Senior Director, Individual Giving

SOME (So Others Might Eat) provides material aid and comfort to our vulnerable neighbors in Washington, DC, helping them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through programs and services that save lives, improve lives, and help transform the lives of individuals and families, their communities, and the systems and structures that affect them.

Our more than 30 programs throughout the district provide comprehensive services that lead to mental and physical health, continued sobriety, job training, living-wage employment, and affordable housing. We meet immediate needs with food, clothing, and healthcare, and offer the tools one needs to live with hope, dignity, and greater independence.

Compensation: We offer our employees a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our organizational culture, mission, and core values. The salary range for this position is $139,318.00 to $147,326.40 and may be commensurate with experience.

Position Description

The Senior Director, Individual Giving provides senior leadership for SOME's individual giving program, with direct accountability for a fundraising portfolio exceeding $20 million annually. This role oversees all facets of individual giving, including major gifts, planned giving, mid-level and monthly giving, and direct mail programs. The Senior Director, Individual Giving serves as a key member of SOME's development leadership team, working in close partnership with the EVP, Chief Development Officer, and collaborating across development verticals to build a strong, integrated culture of philanthropy in service of SOME's mission to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; This is a hybrid position. During the first 90 days of employment, the selected candidate will be expected to work onsite full-time to support onboarding, training, and integration into the team. Following the introductory period, the position will transition to a hybrid schedule requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in the office . Evening and weekend work is required as needed to support special events and organizational initiatives.

Required: Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, with demonstrated success in major gifts and supervisory or management experience, or equivalent.

Preferred : Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of experience, including a track record of closing five- and six-figure gifts, managing a planned giving program, and leading high-performing development teams in a nonprofit environment.

Required License/Certification: N/A

Expected Contributions: Major Gifts Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Lead and personally manage a major gift portfolio of 50-75 prospects, with accountability for meeting and exceeding an individual fundraising goal as part of the department's $20M+ annual revenue target.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts strategy, including prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Provide strategic oversight for the Individual Giving team's collective portfolio, ensuring appropriate gift officer capacity, portfolio hygiene, and move progression across all levels.
• Partner with the CDO, CEO and board members on high-level donor relationships, preparing briefing materials, talking points, and stewardship plans to support their cultivation and solicitation activity.
• Oversee portfolio assignment and moves management practices across the team, using Salesforce to track progress, surface stalled relationships, and ensure accountability at every gift level.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for cross-vertical collaboration with Foundation and Corporate Relations to avoid duplication and maximize institutional relationships where individual and organizational giving intersect.

Planned Giving Strategy & Program Leadership

• Lead SOME's planned giving program end to end, including strategy, marketing, cultivation, stewardship, recognition, and the administrative processing of bequests and other legacy gifts as they are realized.
• Build and manage a planned giving pipeline in partnership with the Data Management team, identifying current donors with planned giving capacity and creating tailored engagement strategies.
• Oversee planned giving marketing in close collaboration with the Marketing and Communications team, including direct mail campaigns, digital outreach, donor events, and legacy society recognition programs.
• Steward existing planned giving donors through regular touchpoints, impact updates, and meaningful recognition to deepen their long-term commitment to SOME's mission.
• Manage the administrative processing of realized bequests, working with Finance and legal counsel as needed to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant gift acceptance and recording.
• Stay current on planned giving vehicles, tax law changes, and best practices to ensure SOME's program remains competitive and accessible to a range of donor profiles.
• Provide strategic direction alongside the Director of Annual Giving on mid-level, monthly giving, and direct mail programs, ensuring alignment with the department's broader individual giving goals and revenue targets.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for SOME's mid-level giving program, including cultivation pathways, upgrade strategies, and stewardship touchpoints designed to move donors toward major gift consideration.
• Oversee the monthly giving program in partnership with the Director of Annual Giving and Data Management, ensuring strong retention, sustainer communications, and upgrade strategies.
• Provide strategic guidance and informed oversight to the Director of Annual Giving on the direct mail program, including alignment with broader fundraising goals, messaging strategy, and performance against targets.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Strategic Partnerships

• Collaborate actively with the Foundation and Corporate Relations vertical to coordinate donor engagement strategies, ensure clear portfolio delineation, and avoid duplicative outreach to shared contacts.
• Partner with Development Operations and Services to ensure accurate gift processing, data integrity, and timely acknowledgment for all Individual Giving donors.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to align fundraising messaging, campaign strategies, and donor communications across all individual giving channels.
• Engage program teams across housing, workforce development, healthcare, dining services, and family services to develop compelling, mission-connected donor engagement strategies and impact narratives.

Supervisory

• Ensure appropriate department staffing levels in order to meet objectives; Assess, evaluate, and hire new employees as needed
• Contribute to budget development, and use sound judgement to leverage resources in accomplishing department goals; Administer budget and comply with SOME financial reporting requirements
• Contribute to strategy development and strive to improve department functions and performance; Assist in the development of standards and goals as appropriate
• Provide direct supervision and strategic leadership to the Manager, Individual Giving; Individual Giving Officer; and Director, Annual Giving.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular one-on-ones and portfolio reviews, and deliver timely, constructive feedback to direct reports.
• Lead annual performance evaluations and work with direct reports to establish meaningful goals aligned with team and department priorities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and professional growth within the Individual Giving team.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong strategic thinking and planning skills with the ability to design and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies across multiple giving channels.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a natural relationship builder with donors, board members, organizational leadership, and internal colleagues.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling donor correspondence, proposals, and stewardship materials.
• Demonstrated supervisory or management experience, with the ability to lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team; equivalent leadership experience will be considered.
• Proficiency in Salesforce and Moves Management methodology, with the ability to use data to drive portfolio strategy and measure progress against goals.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret donor research, giving trends, and campaign performance data to inform strategy.
• Familiarity with direct mail fundraising programs sufficient to provide informed oversight and strategic direction to the Director of Annual Giving who manages the program day to day.
• Working knowledge of planned giving vehicles, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts, sufficient to lead donor conversations, oversee program strategy, and guide marketing and stewardship efforts.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, with excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Skilled public speaker with experience presenting to donors, boards, and senior leadership.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Reports To: EVP, Chief Development Officer

Physical Demands: Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds. Requires looking at a computer screen for several hours a day. May be required to sit for long periods.

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

To Apply: Go to our career page at https://www.some.org/careers/open-opportunities and click on the search icon to locate this position. Follow the instructions to complete your online application profile to be considered. No phone calls, please.

SOME, Inc. is a proactive equal-opportunity employer. We ensure that all qualified applicants are considered for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

SOME, Inc. is deeply committed to ensuring the job application process is accessible to all users. If you require assistance or have any concerns about the accessibility of our website or the application process, please feel free to contact us at onlineaccommodations@some.org . This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests and does not pertain to application status inquiries.

To read our EEO Policy Statement, please click here . To view our notices to employees and applicants for employment, click on their corresponding link: EEOC Know Your Rights Notice and E-Verify Program Notice .