Director, Individual Giving

About Strongward

Strongward is a long-term disaster recovery organization. We exist to transform disaster from tragedy to strength, equipping hardest-hit homeowners and communities with the capacity to emerge stronger than before. Our services are currently offered across eight states in the South, with active rebuilding sites in New Orleans and communities across Florida.

• Safe Homes: We partner with disaster-impacted homeowners to rebuild homes, restore stability, and create a path forward through our Recovery Services. We help families return home faster, and we strengthen their homes against the next storm. We provide hands-on support in navigating and appealing disaster funding decisions that shape the recovery of hardest-hit homeowners with the fewest resources.
• Stronger Communities: Through our Advisory Services, we help under-resourced, high-risk communities build local capacity before and after disaster. Our team of subject-matter experts and Resilience Fellows provides training, consulting, and hands-on support so local leaders can build knowledge and recovery systems that stay in place long after outside support ends.

Joining Strongward is more than just joining a workforce. Many organizations focus on the immediate aftermath, when attention and funding peak. Strongward is one of the few disaster recovery organizations built specifically for the long aftermath. We work in the silence after the cameras leave, and we stay until the work is done.

About the Role

The Director of Individual Giving is a senior fundraising leader responsible for shaping, leading, and growing Strongward’s individual giving strategy. This role oversees donor acquisition, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention across annual giving, leadership gifts, major gifts, and principal gift opportunities, while managing and developing a high-performing Individual Giving team. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director designs and executes a comprehensive individual giving program that advances revenue growth, deepens donor engagement, and strengthens the donor pipeline. The role partners closely with executive leadership, board members, and cross-functional teams to align fundraising priorities with organizational strategy and position Strongward for sustained philanthropic growth. This position requires a strategic, data-informed, and relationship-centered leader who can manage complex donor relationships, coach frontline fundraisers, improve systems and processes, and inspire philanthropic investment in Strongward’s mission before, during, and after disaster response.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Revenue Growth

• Partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to set the strategic vision, goals, and priorities for individual giving across annual, leadership, major, and principal gift segments.
• Lead annual and multi-year planning for the individual giving program, including revenue goals, portfolio strategy, donor segmentation, campaign priorities, and pipeline development.
• Drive revenue performance by designing and implementing strategies to acquire, retain, upgrade, and advance donors across all giving levels.
• Use donor data, forecasting, giving trends, and performance insights to monitor progress, assess pipeline health, and adjust strategy as needed.

Donor Portfolio and External Engagement

• Manage a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and donors, leading qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal strategies to meet revenue targets.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with high-capacity donors, prospects, board members, executive leaders, and external partners to advance philanthropic opportunities.
• Prepare and deliver compelling donor communications, proposals, presentations, impact updates, and stewardship strategies that connect donor priorities to Strongward’s mission and outcomes.
• Represent Strongward externally with credibility and professionalism, strengthening visibility, confidence, and engagement among donors and philanthropic partners.
• Mobilize rapid-response fundraising efforts during high-priority disaster response periods, in coordination with Advancement and organizational leadership.

Team Leadership and Program Operations

• Lead, manage, coach, and develop the Individual Giving team, fostering accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and strong performance.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, portfolio practices, and team rhythms to support consistent execution and revenue progress.
• Evaluate and improve systems, processes, workflows, and CRM utilization to strengthen donor research, moves management, forecasting, reporting, and stewardship.
• Partner across the Advancement team to deliver donor-facing projects, including appeals, proposals, impact reports, presentations, campaigns, and events.
• Operate with ownership, initiative, adaptability, and sound judgment in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, public administration, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education, professional training, and directly related fundraising experience may be considered.

Work Experience

• Minimum of eight to ten years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, with significant experience leading individual giving, major gifts, or principal gift strategies.
• Demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals and managing complex donor relationships through cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• At least four years of experience supervising, coaching, and developing frontline fundraising staff or donor-facing teams.
• Experience developing fundraising strategy, managing donor portfolios, building pipelines, forecasting revenue, and using data to guide decisions and improve performance.
• Experience working in fast-paced, mission-driven organizations required; familiarity with disaster recovery, resilience, housing, climate, community development, or related issues preferred.

Technical Skills and Proficiency

• Proficiency with donor databases, CRM systems, and moves management tools; experience with Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar platforms preferred.
• Strong ability to use donor data, dashboards, pipeline reports, forecasting tools, and fundraising metrics to track progress, identify opportunities, and inform strategy.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Ability to develop compelling donor proposals, presentations, impact reports, campaign materials, and stewardship communications.

Core Competencies (Soft Skills)

• Exceptional relationship-building skills, with the ability to cultivate trust and credibility with donors, prospects, board members, executive leaders, colleagues, and external partners.
• Strong executive presence, communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate organizational impact into compelling donor-centered narratives.
• Strategic, analytical, and results-oriented, with the ability to set priorities, manage complex initiatives, evaluate performance, and drive revenue growth.
• Collaborative and team-centered leader with the ability to coach, develop, and hold staff accountable while fostering trust, inclusion, and professional growth.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and solutions-focused, with sound judgment and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Special Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Must successfully complete required background checks, including criminal history, sex offender registry, state, and FBI checks, as applicable.
• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid environment with regular in-office presence and remote work opportunities.
• Ability to participate in donor meetings, staff events, leadership meetings, trainings, and other organizational activities, including occasional travel and evening or weekend commitments as needed.

Pay

Salary Range: $88,000 - $140,000