Director of Individual Giving

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Director of Individual Giving serves as a frontline fundraising leader responsible for advancing Wentworth Institute of Technology’s leadership, major, and planned giving efforts. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Development, the Director provides strategic leadership for the university’s individual giving program while managing and coaching a team of Leadership Gift Officers.

As a player-coach, the Director maintains an active portfolio of approximately 150 prospects capable of making five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts and develops strategies that result in significant philanthropic investment in Wentworth’s priorities. The successful candidate will be a collaborative and resilient fundraising leader who combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach to donor engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

Individual Giving Leadership and Strategy:

• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies that increase leadership, major, and planned giving support for institutional priorities.
• Establish long-range cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for assigned prospects and donors.
• Lead portfolio management and moves management strategy for the individual giving team, ensuring best practices and consistent progress toward fundraising goals.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Vice President for Development to establish annual goals, performance expectations, and key performance indicators for individual giving activities.
• Partner closely with the Executive Director of Lifetime Engagement and Annual Giving to strengthen donor pipeline development through annual giving, alumni engagement, and the planned giving marketing program.

Frontline Fundraising and Portfolio Management:

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 prospects capable of making five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts to the university.
• Develop and execute best-practice fundraising strategies and long-range plans for the successful identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of assigned prospects.
• Conduct an average of 10-12 substantive prospect meetings per month for the purpose of qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospective donors.
• Personally solicit and secure $1,500,000+ annually.
• Prepare compelling gift proposals, donor strategies, and stewardship plans that advance philanthropic investment.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence in making direct requests for philanthropic support and guiding donors through the decision-making process.
• Support the cultivation and solicitation of principal gift prospects in partnership with the Vice President for University Advancement and Assistant Vice President for Development.

Team Leadership and Staff Development

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and professional development for Leadership Gift Officers.
• Foster a culture of accountability, resilience, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews, strategy discussions, and performance evaluations.
• Serve as a mentor and resource for frontline fundraisers while modeling effective donor engagement and solicitation practices.
• Encourage teamwork and knowledge sharing across the Advancement division.

Industry, Alumni, and Campus Partnerships

• Collaborate with deans, faculty, administrators, and advancement colleagues to advance fundraising priorities across the university.
• Partner with the Senior Associate Director of Industry Engagement to identify, engage, cultivate, and solicit alumni and industry leaders whose professional influence and philanthropic capacity may advance institutional priorities.
• Engage university volunteers and advisory board members in fundraising activities and donor relationship-building efforts.

Annual Giving and Division-Wide Support

• Actively participate in annual giving initiatives, including cultivation and solicitation of President's Society donors ($1,000+ annually), key annual campaigns, and Wentworth's giving day.
• Support donor engagement events, volunteer activities, and university-wide advancement initiatives.
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration by sharing information, offering assistance when needed, and supporting shared goals across the division.

Administrative and Operational Responsibilities

• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely records of donor engagement, strategies, proposals, and outcomes within the university's CRM system.
• Complete administrative responsibilities related to travel, expenses, donor correspondence, and reporting in a timely manner.
• Analyze portfolio performance and fundraising metrics to inform strategy and decision making.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, ethical fundraising standards, and applicable regulations.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Five to seven years of progressively responsible fundraising, advancement, development, sales, or relationship management experience.

• Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising principles and best practices.

• Proven track record of success managing major gift prospects and securing gifts in at least the five- and six-figure range.

• Experience supervising, mentoring, or leading professional staff.

• High degree of resilience with a positive can-do attitude.

• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills across multiple mediums, including video conferencing.

• Proficiency with computers, CRM systems, and data management practices.

• Strong collaboration and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to handle confidential information responsibly and interact professionally with a wide spectrum of individuals and constituencies.

• Willingness and ability to travel regionally and nationally, with occasional evening and weekend commitments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education fundraising.

• Experience managing fundraising staff to achieve ambitious goals

• Experience supporting a comprehensive campaign.

• Experience securing planned gifts and incorporating gift planning strategies into donor conversations.

• Familiarity with fundraising analytics, donor pipeline management, and advancement CRM systems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position supervises two Leadership Gift Officers.

Position Details:

The job grade for this position is Grade 9.

The expected salary for this position is between $90,000 - $113,000 which reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this role.

At this time, the university is unable to sponsor applicants for H-1B visas.

This is a hybrid position requiring on-site work 1-2 days per week.

Compensation and Benefits

Wentworth Institute of Technology is committed to fair, transparent, and legally compliant compensation practices. We believe that clarity about pay structures and ranges supports equity, fosters trust, and ensures a positive workplace for all employees.

Please visit here to see the comprehensive benefits package offered to support the best experience for our employees. https://wit.edu/careers/work-wentworth

Inclusive Excellence at Wentworth

Inclusive Excellence is one of the four pillars of the Strategic Plan. Actively and intentionally cultivating a diverse and culturally competent institution where each member has the opportunity and support to reach their full potential and make contributions to our campus community and beyond is Inclusive Excellence at Wentworth.

To find out more about the Wentworth’s commitment to Inclusive Excellence, please visit the website https://wit.edu/about/inclusive-excellence.

All applicants have the right to accessibility support and accommodations. To request accessibility support or accommodations, contact the Executive Director of Equity and Compliance, Catlin Wells, at [email protected].

E-Verify for Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)

Wentworth participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an internet-based system that compares information from your Form I-9 to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.