Senior Director, Philanthropy

About the position

The Senior Director, Philanthropy is a player-coach role responsible for managing a portfolio of high-capacity donors while leading and developing a team of frontline fundraising and stewardship staff. This role oversees major gifts, mid-level giving, and planned giving efforts, providing day-to-day leadership, coaching, and performance management to drive revenue growth, strengthen donor relationships, and support campaign readiness through coordinated, mission-aligned fundraising strategies.

Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with the Vice President of Philanthropy to lead and grow the individual giving program, aligning team performance and fundraising strategy with organizational priorities.
• Provide leadership and oversight for major gifts, mid-level giving, and planned giving initiatives.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop frontline fundraising and stewardship staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Coach team members on donor strategy, relationship management, solicitations, and portfolio development.
• Partner with the Vice President of Philanthropy to shape and scale individual giving strategies and long-term philanthropic growth at MFB.
• Lead portfolio strategy and pipeline management to ensure high-capacity prospects are effectively cultivated and advanced.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 60–80 high-capacity donors, securing leadership-level and multi-year philanthropic investments.
• Advance planned giving efforts, including stewardship of legacy donors and promotion of blended and deferred gift opportunities.
• Monitor fundraising performance metrics, revenue goals, and donor engagement activity while ensuring accurate donor records in Raiser’s Edge NXT.
• Partner with Operations, Analytics, and Prospect Management teams to leverage data, reporting, and prospect strategy to strengthen fundraising outcomes.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications and cross-functional teams to execute donor engagement, stewardship, and mission-driven storytelling strategies.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, business development, sales, or related fields with a proven track record of achieving revenue goals.
• Experience managing high-capacity donor portfolios while leading teams, driving donor cultivation and stewardship strategies, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, organizational, and project management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and fundraising databases, preferably Raiser’s Edge NXT.
• Valid driver’s license with an MVR showing no prior DUI/DWI and fewer than 2 points.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality.
• Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and mission-driven work.
• Ability to travel regularly within Maryland.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree, or professional fundraising certification (e.g., CFRE) preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Experience leading or overseeing an individual giving or major gifts program.
• Experience working within campaign or multi-year fundraising environments.
• Experience implementing fundraising strategies, engagement models, or scalable growth initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Supervisory Responsibility: This position supervises: Director, Individual Philanthropy; Manager, Essential Philanthropy; and Donor Stewardship Specialist roles.

Work Environment

This is a hybrid role, requiring on-site presence at least three (3) days per week. Flexible schedules, including occasional evenings, weekends, and travel to events and other MFB locations. This position operates primarily in an office environment with occasional movement around the warehouse.

Pay

Salary range: $110,000 - $115,000 / Annually

Benefits

At the Maryland Food Bank, fundraising is a team sport. This role is key in building a joyful, inclusive culture of philanthropy that inspires connection, trust, and collaboration. We are seeking a mission-aligned leader who brings a deep commitment to equity, cultural responsiveness and who is skilled at fostering inclusive, trust-based work environments. This relational leader impacts philanthropic strategies that strengthen trust and reduce disparities in food access. This role works in close partnership with the Vice President of Philanthropy to shape strategy, set priorities, and translate organizational goals into actionable plans across the individual giving program.

Ethical and Safety Commitments

As such, all positions require a background check and drug screen. To learn more about the Maryland Food Bank, visit www.mdfoodbank.org.