Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts

Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts | Advancement Team

About the Role

Good Reason Houston is seeking a strategic and highly motivated Director, Individual Giving, Major Gifts to serve as a key frontline fundraiser on our growing Advancement team. This role is essential to advancing our philanthropic strategy, with a focus on driving revenue, expanding our individual giving portfolio, and deepening engagement across major gift donors. Reporting directly to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), this individual will play a critical role in building and managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects with the capacity to make significant philanthropic investments in support of our mission: ensuring that every child, in every Houston public school, is prepared for the world they will step into.

This position requires both the art and science of fundraising; combining data-informed strategy with genuine curiosity, active listening, and consistent communication to build lasting trust with high-capacity donors. The Director will serve as a partner and thought leader to the CAO and work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to drive forward our most important fundraising priorities. In this role, you’ll build and grow a dynamic portfolio of individual donors, focusing on cultivating meaningful relationships that lead to major philanthropic investments. You’ll design personalized engagement and stewardship strategies that connect donors to Good Reason Houston’s mission, programs, and impact. You’ll lead efforts to increase donor participation through one-on-one outreach, custom giving opportunities, and storytelling that inspires long-term commitment.

Primary Responsibilities

Donor Engagement (35%)

• Relationship Building: Serve as the primary relationship manager for donors and prospects, building trust and long-term investment through thoughtful questions, active listening, and consistent follow-through.
• Internal Collaboration: Partner with the CEO, CAO, and board members to engage donors through meetings, events, and briefings.
• Experience Design: Lead the design and execution of personalized donor experiences that deepen engagement and drive giving.
• Gift Closure: Personally solicit and close five- and six-figure gifts, managing the process from proposal to acknowledgment.
• Donor Insights: Uncover donor motivations and interests through intentional conversations that align individual passions with Good Reason Houston’s mission and impact.

Portfolio Management (25%)

• Donor Pipeline: Build and maintain a portfolio of approximately 75 qualified prospects with the capacity to give $100,000 or more.
• Moves Management: Implement strategic moves to advance relationships and prepare donors for successful solicitation.
• Prospect Identification: Continuously identify and qualify new prospects through research, referrals, and data analysis.
• Goal Setting: Set and manage to an annual fundraising goal of $3–4 million, in alignment with organizational revenue needs.
• Forecasting: Monitor and report progress against fundraising targets, adjusting strategy as needed to ensure success.

Data Management (25%)

• CRM & Records: Maintain accurate donor data and interactions in Raiser’s Edge NXT; ensure timely gift entry, acknowledgments, and donor follow-up.
• Finance Collaboration: Partner with the Finance team to ensure accurate tracking of corporate gifts, pledges, and reporting requirements.
• Stewardship Coordination: Track deadlines and deliverables for grant reporting and donor recognition; oversee special projects (e.g., holiday mailings, post-event follow-up).
• Reporting & Metrics: Monitor key performance indicators and fundraising goals to ensure alignment with annual and multi-year revenue strategies.

Fundraising Strategy (15%)

• Strategic Planning: Partner with the CEO and CAO to develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for donors and prospects, ensuring alignment with Good Reason Houston’s mission and strategic initiatives.
• Prospect Segmentation: Analyze donor data to segment the portfolio by capacity, affinity, and engagement level; develop differentiated strategies for each segment to ensure efficient and targeted outreach.
• Tools & Insights: Utilize prospect research, wealth screening tools, and internal data to inform approach, prioritize outreach, and identify the most effective engagement pathways for each donor.

Qualifications & Key Attributes

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Exceptionally skilled at listening deeply, asking insightful questions, and tailoring engagement based on donor interests and values.
• Proven ability to blend data-driven strategy with empathy, curiosity, and authenticity to inspire generosity.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take initiative
• Deep appreciation for Good Reason Houston’s mission and a desire to make a lasting impact on public education in the region
• Strong familiarity with fundraising CRMs (Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred).
• Demonstrated capacity to be flexible and adaptable in changing environment, able to flex to respond to team needs and take on projects when needed
• Passion about the mission, vision, and goals of Good Reason Houston and how this position contributes to the organization’s success

Additional responsibilities as assigned by the Chief Advancement Officer.

Our Team

Our core values reflect the principles that ground and guide our work. They serve as the foundation for how we show up, internally with our colleagues and externally with our partners and communities. These values shape how we make decisions, collaborate across teams, and navigate challenges. They are the throughline that connects our culture to our impact.

CURIOUS

We are curious— we ask, listen, and learn with humility to grow our understanding and improve how we work in service of students.

CONNECTORS

We are connectors—we build meaningful, authentic relationships that create momentum for lasting change with and for Houston students, families, and communities.

ROOTED

We are rooted— we show up with purpose and persistence, grounded in our mission and in deep commitment to Houston.

FORWARD-THINKING

We are forward-thinkers–we champion an optimistic vision for Houston’s future and tackle complex challenges with boldness, creativity, and strategic action.

STUDENT-CENTERED

We are students-centered—removing barriers, expanding opportunity, and shaping systems to improve outcomes for students with the greatest needs.

Working at Good Reason Houston

Good Reason Houston offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The starting salary for this position is $110,000. New hires are offered a salary depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role.

Good Reason Houston also has a 401(k) (automatic 3% employer contribution), life, medical, dental and vision insurance packages.

Each employee accrues 35 paid time off days per calendar year in addition to the 19 paid holidays per year.

Good Reason Houston is an office-based organization, but allows for virtual work on Mondays and Fridays.

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