Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts
9 days ago
Houston
Job Description Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts | Advancement Team About Good Reason Houston Good Reason Houston exists to ensure that every child, in every neighborhood of Houston, has access to a world-class public education and the opportunity to thrive in the Houston of tomorrow. From a child’s first day of Pre-K to their first day on the job, we work to make sure every student is prepared for success in school, career, and life. Anchored in a cradle-to-career vision, Good Reason Houston is driven by a bold North Star Goal: to double the rate of public school graduates earning a living wage by 2040, positioning economic mobility as the ultimate measure of student success. Achieving this goal requires collaboration across sectors, and Good Reason Houston serves as Houston’s regional education backbone, uniting public school systems, higher education institutions, employers, and civic leaders around a shared vision for student success. Good Reason Houston builds awareness of, advocates for, and advises school systems on measures aimed to improve the quality of education available to all. Today the organization partners with 25 public school systems that collectively serve 700,000 students across 900 public schools in the Houston region. We seek to cultivate a shared regional vision for educational quality, to build the capacity for change required within districts and the greater Houston community, and to foster collective ownership to support student-level results for kids across our city. For more information, please visit . About the Role Good Reason Houston is seeking a strategic and highly motivated Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts to serve as a key frontline fundraiser on our growing Advancement team. This role is essential to advancing our philanthropic strategy, with a focus on driving revenue, expanding our individual giving portfolio, and deepening engagement across major gift donors. Reporting directly to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), this individual will play a critical role in building and managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects with the capacity to make significant philanthropic investments in support of our mission: ensuring that every child, in every Houston public school, is prepared for the world they will step into. This position requires both the art and science of fundraising; combining data-informed strategy with genuine curiosity, active listening, and consistent communication to build lasting trust with high-capacity donors. The Director will serve as a partner and thought leader to the CAO and work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to drive forward our most important fundraising priorities. In this role, you’ll build and grow a dynamic portfolio of individual donors, focusing on cultivating meaningful relationships that lead to major philanthropic investments. You’ll design personalized engagement and stewardship strategies that connect donors to Good Reason Houston’s mission, programs, and impact. You’ll lead efforts to increase donor participation through one-on-one outreach, custom giving opportunities, and storytelling that inspires long-term commitment. Primary Responsibilities Donor Engagement (35%) • Relationship Building: Serve as the primary relationship manager for donors and prospects, building trust and long-term investment through thoughtful questions, active listening, and consistent follow-through., • Internal Collaboration: Partner with the CEO, CAO, and board members to engage donors through meetings, events, and briefings., • Experience Design: Lead the design and execution of personalized donor experiences that deepen engagement and drive giving., • Gift Closure: Personally solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts, managing the process from proposal to acknowledgment., • Donor Pipeline: Build and maintain a portfolio of approximately 75 qualified prospects with the capacity to give $100,000 or more., • Moves Management: Implement strategic moves to advance relationships and prepare donors for successful solicitation., • Prospect Identification: Continuously identify and qualify new prospects through research, referrals, and data analysis., • Goal Setting: Set and manage to an annual fundraising goal of $3–4 million, in alignment with organizational revenue needs., • CRM & Records: Maintain accurate donor data and interactions in Raiser’s Edge NXT; ensure timely gift entry, acknowledgments, and donor follow-up., • Finance Collaboration: Partner with the Finance team to ensure accurate tracking of corporate gifts, pledges, and reporting requirements., • Stewardship Coordination: Track deadlines and deliverables for grant reporting and donor recognition; oversee special projects (e.g., holiday mailings, post-event follow-up)., • Strategic Planning: Partner with the CEO and CAO to develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for donors and prospects, ensuring alignment with Good Reason Houston’s mission and strategic initiatives., • Prospect Segmentation: Analyze donor data to segment the portfolio by capacity, affinity, and engagement level; develop differentiated strategies for each segment to ensure efficient and targeted outreach., • Bachelor’s degree required, • Exceptionally skilled at listening deeply, asking insightful questions, and tailoring engagement based on donor interests and values., • Proven ability to blend data-driven strategy with empathy, curiosity, and authenticity to inspire generosity., • Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take initiative, • Deep appreciation for Good Reason Houston’s mission and a desire to make a lasting impact on public education in the region, • Strong familiarity with fundraising CRMs (Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred)., • Demonstrated capacity to be flexible and adaptable in changing environment, able to flex to respond to team needs and take on projects when needed Our Team Our core values reflect the principles that ground and guide our work. They serve as the foundation for how we show up, internally with our colleagues and externally with our partners and communities. These values shape how we make decisions, collaborate across teams, and navigate challenges. They are the throughline that connects our culture to our impact. CURIOUS We are curious— we ask, listen, and learn with humility to grow our understanding and improve how we work in service of students. CONNECTORS We are connectors—we build meaningful, authentic relationships that create momentum for lasting change with and for Houston students, families, and communities. ROOTED We are rooted— we show up with purpose and persistence, grounded in our mission and in deep commitment to Houston. FORWARD-THINKING We are forward-thinkers–we champion an optimistic vision for Houston’s future and tackle complex challenges with boldness, creativity, and strategic action. STUDENT-CENTERED We are students-centered—removing barriers, expanding opportunity, and shaping systems to improve outcomes for students with the greatest needs. Working at Good Reason Houston Good Reason Houston offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The starting salary for this position is $110,000. New hires are offered a salary depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. Good Reason Houston also has a 401(k) (automatic 3% employer contribution), life, medical, dental and vision insurance packages. Each employee accrues 35 paid time off days per calendar year in addition to the 19 paid holidays per year. Good Reason Houston is an office-based organization, but allows for virtual work on Mondays and Fridays. Powered by JazzHR luNasaT79h