Director, Major Gifts

Job Title: Director, Major Gifts

• Organizational Unit: Development
• Reports To: Chief Development Officer
• Supervises: Mid-level Giving & Prospecting Officer

Location: Equality Now is a remote organization. This position may be based in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, or Washington, D.C., with a strong preference for candidates based in New York.

MISSION OBJECTIVE:

The Director, Major Gifts plays a pivotal role in advancing Equality Now’s global mission by leading and growing a major gifts portfolio, including gala sponsorships, mid-level giving and donor engagement. In partnership with the Chief Development Officer and Chief Executive Officer, the Director translates Equality Now’s development strategy into actionable fundraising plans, strengthens donor pipelines and systems, and cultivates meaningful relationships with individuals, family foundations, and philanthropic networks. This role spans strategy, donor cultivation and stewardship, portfolio management, events, executive engagement, and team leadership, and collaborates closely with Annual Giving & Development Operations functions. It requires an experienced fundraising leader with sound judgment, strong relationship-management skills, cross-cultural fluency, and the ability to translate Equality Now’s complex legal and programmatic work into compelling opportunities for philanthropic investment.

The Director will have the opportunity to shape and strengthen Equality Now’s Individual and Major Giving program during an important period of organizational growth. The successful candidate must be comfortable building systems, navigating complexity, inspiring donors and colleagues, and building the capacity of supervisee(s) and other junior staff focused on securing sustainable revenue to advance legal and systemic change for women and girls worldwide.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following provides a general outline of the role. It is not exhaustive, and responsibilities may evolve at the discretion of the CDO based on organizational needs and priorities.

Purpose: Innovate for Mission Expansion

Serve as the senior lead for operationalizing the Individual & Major Giving strategy, translating our 2026-2030 development strategy into actionable plans, systems, and donor pathways across the full Individual Giving portfolio.

Drive the execution and refinement of Equality Now’s high-touch major donor growth strategy, including implementing a network-mapping approach, strengthening Advisory Board and Ambassador engagement, building individualized strategies for UHNW, and designing innovative donor/prospect engagement initiatives (eg-salons, donor cohorts, donor journeys, in-kind/volunteer opportunities for mission impact)

Partner with the CEO and CDO to support high-value donor/prospect cultivation and shape donor-facing opportunities aligned with organizational priorities, advising on donor motivations, portfolio insights, and potential engagement opportunities.

Provide strategic leadership to align all tiers of individual giving— major gifts, gala sponsorships, mid-level, and annual giving—ensuring cohesive messaging, clear donor journeys, and seamless handoffs between donor segments.

• •Lead maintenance and continuous improvement of pipeline development and tracking practices, including
• donor qualification, engagement strategies, moves management, and standardized systems that enhance efficiency, clarity, and visibility across the portfolio.

Lead/guide the development of donor-facing cases for support, investment opportunities, and strategic offerings, ensuring they reflect Equality Now’s mission, program vision, and funder-aligned messaging.

Engagement: Advocate

Manage a portfolio of high-value donors and prospects , cultivating deep, trust-based relationships with individuals and family foundations capable of $10,000–$250,000+ giving, while identifying opportunities and supporting leadership-level engagement.

Support CEO and CDO engagement with top-tier donors and prospects , preparing strategic briefings, donor intelligence, outreach recommendations, follow-up plans, and bespoke cultivation opportunities.

Oversee and elevate the mid-level donor program, ensuring a compelling donor journey that supports upgrades and helps to surface and convert major donor prospects.

Engage and activate Advisory Board members and other supporters and ambassadors , partnering with them to leverage networks, cultivate prospective donors, support events, and build community around Equality Now.

Serve as an external ambassador for Equality Now , representing the mission with fluency in global women’s rights and human rights–cultivating relationships and expanding networks in philanthropic and peer spaces.

Ensure donor experiences reflect mission-driven, community-centered engagement, including opportunities to meet international staff, join learning conversations, attend cultivation events, and participate in curated donor experiences.

Strengthen departmental and cross-departmental collaboration , to ensure donor messaging is programmatically accurate, compelling, and aligned with organizational impact narratives, and that the development program gains efficiencies and effectiveness through collaboration across corporate, institutional and individual giving.

Delivery: Define Project Cycle

Lead the operational management of the entire Major & Mid-levelGiving portfolio, overseeing processes, timelines, deliverables, and performance standards across major gifts, gala sponsorships, mid-level giving, and annual giving .

Implement and oversee strong systems for donor/prospect planning and tracking, including moves management, portfolio assignment, forecasting, and performance analytics, ensuring leadership always has clear visibility into pipeline health.

Partner with the Manager, Annual Fund & Development Operations , to ensure excellence in development operations, data integrity, analytics, and annual fund growth strategies.

Contribute to the planning and execution of high-impact donor events with Comms & Development colleagues, including the gala, cultivation salons, and community-building convenings, ensuring events advance the 2026-2030 development strategy and build momentum for donor/prospect engagement and pipeline development.

Develop individualized donor strategies and annual engagement plans , ensuring they are tailored to the donors’ interests, mission-centered, and coordinated with leadership involvement and organizational priorities and opportunities.

Produce high-quality donor communications and materials , partnering with Programs and Communications to prepare proposals, impact updates, donor briefings and reports, strategic correspondence, and leadership-level messaging.

Ensure accurate reporting, analytics, and revenue projections , synthesizing donor engagement metrics, portfolio movement, and pipeline health to support leadership decision-making and organizational planning.

Drive continuous learning and adaptive planning , integrating donor insights, event performance, campaign outcomes, and Strategic Plan benchmarks into ongoing improvements to Major Giving and Mid-level gift operations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position supervises staff and is responsible for providing leadership, guidance, development, and performance management. Responsibilities may evolve based on organizational needs.

Leadership and Team Management

Provide clear direction, priorities, and performance expectations to direct reports.

Hold regular check-ins, monitor performance, provide timely feedback, and support professional growth.

Foster an inclusive, accountable, transparent, and high-performing team culture.

Address operational and personnel issues promptly, fairly, and in coordination with People & Culture when appropriate.

Performance and Development

Conduct performance reviews and identify individual and