Director, Major Giving

ROLE TITLE: Director, Major Giving

POSITION REPORTS TO: SMD, Development 

PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 25, 2025

LOCATION: Greater Chicago

WHAT YOU’LL DO

All prospect & donor management roles on Field Fundraising teams are responsible for cultivating, stewarding, and managing a portfolio of donors in our local communities who share our commitment to ensuring that all children have access to an equitable and excellent education.  As a member of the Field Fundraising team, you will be a part of a team-based effort charged with developing and executing on a long-term vision and strategy to achieve our development goals for both public and private funding. In your role, you will partner with Executive Directors, regional advisory board members, and other front-line fundraisers to maximize giving, playing a key role in new donor strategy and acquisition over the next 3-5 years.

Reporting to the SMD, Development, you will be charged with raising $1-5 million or more from a portfolio of donors which may include both public and private funding.  You will work directly with the Executive Director or other field fundraisers to cultivate, solicit, and steward your portfolio of donors, and ensure the primary solicitor is well-positioned to engage with donors across fundraising streams and at all stages of the donor life cycle.  We are looking for a true team player who can make a significant contribution across a local fundraising landscape.  In partnership with local Executive Directors, the VP, Field Fundraising and other fundraisers in local markets, you will be a key contributor in developing and executing the strategy to acquire, cultivate, retain, and diversify your portfolio of donors.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• 20% - Leverage broader vision set for the local fundraising landscape to build and execute a plan for cultivating a portfolio of donors with the goal of maximizing revenue to the organization as a whole. Design and manage monthly regional stewardship and communications.

• 45% - Manage, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of individual donors—primarily gifts at the $25K+ level—ensuring that primary solicitors are well equipped to engage at all stages of the donor life cycle. Collaborate with regional staff to build bench of TFA ambassadors to support high-touch donor experiences 

• 20% - Work in close partnership with the Executive Director and other fundraisers to build the relationships necessary to advance fundraising efforts, which may include regional advisory board members 

• 10% - Consistently maintain donor, prospect, and fundraising activity information in our customer relationship management system (currently SalesForce) and leverage this information to track progress, monitor gaps, and adjust strategy and approach 

• 5% - Steward team and organizational initiatives

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most for this role (minimum qualifications): 

• Relationship Building and Management 

  • Build strong relationships with prospects, donors, and board members and/or support the primary relationship holder/solicitor through a comprehensive relationship management plan

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with a variety of internal and external constituents 

  • Ability to manage up and laterally to influence development teammates in service of donor stewardship 

• Fundraising and Development 

  • Have a solid foundation in best practices of development and fundraising 

  • Experience soliciting and stewarding a portfolio of individual major donors with the capacity to give $25K+ annually  

  • Contribute to complex fundraising and relationship management initiatives

  • Track record of meeting individual revenue goals   

• Portfolio Management

  • Leverage the market vision and overarching strategy to determine the specific approach to steward a portfolio of local donors and execute on that strategy in service of maximizing revenue to Teach For America as an enterprise

  • Monitor progress against the portfolio to ensure continuous donor stewardship

Prior experience

• Required:  At least 4+ years of related experience in development and fundraising context

• Required:  Track record of meeting and exceeding  ambitious goals managing and/or supporting the management of a portfolio of donors 

Work Demands

• Occasional weekend or evening work hours required.  

• Some travel to engage with local donors may be required  

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

The Revenue and Development team at Teach For America inspires donors and champions to contribute to shaping the future of our country by investing in Teach For America’s work with students nationally and regionally.  We aim to source investments that fuel our work and impact with a revenue growth trajectory to raise $300 million annually.  This role will be an essential part of the Field Fundraising arm of the Revenue and Development team, maximizing the contributions of local donors across multiple regions of the country.  

YOUR COMPENSATION

The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary range between the minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.

• Tier B $85,700 - $110,500

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here.