Major Gifts Director
# Major Gifts Director **Ackerman Institute for the Family** · New York, NY 10010 · `On-site` 🕒 **Статус:** *Опубликовано: 6 дней назад* · *Источник: Indeed* --- ### About the Role About the Ackerman Institute for the Family For more than 60 years, the Ackerman Institute for the Family has been at the forefront of family systems therapy, advancing how families understand themselves, heal together, and build resilience across generations. Through our integrated model of clinical services, professional training, and applied research, Ackerman serves thousands of New York families each year and trains therapists across the country. Family systems therapy is a distinctive field: it attracts donors, clinicians, and researchers who believe the family unit is the most powerful lever for mental health and social change. The Ackerman Centers, each focused on a specific population or clinical challenge, give the Institute both depth and breadth in that work. We are at a pivotal moment of organizational growth, with new board leadership, a strengthened philanthropic infrastructure, and the momentum of a recent $1 million anonymous challenge match. This is an opportunity for an accomplished fundraiser to hit the ground running, close five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts essential to Ackerman’s growth plan and help shape the program. The Opportunity Ackerman is seeking an experienced Major Gifts Director to own and grow its core major gifts program. The Director will bring senior, disciplined pipeline management to every relationship in the portfolio, from qualification through negotiated close and long-term stewardship. This is a newly elevated, senior role. We are looking for a proven practitioner who has personally closed six- and seven-figure gifts and is energized by building lasting donor relationships in a mission-driven organization. The Director works directly with the President & CEO on top-tier prospects and special initiatives. What You Will Do Portfolio Management & Revenue Accountability - Own and actively manage a portfolio of approximately 100 qualified prospects capable of giving at the $10,000–$1,000,000 level. - Carry direct accountability for closed gifts against annual revenue goals and KPIs set jointly with the CDSO and CEO. - Focus on securing unrestricted support for Ackerman’s core pillars and advancing the new $1 million gift strategy for the Ackerman Centers. - Move every prospect through a defined cycle of qualification, cultivation, solicitation, close, and stewardship, with a documented strategy, action steps, and KPIs for each. - Conduct 12–15 substantive donor meetings per month, primarily in person, across the active and discovery portfolios. - Maintain a discovery pipeline of new prospects being assessed for portfolio readiness, drawn from lapsed donors, wealth screening results, event guests, board and staff networks, and community referrals. Qualification, Cultivation & Solicitation - Qualify before investing time. Assess new prospects for capacity (wealth indicators, giving history, public records), affinity (mission connection, engagement), and propensity (recency, frequency, and pattern of prior giving). - Build tailored proposals. Develop individualized cases for support and written proposals that connect each donor’s interests to a specific Ackerman priority. - Prepare leadership for key meetings. Produce concise briefing materials and talking points for the CEO, CDSO, and board members ahead of cultivation and solicitation meetings, and manage follow-up. - Negotiate terms. Structure gifts in partnership with the CDSO, CEO, and Finance, including multi-year pledges, payment schedules, restricted and unrestricted use, recognition and naming opportunities, and gifts of appreciated securities. - Identify planned giving potential. Recognize and cultivate opportunities for bequests and other legacy gifts within the portfolio. - Escalate with judgment. Engage the CEO and Board Chair on principal-level relationships per protocol. Aligning Donors with the Ackerman Centers - Match each prospect to the Center or institutional priority that best fits their interests before the first solicitation conversation, and tailor proof points to that Center’s work. - Partner with clinical, training, and research leaders to draw on outcomes data, case narratives, and program framing, including Ackerman’s central case materials. Stewardship & Donor Retention - Design individualized stewardship plans for portfolio donors, including impact reporting, recognition, and meaningful access to Ackerman’s clinical and research work. - Ensure timely, accurate acknowledgments and compliance with gift agreements and donor intent, in coordination with Finance and the Development Coordinator. - Position current donors for renewal and upgrade, with a focus on multi-year commitments. Leadership, Board & Cross-Functional Partnership - Partner with the CDSO to engage board members in identifying, introducing, cultivating, and soliciting prospects. - Collaborate with colleagues on the annual Gala, cultivation events, and foundation efforts so that major donors experience one coordinated Ackerman relationship. - Contribute to overall major gifts strategy and to the continued build-out of Ackerman’s development infrastructure. Pipeline Discipline, Reporting & Systems - Maintain rigorous portfolio records in Bloomerang, with timely contact reports, stage, ask amount, and probability-to-close for every prospect. - Bring an accurate, current forecast to weekly pipeline reviews with the CDSO and to regular reviews with the CEO, and report progress against quarterly and annual goals. What We’re Looking For Required - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. - Seven or more years of major gifts or comparable high-value relationship sales experience, with a demonstrated record of personally closing six- and seven-figure gifts or deals. - Experience managing a portfolio or pipeline of 100 or more relationships, with disciplined forecasting and CRM practices. - Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills, including the ability to build trust over time and close complex, multi-stakeholder decisions. - Confidence engaging high-net-worth individuals and C-level leaders, and experience partnering with senior executives and board members in cultivation and solicitation. - Excellent written communication skills, with proposals, donor correspondence, and briefing documents that are direct, substantive, and donor-centered. - Strong, hands-on proficiency with technology and AI tools for prospective research, writing, pipeline management, and day-to-day efficiency, with the ability to describe specifically how you use them. - A record of helping build or significantly grow a major gifts program, ideally in a growing organization. - Working knowledge of gift structures, including pledges, gifts of securities, donor-advised funds, and planned gifts. - A self-directed, entrepreneurial approach and enthusiasm for working on a small, high-performing development team. - Commitment to the highest ethical standards in fundraising, including donor confidentiality and the AFP Code of Ethical Standards. - Availability for occasional evening events and local travel to donor meetings. Strongly Preferred - Experience in mental health, family services, social services, or related human services sectors - Established relationships within New York’s philanthropic community COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The base salary range is $145,000 to $165,000, commensurate with experience. The role also includes a performance bonus tied to KPIs, a competitive benefits package, and a collaborative, intellectually engaged work environment under mission-driven leadership. How to Apply Please submit a resume and a brief cover letter (no more than one page) describing a major gift relationship you are proud of and why you’re drawn to Ackerman’s mission. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed. Apply here or send materials to: dkirkland@ackerman.org Pay: $145,000.00 - $165,000.00 per year Benefits: - 403(b) - Dental insurance - Flexible schedule - Flexible spending account - Health insurance - Health savings account - Paid time off - Vision insurance People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply Work Location: Hybrid remote in New York, NY 10010
Наблюдалась 2026-10-20, впервые 2026-10-13, источник — Indeed.