Explore a Career with ServeMinnesota
Director of Individual Giving
ServeMinnesota seeks a strategic, relationship-driven, and entrepreneurial Director of Individual Giving to build and lead a major gifts program. This newly created role is a key component of ServeMinnesota’s organizational strategy to expand philanthropic investment in national service, educational opportunity, workforce development, and community impact across Minnesota.
Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director of Individual Giving will build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000+ annually while building systems, strategies, and culture necessary for long-term individual giving growth.
This position will supervise the Donor Relations Manager and partner closely with organizational leadership, board members, and teams to strengthen ServeMinnesota’s culture of philanthropy and donor engagement efforts.
The ideal candidate will be:
Relationship-centered, mission-driven, and strategic
Aligned with ServeMinnesota’s values: Community, Partnership, Innovation, and Accountability
Entrepreneurial and motivated to build a growing fundraising function
This position is based in downtown Minneapolis and currently working a hybrid schedule. The Director of Individual Giving is required to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week.
Essential Job Functions
Individual Giving Strategy
Build and lead ServeMinnesota’s major gifts program, including strategy and systems
Develop and implement donor pipeline strategies that support long-term philanthropic growth
Support a culture of philanthropy across the organization
Partner with the Chief Development Officer to establish annual and multi-year major gifts goals and fundraising strategies
Contribute to department-wide planning, forecasting, and strategy
Portfolio Management
Manage an active portfolio of 30+ major donors and prospects with capacity to give $25,000+ ($100,000 over three years)
Conduct donor discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities through meetings, calls, events, and personalized outreach
Develop written strategies and plans for cultivation, stewardship and solicitation meetings with donors
Gathers, records, and properly stores information about suspects, prospects and donors utilizing the Prospect Tracking System in Serve’s database of record
Build meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors; coordinate and participate in suspect, prospect and donor meetings, visits and trips.
Utilize donor data, analytics, and relationship mapping to identify new major gift opportunities
Prepare donor proposals, briefing materials, and personalized communications
Partner with executive leadership and board members to advance donor relationships and philanthropic opportunities
Work closely with the CDO to develop planned gift strategies where appropriate and develop an understanding of the principles and techniques associated with planned giving and financial and estate planning
Work closely with DRM to identify, qualify, and “move up” mid-level donors with the capacity to make a major gift
Performs other duties as assigned
Leadership & Collaboration
Play a leadership role in donor cultivation events and gatherings
Represent ServeMinnesota at meetings, events, and community gatherings
Other Job Functions
Perform special projects or assignments as directed.
Provide services that consistently support ServeMinnesota’s ability to inclusively engage Minnesotans from a diversity of backgrounds as grantees, service recipients, AmeriCorps members and partners.
Job Qualifications
Minimum
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
8+ years of progressive fundraising experience, including major gifts and individual donor relationship management
Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors at the $25,000+ level, including multi-year gifts
Experience managing donor portfolios and meeting fundraising goals and activity metrics
Strong understanding of moves management and donor pipeline development
Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and communication skills
Strong writing and storytelling abilities, including proposal and donor communication development
Experience working collaboratively across teams and engaging senior leaders or volunteer boards in fundraising efforts
Proficiency with donor CRM systems
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Preferred
Experience building or scaling a major gifts program
Familiarity with planned giving
Experience in education, workforce development, public service, youth development, or community impact organizations
Knowledge of Minnesota philanthropic networks and communities
What We Offer:
Competitive salary range of $100,000 to $120,000 depending on experience.
Comprehensive benefits package including 403b retirement plan
Hybrid work environment with flexibility
Meaningful work with a mission-driven team
Opportunities for professional development and advancement
A welcoming culture of learning and collaboration
About ServeMinnesota
ServeMinnesota is an innovation engine that creates programs that meet communities where they are to improve lives in Minnesota and across the country. We know because we invest in the data to prove it. Our research focus sets the standard for national service. All programs are tested, proven and tested again, verifying that they do what they are supposed to do. Our outcomes boost education, stabilize housing, aid recovery and allow communities to do more.
ServeMinnesota is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment united by our shared mission.
AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.
