Assistant Director, Major Gifts

The Major Gifts team is dedicated to securing sustained transformational philanthropic support for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center by engaging with new and existing donors across the United States.  Major Gift officers heavily prospect for new donor opportunities and plan/execute on deeply meaningful cultivation strategies for high net-worth constituents and stakeholders (new and established) for the purpose of soliciting and closing six and seven-figure philanthropic gifts.  Philanthropy carries forth all fundraising efforts with a donor-centric focus and gift officers are empowered to maximize the donor’s engagement experience through meaningful moves along carefully planned strategies that align donor passions with areas in need of philanthropic support.   

In advancement of the institution’s largest philanthropic campaign in history, MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking an Assistant Director, Major Gifts to join the Individual Giving team.  The Assistant Director, Major Gifts will heavily prospect for major gift donors in a designated travel territory, conceptualizing highly customized cultivation strategies for individual constituents and stakeholders to personally solicit and secure philanthropic gifts in excess of $100,000 for the institution’s fundraising priorities.  In partnership with Planned Giving colleagues, this gift officer will also qualify for and present opportunities for planned gifts.  This development professional will be highly adept in matching donor interests with institutional fundraising priorities.  This professional will work alongside institution Faculty, volunteers, and leadership as part of cultivating prospective donors and grateful families.  The Assistant Director will pursue growth and sustainability of an individual portfolio comprised of approximately 85-100 constituents, meaningfully engaging all donors in his/her/their accountability and establishing a constituent portfolio that generates a minimum of $2 million in gift revenue annually.  

KEY FUNCTIONS 
 

Stakeholder Engagement (50%) 

Display the ability to qualify, cultivate and solicit new donors to the institution. Display social awareness, professional etiquette and the ability to interact and build rapport with donors, faculty and institutional leaders. Engage with a wide range of constituencies with social fluency and garner their trust as to influence donor behavior. Appropriately align donors to giving opportunities and orchestrate and facilitate meaningful engagements. 

Collaboration and Teaming (30%) 

Actively partner with donors, peers, faculty and divisional leadership on donor strategy development, donor strategy execution and other projects. Gift officer will develop networks, engage in cross-functional activities to deliver on stakeholder engagement. Gift officer will be able to work co-operatively with all stakeholders, contribute to the success of collaborative work teams and support completion of initiative or project to achieve stated goals. 

Perception and Attentiveness (20%) 

Accurately assess interests of prospective donors; organize and present information in thoughtful and engaging ways, constantly shift between multiple activities and sources of information, maintain situational awareness, institutional awareness and adeptly navigate cross functional prospect teams in support of donor engagement, solicitation and stewardship plans.