Senior Director of Major and Principal Donors

About the Organization:

The Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is the global leader in using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the non-profit, non-partisan organization has regional offices in Bogota, Geneva, Nairobi, and Washington, DC, and a staff of approximately 200 diverse professionals. The Center’s compelling human rights mission and reputation for excellence and cutting-edge legal work has powered its exceptional growth trajectory to an operating budget of over $40 million and won the respect of the world’s leading law firms, as reflected in the additional $25 million annually in donated legal services, representing the work last year of 820 lawyers in 46 countries. 

The overarching goal of the Center’s new Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they do today. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since its founding in 1992, the Center’s game-changing litigation and advocacy, combined with its unparalleled expertise in constitutional, comparative, and international human rights law, have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, contraception, abortion, and assisted reproduction. It has won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies, led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights, and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 60 countries and counting.

To learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, go to www.reproductiverights.org.

About the Opportunity:

The incoming Senior Director of Major and Principal Donors (SDMPD) will have the high-impact opportunity to join a world-class team that is a driving force for change on the global stage. The Center for Reproductive Rights is at a pivotal point of opportunity and challenge as it looks to kick off its 30^th anniversary in June 2022: following years of consistent growth and demand, the Center is now launching its ambitious new Strategic Plan to build, enforce, and defend legal guarantees to reproductive autonomy and to access reproductive healthcare. This unparalleled opportunity to build a rights-protective legal environment is in the context of profound external challenges from reactionary forces seeking to turn back the clock on gender equality and human rights. The Center is prepared for both offense and defense in ensuring an enabling legal environment, and its donors are loyal, responsive, and motivated to support the work on both fronts. Major and principal gifts currently comprise approximately 52% of the Center’s annual revenue and that share will increase under the Center’s new Strategic Plan, making this role a critical contributor to the Center’s future success.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO), the incoming SDMPD will bring passion for the mission of the Center alongside a proven track record of success leading major and principal  giving, both as a highly successful fundraiser and as an inspiring and motivating team leader. The SDMPD will guide the vision and strategy for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and engaging major and principal donors in the Center’s work around the globe; manage a geographically distributed team of Gift Officers and support staff; and foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and ambition among the team.

The SDMPD will be based in NYC and requires the ability to travel up to 30% of the time.

Areas of Leadership: 

Visioning & Leading Major and Principal Giving Strategy: In partnership with the CDO, create compelling fundraising initiatives in support of the Center’s new five-year Strategic Plan, including initiatives to expand and diversify our major donor pipelines. Design and implement annual and multi-year fundraising plans and targets for major and principal gifts, including the Center’s annual benefit events in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and other fundraising events. Develop a principal gift program and strengthen the planned giving program, including visioning and implementing strategies for incorporating planned giving opportunities into the major and principal giving program. Strategically leverage the CEO and Board of Directors to engage and retain major and principal donors. Create opportunities to build a “home” for supporters, ensuring long-term engagement and giving. Develop metrics to monitor and evaluate performance and progress toward goals.

Raising Funds: Grow revenue from major and principal donors to meet and exceed annually established targets for major and principal gifts. Significantly expand the size of the major donor pool and its diversity, including by demographics, geography, and areas of interest; oversee an integrated pipeline of donors. Maintain a portfolio of major and principal donors and cultivate, solicit, secure, and steward new seven- and eight-figure gifts.

Team Leadership: Lead and manage a geographically distributed team of gift officers, inspiring and motivating the team to achieve goals. Support a culture of collaboration and trust within the team and among departments. Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the development team and across the organization. Ensure the necessary systems, structures, and processes are in place to support the Center’s sustained growth.

Key Qualifications:

Mission & Values Alignment: Commitment to advancing reproductive rights as human rights. Demonstrated fit with Center’s core values: globally inclusive, integrity, excellence, and impact. Possesses a global mindset and understands the contextual differences within the countries and core constituencies with which we work. 

Fundraising Expertise: At least 15 years of experience and relationships with major donor constituencies, and a strong track record as a proven fundraiser, including: personally cultivating and securing principal gifts from high net worth and ultra high net worth donors; using data to drive strategy and decisions; and developing the case for support across a broad universe of donors. History of successfully developing and articulating a major giving strategy for an organization, and then driving the implementation of that strategy with and through boards, executive leaders, and major gift officers. Experience fundraising for organizations that have operations in the global south is a strong plus.

Development Team Leadership Experience: Phenomenal strategist, team leader, and people manager with a track record of leading teams around a vision and through organizational change. Proven ability to structure, staff, and lead a cohesive, goal-oriented, and successful team.

Relationship Building & Collaboration: Ability to listen deeply, cultivate connections, break down silos, foster collaboration, and build a culture of trust within the development department, across the organization, and with external stakeholders. History of building lasting relationships at all levels of an organization. Ability to establish credibility and trust with diverse constituencies.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all groups and communities to apply.