National Director, Principal Gifts

Job Description:

• Manage a national portfolio of 25-40 ultra‑high‑net‑worth donors and prospects with the capacity to make seven‑figure gifts.
• Lead partners through the full principal gift engagement cycle—qualification, cultivation, solicitation, commitment, and stewardship—resulting in transformational philanthropy.
• Design and execute customized, donor‑centric strategies that align partner passions with World Relief’s mission, strategies, and funding priorities.
• Secure principal‑level outright gifts that advance national, global, and programmatic initiatives through accountability to lead indicator targets and revenue goals.
• Integrate personal faith in Jesus Christ into donor relationships with authenticity, humility, and pastoral sensitivity.
• Engage partners spiritually as appropriate, recognizing philanthropy as both a calling and an invitation into faithful Kingdom participation.
• Demonstrate pastoral care and spiritual leadership in conversations with partners, particularly as they discern significant generosity.
• Embrace and model World Relief’s fundraising values, including those articulated in Henri Nouwen’s The Spirituality of Fundraising, treating donors as partners—not means to an end.
• Partner closely with the CEO, VP SED, and senior leaders in developing cultivation and solicitation strategies for top‑tier partners.
• Prepare and deliver high‑impact proposals, briefings, cases for support, and stewardship reports appropriate for a principal gift audience.
• Facilitate authentic, purpose‑driven interactions between partners and senior leaders that strengthen long‑term commitment.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on principal gift strategy, donor discernment, and philanthropic engagement.
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new principal gift prospects through national networks, referrals, peer fundraisers, board connections, and strategic events.
• Build and manage a robust principal gifts pipeline with clear strategies, projections, and next steps.
• Collaborate with prospect research and peer fundraisers to prioritize high‑capacity opportunities across regions and portfolios.
• Help support the whole of the Strategic Engagement team through equipping frontline fundraisers to pursue principal gifts in their own portfolios.
• Represent World Relief with excellence at national donor gatherings, small group experiences, and relationship‑building events.
• Steward principal gift partners with integrity, transparency, and gratitude, reinforcing trust and long‑term partnership.
• Maintain accurate donor strategies, records, and activity reports in accordance with organizational and database standards.
• Participate in principal gifts portfolio reviews, forecasting, and goal‑tracking processes.
• Collaborate across the Strategic Engagement Division to ensure donor engagement aligns with enterprise‑wide fundraising priorities and culture.

Requirements:

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Ability to affirm and actively live out World Relief's Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Association of Evangelicals' For the Health of The Nation document
• Demonstrated integration of personal faith into professional life with maturity, discernment, and grace.
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 7–10+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, with a proven track record securing $1M+ gifts.
• Experience engaging ultra‑high‑net‑worth individuals and partnering with senior executives and boards.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and storytelling skills.
• Strategic and relational thinker with the ability to navigate complex donor journeys and long cultivation cycles.
• Collaborative spirit with experience operating effectively in national or matrixed fundraising environments.
• Proficiency with fundraising systems and tools (e.g., Raiser’s Edge NXT, Microsoft applications).

Benefits:

• Competitive benefits package
• Employee discount program
• Health insurance
• Retirement plans