Senior Director, Institutional Giving

Title: Senior Director, Institutional Giving

Department: Institutional Giving  

Report to: Chief Advancement Officer   

Compensation: $127,000 - $152,700

FLSA: Exempt

Location/Hours: Hybrid – 3 days/week in office

All candidates must be within commutable distance of SEO’s offices at 55 Exchange Place, New York, NY 10005, upon hire.  

ABOUT SEO

Founded in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, SEO closes educational and career opportunity gaps for 7,000 ambitious young people annually.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Director, Institutional Giving will play a leadership role in defining and driving SEO’s institutional fundraising strategy with overall responsibility for reaching and exceeding the organization’s institutional revenue goals. Reporting to and working with the Chief Advancement Officer, this role will oversee the Institutional Giving department, working to exceed and meet annual revenue targets through deepening existing partnerships, and cultivating high-impact new relationships with corporate and private foundations through frontline fundraising.

The Senior Director, Institutional Giving will partner with the Chief Advancement Officer to develop the national institutional fundraising strategy to reach national funders to support SEO’s fundraising goals to raise an additional $10M over the next 3-5 years.

Institutional Revenue Growth Strategy

• Develop the overarching institutional revenue growth strategy, securing funds from national, regional, local and family foundations with focus on major gifts.
• Establish, monitor, and meet short-term and long-term revenue goals.
• Identify, secure, steward, and renew six- and seven-figure gifts from foundations, corporations and other institutional stakeholders aligned with SEO’s goals.
• Create and implement plans for Institutional giving, identifying top targets and new leads, and developing a growth strategy for the broader portfolio.
• Develop reports to build annual plans, set and track KPI’s and ensure strategic alignment with SEO’s mission.

Pipeline Creation & Management

• Build a pipeline of new prospects, including New York and National funders, to grow the institutional revenue in support of the organization’s growth plans, with a goal to identify 5 new prospects a month, and to solicit at least 26 new organizations over the course of the year.
• Focus on renewal and upgrade of current and lapsed funders.
• Develop the institutional giving projections and pipeline and manage/track all phases of the development cycle in Salesforce.
• Oversee donor database systems, data management, revenue tracking and analysis on a daily basis.

People Leadership & Management

• Serve as a member of the SEO development leadership team, designing and implementing our institutional strategy to achieve success on our fundraising goals.
• Manage a team to execute donor engagement strategies and tactics, from pipeline development to cultivation, stewardship and renewal, that result in meeting our short- and long-term philanthropic fundraising goals.

Stakeholder Management

• Develop a thorough understanding of and appreciation for SEO’s mission, and an ability to articulate the organization’s work to potential funders to find mutual alignment.
• Establish and maintain relationships with colleagues on the SEO development team, including Chief Advancement Officer, Senior Director of Development, Manager of Institutional Giving, and Development Operations Manager, and other internal stakeholders, partnering to achieve goals, and support one another’s efforts.
• Collaborate with colleagues throughout the organization, including the Senior VP of Scholars programs, Senior Director of Curriculum & Instruction, VP of College Scholars, Assistant Director of Research & Evaluation, and others to develop compelling and realistic grant proposals, write the proposals, and integrate feedback, as appropriate, to ensure that fundraising strategies are aligned with program activities and events.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 8-10 years of development experience, with experience working with institutional donors in a front-line fundraising role.
• Proven experience leading teams and scaling institutional giving functions in mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated experience and track record of securing six and seven figure institutional gifts, and expanding donor base, increasing revenue, and securing major gifts from national, regional, local and family foundations.
• Fundraising CRM experience required (Salesforce strongly preferred); experience with funder management and pipeline tracking and data-driven development planning.

COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Passionate commitment to SEO’s educational mission and vision.
• Expertise building strong, long-term relationships with institutional donors and prospects; ability to communicate with donors in a thoughtful, engaged manner across lines of difference.
• Understanding of and experience with how institutional philanthropy, family offices and foundations can be influenced and stewarded.
• Ability to represent SEO’s at external events and meetings, engaging with senior-level foundation, corporate, and private sector leaders.
• Exceptional interpersonal, presentation and communication skills.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, and particular expertise in crafting detailed and compelling proposals, budgets, reports and other materials geared for institutional funders to secure and renew funding.  
• Strategic thinker who can blend visionary leadership with disciplined project oversight and execution.
• Strong ability to leverage data and dashboards to inform strategy, track progress, and continually optimize approaches.
• Well-developed organizational skills with very strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS 

SEO offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plan including low-cost health, vision, and dental options, a generous holiday schedule and PTO policies, disability coverage, fully paid time off for new parents, and employer contributions to health reimbursement and retirement accounts. We are constantly working to improve our benefits each year based on the needs of our employees. We value wellness and strive to put people first and foremost.

The compensation listed in this posting reflects what SEO believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and SEO reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

EEOC Policy

At SEO we are committed to cultivating a team that embodies the backgrounds and experiences of the constituencies we serve and the communities we live in, and a workplace that reflects the impact we make in the world. Candidates from all communities – including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ Community, veterans, and people with disabilities – are strongly encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity is not just the law, it is our commitment.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/D/V. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other legally protected status.

If you need accommodation while applying for a role with SEO, due to a disability, please email SEO Talent.

THE ORGANIZATION

Established in 1963 by Michael Osheowitz, SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) is an educational non-profit founded on the belief that talent is everywhere; but opportunity is not. Our programs are designed to educate, train, mentor, and amplify the voices of our participants to give them a seat at the table – every table. We propel human potential.

SEO is an innovator in education, mentorship, and creating educational career opportunities that maximize the full potential of our participants. Each year SEO serves 7,000+ participants nationally, and the organization is widely recognized for developing best-in-class programs with exceptional results.

Not every SEO participant is on the same journey, but all are hungry for opportunity and SEO creates an ecosystem of excellence. Learn more about SEO's programs here: https://www.seo-usa.org/our-programs/.

Client-provided location(s): New York, NY

Job ID: 8148615002

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-09-02T23:34:51