Senior Manager, Major Gifts (Independent Contractor)

The Senior Manager, Major Gifts at the Ad Council plays a vital role in identifying, cultivating, and securing high-level donations from individuals and foundations. Responsibilities include managing a portfolio of high-net-worth donors, developing personalized stewardship plans, conducting impactful donor meetings, collaborating on fundraising strategies, and ensuring effective communication and reporting. This position also involves tracking donor interactions in a CRM system and contributing to strategic philanthropy planning.

Candidates for the Senior Manager, Major Gifts position at the Ad Council should possess at least 5 years of experience in major gift fundraising with a proven history of securing substantial gifts, ideally $100,000 or more. Knowledge of philanthropic trends among high-net-worth donors, strong interpersonal skills, and experience with CRM systems like Salesforce are essential. A passion for the Ad Council's mission and a commitment to social impact are also key attributes for this role.

The Senior Manager, Major Gifts position at the Ad Council is designed to be fully remote, allowing professionals to work from anywhere in the U.S. This flexibility helps to accommodate a work-life balance while enabling candidates to focus on building relationships and securing major gifts. The organization values diversity and fosters an inclusive work environment, which extends to its remote engagement practices.

The compensation for the Senior Manager, Major Gifts (Independent Contractor) role at the Ad Council is between $9,500 and $10,500 per month. As an independent contractor, you will receive a 1099 for tax purposes, reflecting the flexible engagement structure of this opportunity. This role represents a competitive compensation package relative to industry standards.

The Ad Council has been at the forefront of social change for over 80 years, launching enduring campaigns such as Smokey Bear and Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. By securing major gifts, the Senior Manager, Major Gifts will help sustain and grow these impactful initiatives, driving awareness and inspiring action on critical social issues in the United States. This role is essential in translating donor support into measurable community change.

When discussing your experience with major gift fundraising, focus on specific examples that demonstrate your success in securing significant donations. Highlight the strategies you used, donors you engaged, and the outcomes achieved. Be prepared to discuss your relationship-building techniques and how you tailored your approach to meet the unique interests of each donor.

In answering this question, emphasize the importance of personalized communication and scheduled check-ins. Share your approach toward understanding donor motivations and interests, ensuring that you keep them engaged through tailored updates and stewardship activities. Highlight any specific tools or CRM systems you use to track and enhance donor relationships.

Discuss your methodology for designing fundraising campaigns. This might include research about donor interests, collaboration with teams to align goals, and creating compelling narratives around campaigns. Offer examples of successful campaigns you've implemented in the past, focusing on the planning process and the measurable results achieved.

Addressing rejection means showing resilience and the ability to learn from experiences. Discuss how you analyze what went wrong, adjust your strategy, and maintain a positive outlook. Share examples where you've turned around a situation following a rejection into a learning opportunity that improved your approach for future engagements.

Mention your research-based approach in identifying potential major gift prospects. Discuss how you utilize donor databases, network references, and market analysis. Emphasize the importance of collaboration with your team for strategic brainstorming on prospects and how you stay informed about philanthropic trends.

In your answer, provide a detailed account of a specific instance where you successfully secured a significant gift. Outline your strategy involving donor research, relationship building, personalized proposals, and follow-up actions that led to securing that gift. This will showcase your tactical skills in major gift fundraising.

Discuss the importance of doing thorough research on potential donors before engagements. Explain how you typically ask insightful questions to uncover their priorities and interests, then show them how the Ad Council's mission aligns with their philanthropic goals. Stress the significance of transparency and establishing trust.

List the tools and systems you have experience with, such as Salesforce, and detail how you've used them to track donor communications, manage relationships, and analyze fundraising data. Provide examples of how these tools helped streamline your work and improve fundraising outcomes.

In your response, express your passion for social impact and highlight your admiration for the Ad Council's history of influential campaigns. Mention specific aspects of their mission that resonate with you personally, showcasing how your goals align with their work. This authentic connection can greatly strengthen your candidacy.

When discussing challenges, be honest about factors like donor fatigue, competition for high-level gifts, or changing philanthropic trends. However, balance your response by discussing how you address these challenges through innovative strategies, relationship-building, and robust communication plans tailored for major donors.