Director of Development, Parents, Major Gifts

There is a unique relationship between the University and the FAS fundraising operations, resulting from a long history in which University fundraising ultimately grew out of College fundraising. FAS Development is responsible for the fundraising efforts supporting the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, including Harvard College, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. FAS Development staff work with Harvard College donors, alumni, parents, and friends who provide critical support for the FAS and often for other parts of the University.

This opportunity focuses on non-alumni parents and is part of the robust Faculty of Arts and Sciences Development team. It will complement an existing spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship, along with a culture of aspirational thinking in support of a strong mission. This full-time exempt position reports to the Senior Executive Director of Development, Major and Planned Gifts, serves as a leader and senior fundraiser on the Major Gifts team, and works in partnership with all FAS colleagues.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

The Director will work in partnership with the Senior Executive Director, fundraising managers, and all gift officers to build a strategic fundraising plan and prospect gift strategy for major- and principal-gift level non-alumni parent prospects in support of the FAS mission and priorities. This person will carry a portfolio of highly rated prospects and collaborate with colleagues to execute a fundraising strategy that includes qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship within their portfolios.

The Director will develop and implement an annual and multi-year fundraising plan in collaboration with the FAS Development team to build and expand philanthropic support among non-alumni parents. Critical to success is a strong partnership with the Harvard College Fund’s Parent Engagement Program (PEP), a volunteer-driven annual giving and volunteer engagement effort and developing opportunities for synergy.

This position requires a command of advanced fundraising principles, experience managing people and projects, a bias for making the ask, a high level of organization, professionalism, and a broad familiarity with the objectives of capital, endowment, and annual current-use fundraising. The Director must demonstrate leadership characteristics while balancing the demands of project management and prospect work to achieve strong results. 

Responsibilities:

• Participate as a leader on the team and across the organization to drive vision setting and fundraising plan development. Educate, mentor, counsel, and motivate staff.
• In consultation with the Senior Executive Director of Development, Major and Planned Gifts, and partners across Alumni Affairs & Development, develop and provide strategic direction for FAS non-alumni parents' major- and principal-gift fundraising strategy. This includes leveraging faculty and administrator travel, alumni volunteers, and prospect engagement events to advance fundraising objectives.
• Responsible for successfully meeting annual goals with a portfolio of highly rated non-alumni parent households at various stages of their relationship with Harvard throughout the gift cycle. A key responsibility is the development and execution of comprehensive prospect strategies designed to secure six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts from the assigned pool. Strategy is often set in conjunction with other officers in the FAS and University Development Offices. Annual portfolio metrics will be reviewed with the Senior Executive Director of Development, Major and Planned Gifts, and progress towards goals will be evaluated monthly.
• As a member of the Major and Planned Gifts leadership team, the Director will coordinate with other senior members of the FAS development team to help further fundraising efficiency and efficacy with the non-alumni parent population. In coordination with the FAS senior staff, the Director will develop and implement moves-management processes to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward major and principal donors. Develop, test and refine the case for FAS key fundraising priorities and gift opportunities.
• Work closely with Events, Academic and Donor Engagement, and Academic and Development Planning teams to implement prospect engagement strategies such as events, interaction with academic leadership, and compelling gift conversations and proposals.
• This position requires overnight travel; availability/flexibility to travel is required for this position.