{"id":799885,"date":"2025-12-23T18:05:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T23:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=799885"},"modified":"2025-12-23T18:05:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T23:05:29","slug":"job-opening-director-of-strategic-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=799885","title":{"rendered":"Job opening: Director of Strategic Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<h2>\n<strong>Position Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\nThe Planetary Society seeks a strategic and relationship-driven fundraising professional to serve as its<strong> Director of Strategic Giving<\/strong>. A new position reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director will lead efforts to grow and sustain the Society\u2019s <strong>philanthropic partnerships (corporate and foundation), major gift<\/strong>, and <strong>leadership membership\/annual giving<\/strong> programs, while participating in stewardship and events across the department.<\/p>\n<p>\nThis role will be central to the success of the Society\u2019s current strategic framework (2025 &#8211; 2030) and broader development goals. The Director will manage a personal portfolio of approximately <strong>125 prospects<\/strong>, focusing on donors and funders with the capacity to give <strong>$5,000\u2013$100,000<\/strong>, and they will work collaboratively across the organization to craft proposals, build partnerships, and engage supporters in our shared mission to advance space science and exploration.<\/p>\n<p>\nThis position requires strong interpersonal, writing and presentation skills, comfort with both individual and institutional donors, and the ability to manage complex projects in a collaborative environment. The position is based in Pasadena and hybrid work arrangements may be supported. Some travel is required.<\/p>\n<h2>\n<strong>Key Responsibilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>\n<strong>Philanthropic Partnerships (Corporate &amp; Foundation Giving) \u2013 40%<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\nWork with the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership to develop and implement strategies for corporate and foundation fundraising, including: pitching and negotiating corporate memberships, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships; preparing grant proposals; managing and stewarding grants and contracts.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\nManage a portfolio of up to <strong>50 corporate and foundation partners<\/strong> with giving capacity of <strong>$1,000\u2013$100,000<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\nConduct prospect research and generate a pipeline of institutional funding opportunities aligned with the Society\u2019s mission.<\/li>\n<li>\nDraft and submit letters of inquiry, proposals, grant applications, impact reports, and acknowledgments.<\/li>\n<li>\nCoordinate with program and finance staff to prepare project budgets, plans, and reports; track deliverables and ensure compliance with contract\/grant terms.<\/li>\n<li>\nMaintain detailed records in Salesforce and prepare regular reports on progress, projections, and funding outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n<strong>Major Gifts \u2013 40%<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\nWork with the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership to develop and implement strategies for major gifts fundraising from individual donors, including: identifying, qualifying, and cultivating donors; preparing solicitations and negotiating gift agreements; and managing recognition and stewardship plans.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\nManage a portfolio of up to <strong>75 individual donors and prospects<\/strong>, focusing on those with the capacity to give <strong>$5,000\u2013$100,000<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\nDevelop and implement moves management strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.<\/li>\n<li>\nCollaborate with the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership on donor strategy, proposal development, and key solicitations.<\/li>\n<li>\nWork with the Administrative Assistant on prospect research and pipeline development.<\/li>\n<li>\nLog all contacts and touchpoints in Salesforce; monitor progress and track outcomes toward goals.<\/li>\n<li>\nSupport stewardship plans and donor recognition efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n<strong>Membership &amp; Leadership Annual Giving \u2013 10%<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\nWork with the Chief Development Officer and the Director of Community Giving to solicit higher-level gifts for memberships and the Society\u2019s annual schedule of special appeals.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\nIn partnership with the Director of Community Giving, assist in building and stewarding the <strong>New Millennium Committee<\/strong>, the Society\u2019s leadership membership and annual giving circle.<\/li>\n<li>\nIdentify and solicit prospects for <strong>matching gift challenges<\/strong> to be used in mass appeals (typically in the $5,000\u2013$10,000 range).<\/li>\n<li>\nContribute to strategies that increase annual donor retention and upgrade opportunities through personalized engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n<strong>Fundraising Events \u2013 5%<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\nPartner with the CDO, Director of Community Giving, Donor Relations Manager, and other team members on the planning and execution of donor-focused events.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\nSupport cultivation events tied to the campaign and major gift engagement strategy.<\/li>\n<li>\nAttend and staff all fundraising and membership events as needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\n<strong>Organizational Support &amp; Other Duties \u2013 5%<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\nParticipate in Development Department leadership and strategy meetings.<\/li>\n<li>\nAttend Board Development Committee meetings and, occasionally, Board of Directors and Advisory Council sessions.<\/li>\n<li>\nTravel regionally and nationally to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and funders.<\/li>\n<li>\nContribute to an inclusive, mission-driven work culture and perform other duties as assigned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n<strong>Qualifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\nLegal authorization to work in the U.S.<\/li>\n<li>\nBachelor\u2019s degree required.<\/li>\n<li>\nMinimum of <strong>5 years of professional fundraising experience<\/strong>, with demonstrated success in individual and institutional giving.<\/li>\n<li>\nExperience managing a portfolio and securing gifts or grants of <strong>$5,000+<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\nStrong writing, communication, and presentation skills.<\/li>\n<li>\nHighly organized, with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.<\/li>\n<li>\nExperience using donor CRM systems (preferably Salesforce).<\/li>\n<li>\nCollaborative and team-oriented, with a high degree of professionalism and flexibility.<\/li>\n<li>\nAlignment with the Society\u2019s values: <strong>passion, credibility, optimism, integrity, effectiveness, and inclusion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n<strong>Compensation &amp; Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\nSalary range: $120,000 &#8211; $135,000, depending on qualifications and experience<\/li>\n<li>\nMedical and dental insurance<\/li>\n<li>\n403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match<\/li>\n<li>\nPaid time off: 11 holidays + vacation and sick leave<\/li>\n<li>\nGroup term life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance<\/li>\n<li>\nA supportive and mission-driven work culture<\/li>\n<li>\nBeautiful location in Pasadena, CA, with hybrid work flexibility<\/li>\n<li>\nEngaged colleagues and meaningful, space-focused work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\n<strong>To Apply<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\nPlease send your resume, a thoughtful cover letter, and three work-related references to [email\u00a0protected].<br \/>\n<strong>No phone calls or direct staff inquiries, please.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>The Planetary Society is an equal opportunity employer.<\/strong> We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetary.org\/careers\/job-opening-director-of-strategic-giving?rand=772267\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Position Summary The Planetary Society seeks a strategic and relationship-driven fundraising professional to serve as its Director of Strategic Giving. A new position reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":799886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-799885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-planetary-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=799885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/799886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=799885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=799885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=799885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}