Director - Individual Giving

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a nonpartisan research and policy institute that advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone — regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ZIP code, immigration status, or disability status — has the resources they need to thrive and share in the nation’s prosperity.

CBPP combines rigorous research and analysis, strategic communications, and effective advocacy to shape debates, affect policy, and inform effective implementation both nationally and in states. It works closely with a broad set of national, state, and community organizations to design and advance policies that promote economic justice; improve health; broaden opportunity in areas like housing, health care, employment, and education; and lower structural barriers for people of color and others in communities that continue to face systemic barriers to opportunity. CBPP promotes policies that will build a more equitable nation and fair tax policies that can support these gains over the long term. CBPP also shows the harmful impacts of policies and proposals that would deepen poverty, widen disparities, and worsen health outcomes.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities seeks a highly motivated and relationship-oriented Director specializing in Individual Giving to join its Development team. Reporting to the Deputy Chief Development Officer, this role provides an exciting opportunity to create and implement CBPP’s individual giving strategies with a special focus on identifying, cultivating, and stewarding new prospects. The Director will work to increase the number of major donors to CBPP from individuals, family foundations, and Donor Advised Funds. They will also manage the engagement strategies, solicitations, and data tracking and analysis needed to run a successful individual giving program, which includes creating and implementing a new recurring giving program.

The Director of Individual Giving will join CBPP’s nine-person Development team and serve as a strategic partner to the Chief Development Officer and the Deputy Chief Development Officer. They will create and lead the individual giving program strategy, including developing and growing relationships alongside CBPP’s leadership with the organization’s top donors; lead the individual giving’s moves management strategy; and work across the team to design and implement cultivation and stewardship strategies. The Director will also supervise a Development Associate, providing guidance, support, and oversight to ensure the effective execution of individual giving activities.

Responsibilities:

Individual Giving Strategy and Program Leadership

• Develop, lead, and execute a comprehensive individual giving strategy focused on significantly increasing philanthropic revenue from major donors, families, and Donor Advised Funds while building a sustainable and diversified individual giving program.
• Lead the strategic growth of CBPP’s major donor program, including identifying opportunities to expand the donor base, increase gift sizes, and secure multi-year commitments.
• Develop and implement a strategy to effectively increase the number of mission-driven donors and steward mid-level and small-dollar donors and increase their giving as appropriate, as part of creating and managing a sustainable giving program.
• Serve as CBPP’s internal expert on individual giving best practices, emerging philanthropic trends, and strategies to engage high-capacity individual donors.

Major Gifts, Prospecting, and Donor Engagement

• Lead proactive prospect identification and qualifications efforts, leveraging existing donor relationships, board and leadership networks, wealth screening, philanthropic research, and other tools to develop a robust pipeline of prospective major donors.
• Develop and execute individualized moves management strategies that advance prospective donors through identification qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Partner with the President’s office, Chief Development Officer, Deputy Chief Development Officer and other senior leaders to develop and execute high-level donor engagement and solicitation strategies, including preparing leadership for donor meetings and identifying appropriate opportunities for engagement.
• Lead the development of compelling donor proposals, investment opportunities, and solicitation materials that communicate CBPP's impact and connect its policy work to prospective donors' philanthropic interests.
• Identify opportunities to secure increased and multi-year commitments from existing supporters.
• Maintain a strong understanding of CBPP’s policy priorities and translate complex research, policy analysis, and advocacy into accessible and compelling narratives that demonstrate the value and impact of investing in policy change.

Cultivation, Stewardship, and Cross-Team Collaboration

• Partner closely with the Stewardship and Cultivation team to develop and implement coordinated engagement strategies for individual donors, including tailored communications briefings, events, and other opportunities to deepen donor relationships.
• Provide strategic direction on individual donor cultivation and stewardship priorities, ensuring activities are aligned with donor interests, giving potential and overall fundraising goals.
• Collaborate with the Stewardship and Cultivation team on major donor proposal and report creation, alignment on the most up-to-date program language, and other fundraising collateral needs.
• Work closely with the Foundations team and other Development colleagues to identify opportunities for coordinated outreach, share donor intelligence, and ensure alignment across fundraising strategies.
• Partner with CBPP’s policy experts and communications colleagues to identify compelling opportunities to engage prospective donors and demonstrate the organization’s impact.
• Develop strategies to engage board members and other organizational leaders in prospect identification, introductions, cultivation, and solicitation.
• Collaborate on the planning and execution of donor engagement events, including identifying target audiences, developing cultivation strategies, and ensuring timely and strategic follow-up.

Program Management and Accountability

• Supervise, mentor, and support the professional development of a Development Associate, providing clear direction, setting priorities, and ensuring accountability for individual giving activities and deliverables.
• Lead the development and implementation of effective systems for individual giving pipeline management, donor engagement tracking, revenue forecasting and performance measurements.
• Utilize Salesforce in accordance with team processes and procedures to track individual donor engagement, gift and contact information, and moves management steps.
• Establish clear fundraising metrics and regularly assess the effectiveness of prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, adjusting approaches as needed to achieve results.
• Provide regular updates and strategic recommendations to the Deputy Chief Development Officer and Chief Development Officer on pipeline development, revenue projections, emerging opportunities, and potential challenges.
• Contribute to the continued development of a proactive, collaborative, and results-oriented fundraising culture across CBPP.
• Participate in CBPP staff activities, proactively build cross-organizational relationships, and contribute meaningfully to an equitable and inclusive work environment.
• Perform other job-related duties within the role’s scope as assigned to support the team’s goals.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree plus ten years of experience and demonstrable success developing and growing individual giving programs and securing significant major gifts from individuals. A relevant graduate degree may be substituted for two years of work experience.
• Skilled in best practices of data-driven fundraising and growing individual giving programs.
• Strong knowledge of major gift fundraising best practices, prospect research, donor qualification, moves management, solicitation strategies, and donor stewardship.
• Experience working closely with senior organizational leaders, including presidents, executive directors, and board members, to develop and execute successful major donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and translate strategic goals into actionable plans and measurable results.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and developing staff, including setting priorities, delegating responsibilities, providing constructive feedback, and supporting professional growth.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the demonstrated ability to articulate complex ideas in clear and compelling ways and to tailor communications to different audiences as needed.
• Strong commitment to achieving economic, health, and racial justice for people with low incomes so they can meet their basic needs, and a desire to deepen knowledge of how federal, state, and local policies can address institutional and structural racism and economic segregation. While specific policy expertise is not required, the candidate should be inquisitive, eager to learn, and willing to develop a level of proficiency in CBPP’s policy areas.
• Commitment to fostering equity, inclusion, and belonging on the development team, within the organization, and across its policy, advocacy, and fundraising efforts.
• Skilled in using CRM to manage an individual giving program. Experience with Salesforce preferred.
• Experience with designing and executing events as part of a successful cultivation and stewardship strategy.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across a large organization and to build and maintain productive relationships at all levels of the organization.

This position reports to the Deputy Chief Development Officer.

Work Location and Hybrid Schedule Expectations: Employees are expected to work in the Washington, D.C. office for this position. CBPP is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule of two full in-office days (Tuesday and Wednesday) per week, as well as the first Thursday of each month in our Washington, D.C. office.

Terms of Employment: Full-time; exempt.

Bargaining Unit Status: This is not a bargaining unit position.

Compensation: Salary for this position ranges from $130,000 to $160,000 per year; pay is based on a number of factors including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience and internal pay equity. Excellent benefits (including health insurance, vision and dental coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, MERP, and DCAP) and generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday schedules.

Please upload a cover letter and resume in your application. In your cover letter, please include a discussion of what draws you to CBPP’s mission.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.