Director, Planned Giving

Position Title: Director, Planned Giving
Department: Philanthropy and Partnerships Services
Reports to: Vice President, Philanthropy and Partnerships
Number of Direct Reports: 1
Location: Remote in CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, Puerto Rico, TN, TX, VA, or WA
Travel Required: Up to 20%
Assignment Type: Full-time; Exempt
Compensation: $127,036 to $139,600
Application Requirements: Resume, cover letter, and completed application questions

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About the Position:
The Director of Planned Giving will lead the strategy, growth, and execution of Americares' planned giving program, expanding legacy giving commitments and increasing support through non-cash and tax-advantaged giving vehicles. This role will build a robust pipeline of future gifts, partner closely with Direct Response to market the program, strengthen stewardship of Macauley Legacy Society members, and partner across Development to integrate planned giving and blended gift strategies into donor engagement efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic direction and growth of the planned giving program, developing and executing strategies to increase legacy commitments and long-term philanthropic support.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of planned giving donors and prospects, advancing relationships through cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and gift closure.
• Partner with frontline fundraisers to identify and pursue blended and deferred gift opportunities, providing expertise and strategy to maximize charitable support.
• Oversee the legacy society and planned giving stewardship program, ensuring meaningful donor recognition, engagement and retention
• Collaborate with Prospect Development, CRM, Finance, Legal and Marketing teams to strengthen planned giving operations, processes, reporting and donor communications
• Serve as the organization's subject matter expert on planned and non-cash gifts, providing guidance on charitable gift planning opportunities and gift vehicles.
• Work closely with the Associate Director of Planned Gift Administration to ensure steady and timely processing and closing of realized gifts, CGAs, plus car and real estate donation.
• People manage staff, ensuring their success in meeting objectives while also supporting their professional growth .Actively model and contribute to Americares values, work culture and mission.
• Engage in and contribute to team spaces with openness, global competencies, and a growth mindset.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Key Outcomes:

In the first 30 days:

• Learn and live Americares values.
• Complete all required new-hire onboarding trainings.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders across Development, including Individual Philanthropy, Direct Response, CRM, Finance, and Legal teams, to understand current planned giving processes, opportunities, and challenges.
• Understand the current pipeline of realized gifts, working in close collaboration with the Associate Director of Planned Gift Administration.
• Review the existing planned giving portfolio, Macauley Legacy Society program, donor pipeline, marketing materials, and stewardship plans.
• Assess current planned giving performance, including legacy commitments, non-cash giving activity, direct response campaigns, prospect identification practices, and frontline fundraiser engagement.
• Meet with major gift fundraisers to gain an understanding of current planned giving opportunities and prospects within their portfolio.
• Develop and share an initial assessment of program strengths, gaps, and quick-win opportunities that can accelerate pipeline growth and donor engagement.

In the first 90 days:

• Establish a clear strategic roadmap for growing the planned giving program, including recommendations for increasing pipeline, expanding non-cash giving opportunities, and deepening integration with frontline fundraising efforts.
• Implement a systematic approach for identifying, qualifying, and tracking planned giving prospects in partnership with the Direct Response, Individual Philanthropy and CRM teams.
• Work closely with the Associate Director of Planned Gift Administration to support quarterly reporting, revenue tracking, and timely estate closures.
• Launch a structured engagement plan for Macauley Legacy Society members that strengthens stewardship and recognition of existing donors.
• Begin coaching and supporting frontline fundraisers on planned and blended gift opportunities, including participation in portfolio strategy discussions and donor-specific planning.
• Develop initial reporting and dashboard recommendations to track pipeline growth, donor engagement, and planned giving performance metrics.
• Identify and advance a portfolio of high-potential planned giving prospects, with several active cultivation strategies underway in partnership with fundraising colleagues.

In the first year:

• Develop and begin executing a comprehensive planned giving strategy aligned with organizational fundraising goals and growth campaign ambitions.
• Grow and actively manage a qualified portfolio of planned giving prospects and increase documented planned giving intentions and legacy commitments.
• Establish a stronger culture of planned giving across the Development team through training, tools and partnership.
• Strengthen and expand the Macauley Legacy Society through enhanced stewardship, recognition and engagement opportunities.
• Implement effective prospect identification and pipeline management processes.
• Increase awareness of planned giving through targeted donor outreach efforts.
• Develop meaningful performance metrics and reporting mechanisms that provide leadership visibility into pipeline health, donor engagement, planned gift commitments and long-term revenue projections.
• Serve as the organization's internal resource on planned and non-cash gifts, supporting complex donor conversations and opportunities.

These competencies are required for the role:

• Demonstrated experience building and owning planned giving strategy and revenue growth.
• Ability to influence gift officers and donors without direct authority.
• Proven ability to grow pipeline, commitments and program performance.
• Experience working with consultants to build Direct Mail and Digital Campaigns.
• Ability to coach and mentor direct reports, delegate effectively, build accountability, prioritize work against organizational goals, and lead through ambiguity, conflict, and changing priorities with sound judgment.
• Ability to communicate with clarity and context, actively listen, synthesize diverse perspectives, influence recommendations, and create alignment.
• Ability to navigate evolving fundraising strategies, donor expectations and organizational priorities.
• Ability to identify new opportunities, improve processes and bring fresh approaches to planned giving growth.

US work authorization without restriction and 20% travel are required for this role.
Candidates must be currently living in and will continue to live in one of the following states/territories: CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, Puerto Rico, TN, TX, VA, or WA.

These competencies are preferred but not required for the role:

• Experience working in humanitarian context and knowledge of the global health landscape.
• Fluency in languages that are spoken in at least one of our core locations (India, Philippines, Tanzania, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Colombia, etc.), in addition to English

Additionally, our core competencies as an organization are:

• Ownership and results
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Equity and inclusion
• Teamwork and conflict resolution
• Leadership
• Prioritization
• Management
• Strategy and planning
• Decision making

Recruitment Process for this role:

• Virtual Interview with People and Talent (1 hour)
• Competency Exercise
• Virtual interview with the hiring manager (1 hour)
• Virtual panel interview with internal stakeholders (1hour)
• Virtual interview with Chief Development Officer (30 minutes)
• Reference checks
• Offer
• Background checks and onboarding