Associate Director, Major Gifts and Philanthropic Partnerships

Organization Summary

EngenderHealth envisions a gender-equal world where all people achieve their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We believe this is essential for ensuring all people can achieve their full potential. To achieve this vision, we implement high-quality, gender-equitable programs and drive innovation through strong partnerships and inclusive practices.

EngenderHealth values diversity in lived experience, perspectives, and professional backgrounds and is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Major Gifts and Philanthropic Partnerships is responsible for developing and executing major gifts strategies aligned with organizational fundraising priorities to grow EngenderHealth’s portfolio of individual and institutional supporters, with a focus on securing six- and seven-figure commitments. This role leads the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), family foundations, small foundations, and values-aligned corporate and philanthropic partners.

The Associate Director works closely with members of the Strategic Growth and Engagement Team, the President & CEO, and the Board of Directors to strengthen relationships with existing donors while building a robust pipeline of new prospects and philanthropic partnerships.

A key priority of this role is new donor acquisition and long-term portfolio growth through strategic prospect identification, cultivation and engagement.

The role also supports the development and coordination of moves management processes, donor tracking systems, and reporting practices that strengthen fundraising accountability, pipeline visibility, and cross-functional collaboration across development operations.

This role is ideal for a relationship-driven fundraising professional who can move effectively between donor strategy, relationship management, operational coordination, and revenue generation in support of EngenderHealth’s philanthropic growth goals. Given the lean and entrepreneurial nature of the team, the Associate Director must also be highly self-directed and comfortable managing both strategic engagement and day-to-day operational responsibilities and ensuring timely follow-through across cultivation and stewardship activities. It offers a unique opportunity to join EngenderHealth at a pivotal moment of strategic growth and renewed investment in philanthropic partnerships.

The role operates with a high degree of autonomy within established organizational fundraising priorities and frameworks, escalating enterprise-level or high-risk decisions as appropriate.

Essential Functions

Essential functions represent the fundamental duties of the position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Major Gifts Strategy and Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute a comprehensive major gifts strategy aligned with organizational fundraising priorities to grow unrestricted and programmatic support from individuals and institutions, including through donor advised funds and planned giving, with a strong focus on six- and seven-figure gifts

• Develop and then manage a portfolio of 75–100 high-capacity prospects and donors with the potential to give $10,000+ annually

• Lead efforts to identify, qualify, and cultivate new HNWIs, small family foundations, and corporate foundations through personal networks, referrals, research, and events

• Build and maintain a robust pipeline for future growth through targeted prospecting and outreach; track progress in Salesforce

Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Lead the creation of customized cultivation and stewardship plans for top donors and prospects

• Craft compelling donor materials including proposals, pitch decks, and personalized impact reports

• Collaborate with the CEO and senior leadership to prepare for and support high-level donor meetings and engagements

• Develop strategies to engage the Board and other ambassadors in donor outreach and events

• Represent EngenderHealth externally at events, briefings, and one-on-one donor meetings (domestic and international travel may be required)

• Coordinate with the communications and operations teams to ensure effective donor communications and data tracking

Systems, Accountability, and Pipeline Development

• Implement clear moves management practices and coordinated donor tracking processes to ensure consistent donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities are logged and followed through

• Strengthen major donor pipeline tracking and proposal reporting systems in collaboration with internal teams

• Collaborate closely with other development staff to ensure accurate data capture, prospect tagging, and gift tracking workflows support revenue goals

• Establish and maintain consistent internal reporting processes to track proposal progress, donor touchpoints, and revenue forecasts across the portfolio

  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit leadership, development, or strategic partnerships

• Typically 8-12 years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrated success securing five and six- -figure gifts

• Strong network and demonstrated success in building new donor pools, donor acquisition, and pipeline development, with measurable results in expanding a supporter base

• Proven ability to design and implement systems for moves management, pipeline reporting, and proposal tracking in partnership with operations teams

• Demonstrated experience scaling or revitalizing major gifts program, with long-term growth in mind

• Deep understanding of major donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship best practices

• Experience with family and community foundations, donor advised funds, and planned giving

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to develop high-impact donor materials and engage stakeholders with clarity and warmth

• Proven ability to build strong relationships with senior-level donors, partners, and board members

• Familiarity with philanthropic trends, particularly in gender equity, reproductive health, or global development is strongly preferred

• Experience working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented nonprofit or campaign environment

• Experience with CRM tools (Salesforce preferred) and donor prospecting platforms

• Commitment to EngenderHealth’s mission and values

  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit, global health, reproductive health, gender equality, human rights, or international development sectors.

• Experience with corporate giving and raising funds from individual donors outside of the US

Travel Requirements

Occasional domestic travel may be required with reasonable accommodation as needed to participate in team meetings and external engagements. Occasional international travel may also be required to support proposal development efforts.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

This position primarily involves computer-based work in an office or remote environment. Duties may include extended periods of computer use, participating in virtual meetings, and communicating effectively in written and spoken formats.

Work may be performed with or without assistive technology.

Reasonable accommodations may include ergonomic equipment, adaptive technologies, modified schedules, alternative communication methods, or other supports provided in accordance with applicable law and organizational policy.

Flexible work arrangements may be available based on business needs.