Sr. Director, Principal and Major Giving
THE ORGANIZATION
Feeding Westchester is looking for people with the passion, courage, and creativity to create meaningful change in the lives of others. As a member of the Feeding America network of food banks and Westchester County’s leading hunger relief organization, we moved nearly 22 million pounds of food to agencies and partners across Westchester County, including food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, and schools last fiscal year. We supplied 17 million meals to children, families, and seniors, mobilized 11,000 volunteers, and raised over $17 million in donations and government support to help end hunger.
Feeding Westchester's mission is to nourish our neighbors in the fight against hunger. As the heart of a network of more than 200 partners, we source and distribute food, and other resources, to communities across Westchester. We envision a community where all people have access to the food they need today, and the fundamental resources to build a better tomorrow.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Feeding Westchester has an exciting opportunity for a passionate and mission driven Senior Director, Principal and Major Giving. The Senior Director, Principal & Major Giving, reporting to the VP, Development, Marketing and Communications, will be a key leader on the Development team at Feeding Westchester. This individual will develop and execute strategies to secure transformational philanthropic support (6 and 7-figure gifts) from individual donors, while also overseeing the mid-level program, recurring donor and direct response programs. The Senior Director will play a pivotal role in ensuring that donors experience meaningful engagement with the organization, resulting in deeper relationships and increased philanthropic commitment. As the Senior Director, you will serve as the primary architect and catalyst for Feeding Westchester’s principal gifts strategy, focusing on building a sustainable pipeline of 7-figure donors who can help realize the organization’s vision of ending hunger in the community. This role directly manages the Director, Individual Giving, and Senior Manager Donor Relations; and collaborates with the Director, Marketing and Communications, Director, Development Operations and Senior Director, Corporate, Foundations & Community; and works closely with the Leadership Team including the CEO.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive fundraising experience, with a proven track record of closing 6 and 7-figure gifts from individual donors.
- Demonstrated success designing strategies that led to 7-figure philanthropic commitments from high-net-worth individuals.
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Business, Marketing, Nonprofit Management) or equivalent work experience. Advanced degree or CFRE certification a plus.
- Experience working on 8 figure Capital or Comprehensive Campaigns is a plus.
- Strong supervisory experience, with the ability to hire, train, mentor, and retain high-performing development professionals.
- Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire a range of stakeholders.
- Strategic thinker adept at developing and executing results-driven fundraising plans and budgets.
- Proficiency in CRM and fundraising software (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or similar), as well as reporting tools.
- Familiarity or experience with hunger relief or other social services preferred; passion for the mission of ending hunger is essential.
Required Knowledge/Skills
- Strong project management and organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail; ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Expertise with Excel a necessity; Very comfortable working with numbers, creating spreadsheets.
- Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem solving with strong decision-making capability.
- Resourceful team player, with emotional maturity and ability to be effective independently.
- Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
- Actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
- Results-driven, with a focus on both individual and team success.
- Collaborative leadership style, effective at building rapport across diverse teams.
- Adaptable, resourceful, and innovative, with the ability to thrive in a dynamic nonprofit environment.
- High integrity and ethical standards, demonstrating dedication to Feeding Westchester’s mission.
- Valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle to ensure ability to travel independently for Feeding Westchester business.
ABOUT US Feeding Westchester provides a competitive benefits package including paid time off, Medical/Dental/Vision coverages, 403(b) retirement plan with discretionary employer contribution, company-paid Life and LTD insurances, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and other ancillary benefits. Feeding Westchester is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services or any other category protected by law. Feeding Westchester is committed to continually working to ensure we have an equitable and inclusive environment in place to support our diverse team. We strive to create professional growth paths for all who want them and a just culture that will support both internal collaboration and the work we do for our local community.
SALARY RANGE: (based on experience) $160-170k (Based on experience)
