Director of Philanthropy

Location: Remote or Hybrid (Chicago,IL)
Status: Full-time | Exempt
Salary: $100,000-$110,000

Position Overview

The Director of Philanthropy will play a critical role in advancing the mission of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) and its affiliate organization, the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER), by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding significant philanthropic investments from individuals. Reporting to the VP of Advancement, this newly created role will manage a portfolio of current and prospective donors capable of making leadership-level contributions. This position is responsible for building strong, personalized relationships with donors and aligning their philanthropic interests with the organization’s strategic priorities. This role also contributes to advancing public awareness by ensuring that donor engagement strategies effectively communicate NAVS’ impact, leadership, and vision for humane science. Through disciplined moves management and proactive pipeline development, the Director of Philanthropy will grow a robust base of major donors and secure philanthropic investments that accelerate the organization’s mission.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gifts Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 75–125 major donors and prospects capable of making gifts of $5,000-$1,000,000.
• Identify, research, and qualify new prospects using donor data and analytics, prospecting tools, and strategic direct outreach.
• Develop and execute individualized strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward each assigned donor.
• Actively build and manage a dynamic pipeline of qualified major gift prospects to ensure sustained revenue growth.
• Utilize moves management best practices to track, prioritize, and advance donors through each stage of the giving lifecycle.
• Set and achieve annual revenue goals and key performance metrics related to major gift fundraising.

Donor Cultivation & Solicitation

• Build and sustain meaningful donor relationships through personalized outreach, including correspondence, calls, meetings, visits, and events.
• Conduct regular one-on-one donor meetings (in-person and virtual) to deepen engagement and uncover philanthropic interests.
• Develop and present compelling funding proposals and giving opportunities aligned with donor motivations and organizational priorities.
• Solicit and close major gifts independently and in partnership with senior leadership and the board.
• Identify opportunities to upgrade donors and secure multi-year pledges and planned gifts.

Donor Stewardship & Public Engagement

• Ensure timely, strategic stewardship of major donors and planned givers through personalized communications, impact reporting, and recognition.
• Translate complex programmatic, scientific, and policy developments into clear, compelling donor communications that increase understanding of and engagement with humane science.
• Work closely with program teams to distill data, research advancements, and advocacy outcomes into meaningful donor updates and impact reports.
• Leverage donor communications as an opportunity to deepen awareness of NAVS’ mission, priorities, and leadership in advancing alternatives to animal testing.
• Lead the planning and execution of donor cultivation events and mission-driven experiences that both strengthen relationships and elevate public understanding of key issues.
• Collaborate with the NAVS woman’s board to expand prospect universe and engage their support of donor cultivation events and annual board appeal.
• Identify opportunities to engage donors as informed ambassadors by equipping them with knowledge, resources, and messaging aligned with NAVS’ education and advocacy goals.

Collaboration & Organizational Engagement

• Partner with the VP of Advancement to develop strategies that transition major donors into planned giving and long-term philanthropic commitments.
• Develop written proposals and custom communications from NAVS leadership that articulate strategy, need, impact while offering a custom, high-touch experience to key prospects.
• Collaborate with program staff and scientific leadership to align funding opportunities with organizational priorities and emerging initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to ensure consistency and strength in major donor messaging.
• Work with the Development Specialist to ensure accurate CRM tracking, donor recognition, and stewardship execution.
• Support senior leadership and board members in donor engagement by preparing briefing materials and follow-up communications.
• Represent NAVS at donor meetings, events, and external engagements as appropriate.

Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate donor and prospect records, research profiles, engagement plans, and activity reports within the CRM.
• Track and report progress toward revenue goals, portfolio performance, and pipeline development.
• Ensure compliance with ethicx1al fundraising standards and donor confidentiality requirements.

Additional Duties as Assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising, including direct responsibility managing major gifts or individual giving programs.
• Demonstrated success cultivating and soliciting six-figure-plus gifts.
• Proven track record meeting or exceeding fundraising goals.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to inspire philanthropic investment.
• Excellent written and verbal communications, including funding proposal development and donor correspondence.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific and ethical concepts clearly and compellingly to diverse audiences.
• Experience using CRM databases to track and report upon fundraising performance and donor activity.
• Experience using prospecting tools to identify, evaluate, and prioritize prospective donors.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly for donor meetings, cultivation events, and organizational activities (approximately two-plus trips per month).

Required Candidate Attributes

• Upholds the highest standards of integrity and ethical fundraising practices.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and safeguards donor privacy and sensitive information.
• Demonstrates sound judgment and discretion in all interactions with donors and other external partners.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally with senior leadership, board members, scientific advisors, and program leads.
• Belief in NAVS’ mission and commitment to advancing humane science.
• Strategic thinker who can translate donor interests into meaningful philanthropic opportunities.
• Highly collaborative team member who thrives in a mission-driven, nonprofit environment.
• Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work both independently and within a team.

Location Considerations

This is a remote or hybrid position, open to candidates anywhere in the contiguous U.S., with preferential consideration given to applicants in the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metro areas. Chicago-area candidates selected for this role are expected to maintain a hybrid schedule, working on-site three days per week when not traveling for donor meetings.