-changing services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities throughout Los Angeles.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Major & Planned Giving leads the Center's major gifts and planned giving fundraising efforts by managing a portfolio of highcapacity donors and prospects, developing and executing donor engagement and solicitation strategies, and providing leadership and oversight to a team of Major Gift Officers and a Planned Giving Officer. Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, this role collaborates with senior leadership, board members, and volunteer leaders to advance fundraising goals aligned with the Center's mission and strategic priorities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Major Gifts Leadership 

• Lead and implement strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift donors and prospects. 

• Manage a personal portfolio of approximately 75 high-net-worth individuals and family foundations capable of making six-, seven-, and transformational gifts. 

• Develop and execute individualized donor engagement strategies that deepen relationships and increase philanthropic support. 

• Personally solicit and close significant gifts supporting annual, strategic, campaign, capital, and endowment priorities. 

• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of major gift prospects and leadership-level donors. 

• Monitor fundraising results and ensure achievement of established revenue goals and performance metrics. 

Planned Giving Leadership 

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Center's planned giving program. 

• Develop and implement initiatives to increase bequest intentions and other deferred gift commitments. 

• Partner with donors and professional advisors to facilitate planned giving opportunities. 

• Strengthen and expand the Center's legacy society and planned giving stewardship efforts. 

• Ensure planned giving donors receive exceptional recognition, engagement, and stewardship. Campaign Fundraising 

• Serve as a key leader in campaign planning, strategy development, and execution. 

• Lead leadership gift fundraising, donor pipeline development, prospect strategy, volunteer engagement, and campaign stewardship. 

• Collaborate with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, CEO, Board members, and campaign leadership volunteers to secure major campaign commitments. 

• Develop strategies that align campaign objectives with individual donor interests and philanthropic goals. 

• Help create and maintain systems that track campaign progress, donor engagement, and fundraising outcomes. 

Team Leadership & Management 

• Directly supervise, coach, mentor, and develop a team of two Major Gift Officers and one Planned Giving Officer.

 • Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and donor-centered fundraising excellence. 

• Establish individual and team performance goals, fundraising metrics, and professional development plans. 

• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and strategy meetings to ensure successful donor engagement and fundraising results. 

• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and performance management of fundraising staff. 

• Foster collaboration across the Philanthropy Department to maximize fundraising success and donor engagement. Board, CEO, and Executive Engagement 

• Partner closely with the Chief Philanthropy Officer to advance the Center's overall fundraising strategy and philanthropic growth. 

• Collaborate regularly with the CEO on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of key donors and prospects. 

• Engage and support members of the Board of Directors in fundraising activities and donor relationship-building efforts. 

• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, donor strategies, and follow-up plans for executive and board engagement. 

• Present fundraising strategies, outcomes, and donor opportunities to senior leadership, board committees, and volunteer leaders as needed.

• Represent the Center at donor meetings, cultivation events, community gatherings, and philanthropic forums. 

Strategic Leadership 

• Serve as a senior member of the Philanthropy leadership team. 

• Contribute to department-wide strategic planning, goal setting, budgeting, and performance evaluation. 

• Identify emerging philanthropic trends and opportunities to strengthen fundraising performance.

• Collaborate across departments to align fundraising efforts with organizational priorities and impact goals. 

• Ensure fundraising activities are aligned with the Center's values, mission, and strategic plan. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

• Directly supervises two Major Gift Officers and one Planned Giving Officer. 

• Oversees hiring, performance evaluations, corrective actions, termination recommendations or approvals, scheduling, and training or coaching for direct reports. 

• Assigns donor portfolios and prospect strategies to direct reports. 

• Reviews and provides guidance on solicitation plans, donor strategies, gift proposals, stewardship plans, and fundraising activities. 

• Approves fundraising work plans, donor engagement strategies, and performance goals for direct reports. 

• Conducts performance management, coaching, and professional development for direct reports. 

• Supports recruitment, onboarding, retention, and performance management of fundraising staff.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as nonprofit management, business administration, communications, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience. 

• 8-10 years of experience in major gifts fundraising. 

• Experience working with donors on planned giving strategies, either independently or in collaboration with planned giving colleagues. 

• Proven track record of managing high-capacity donor portfolios and securing six-, seven-, and transformational gifts. 

• Experience leading and managing fundraising teams, including coaching and performance management. 

• Experience collaborating with senior leadership, board members, and volunteers in fundraising efforts. 

• No license or certification is required. 

• Proficiency in donor management and fundraising software systems.

• Strong skills in developing fundraising reports, proposals, and presentations. 

• Competence in using office productivity tools such as word processing, spreadsheets, and email communication. 

• Ability to manage data and track fundraising metrics effectively. 

• Knowledge of major and planned giving fundraising principles and practices. 

• Understanding of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. 

• Familiarity with philanthropic trends and fundraising campaign management. 

• Commitment to the mission and values of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. 

• Understanding of nonprofit fundraising regulations and ethical standards.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree or specialized training in nonprofit management, fundraising, philanthropy, or related fields. 

• Experience leading major fundraising campaigns and capital campaigns. 

• Experience working within LGBTQ+ or social justice-focused nonprofit organizations. 

• Experience managing larger teams or multiple fundraising programs. 

• Professional fundraising certification such as CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) or equivalent. 

• Advanced proficiency with donor management systems and fundraising analytics tools. 

• Experience with digital fundraising platforms and social media engagement for donor cultivation. 

• In-depth knowledge of planned giving vehicles and estate planning. 

• Understanding of campaign leadership and volunteer engagement strategies. 

• Knowledge of regional philanthropic community and major donor networks.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to remain stationary and work at a computer or workstation for extended periods. 

• Repetitive hand use and manual dexterity for office equipment and technology. 

• Ability to read screens, documents, and printed materials. 

• Effective verbal communication skills for in-person and virtual donor engagement. 

• Ability to attend meetings, events, and community activities. 

• Local regional travel required to attend donor meetings, community events, and philanthropic forums.

• Ability to handle and transport ordinary work materials as needed.

• No additional position-specific physical demands beyond performing essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

WORK ENVIRONMENT / SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS

• Work is primarily performed in an office environment with frequent meetings and donor engagement events. 

• Local regional travel is required to attend donor meetings, community events, and philanthropic forums. 

• Schedule may include occasional evening and weekend events related to fundraising activities.

• Work involves interaction with donors, board members, volunteers, senior leadership, and community stakeholders. 

• The position requires managing deadlines and urgent fundraising needs within campaign cycles and organizational priorities.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, religion, disability, age, military or veteran status, including status as a victim of domestic violence, assault or stalking, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation or activities, medical or health conditions, or marital status.