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Job Summary – Key Responsibilities
Cedars-Sinai seeks an experienced and collaborative fundraiser to join the Principal Gifts Program. The Director of Principal Gifts will play a key role – individually and collectively – in cultivating long-term relationships with donors who have the capacity to make transformative gifts, while leveraging the relationships and vision of leaders to secure support for strategic institutional priorities and initiatives. Reporting to the Executive Director of Principal Gifts, the Director of Principal Gifts will be a seasoned and exceptional team-oriented fundraising professional with a demonstrated successful track record in securing seven, eight, and nine-figure philanthropic gifts.

The individual will provide creative and visionary leadership and coordination of fundraising endeavors for institution-wide programs. They will convene campus partners and advise on the development of coordinated strategies aimed to maximize the life-time engagement and support of a portfolio of high-net-worth households. They will help assemble key institution members together with prospects around cross-cutting strategic funding priorities. 

This role has three defining elements:

• The disciplined management of approximately 50-75 relationships with consistent focus and high-touch engagement, cultivation and stewardship that leads to successful solicitations strategies.
• The ability to work closely with academic leaders, fundraising colleagues, faculty, and lay-leaders to shape compelling ideas that will attract transformational gifts based on institutional initiatives and priorities. 
• The ability to work in tandem with colleagues in Development to contribute to the overall strategy, leadership and direction of the department.

Principal gift work requires understanding the institution’s overarching strategic priorities, as well as the programs and objectives of specific departments where Principal Gifts are needed. Consultation, coordination and collaboration with interdepartmental colleagues is essential.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

The Principal Gift Officer’s major areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, the following:

Fundraising

• Actively maintain a portfolio with approximately 50-75 high potential individual principal gift level prospects and work collaboratively with Development colleagues, particularly where there are multiple complex institution relationships and the opportunity exists to have institution-wide impact that requires thoughtful, experienced, prospect management. Forge long-term relationships with these individuals to cultivate their interest in Cedars-Sinai that will lead to seven, eight and nine-figure solicitations.
• Generates and/or oversees the preparation of funding proposals, talking points and scripts, assessments of potential support, briefings, gift agreements, endowments and stewardship reports for assigned prospects. Ensures that all interested parties are involved in key efforts focused on specific prospects
• Promotes deferred giving to augment outright gifts and has an understanding and expertise in deferred vehicles and the role they can play in supporting transformative gifts
• Advise key institution officers on opportunities for their involvement with specific fundraising and engagement events and initiatives with top prospects
• Provide staff assistance to institutional leadership in direct solicitations and interactions with top donor prospects

Strategic Management 

• Strong ability to maintain confidentiality and set pace around donor moves
• Model a collaborative style of leadership to facilitate and guide creative principal gift level donor relationship strategies in concert with colleagues
• Develop and execute a thoughtful plan to ensure that Cedars-Sinai can rely on an increasing and sustainable flow of philanthropic support from the highest level of donors/prospects
• Foster diversity at all levels of the organization, including the professional staff and the constituencies served 
• Support the work of the Executive Director of Principal Gifts and other members of the Development Leadership Team

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience as a proven fundraising leader in a complex, comprehensive institutional environment. 
• Experience managing a major/principal gift portfolio utilizing metrics, systems, and relationship building skills to maximize strategic cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of $5 million plus donors and transformational gifts. 
• A deep understanding of and commitment to an integrated development program; and experience in a complex major research institution environment. Keen understanding of the natural tension that exists when working with a multitude of leaders, departments, and programs with varying priorities, is essential. 
• Experience working to sustain strong working relationships with staff, donors, faculty, volunteers and academic leadership is imperative. A strong ability to develop sincere, productive relationships and to build trust both with internal colleagues and external constituencies is key. 
• Clear and effective written and oral communication and presentation skills, including individual and large groups. 
• Proven success at developing and implementing creative solicitation strategies for transformational philanthropic gifts in a team-oriented and collaborative environment. 
• Superior interpersonal and listening skills and exceptional negotiation skills and proven ability to make independent decisions.

Additional Behaviors and Competencies 

• Ability to assess risk combined with a willingness to take calculated risks
• A tolerance for the inevitable ambiguity that characterizes a large institution
• Proven ability to drive performance and execute for results; strategic and agile thinker to develop opportunities and strategies for organizational success toward objectives
• Ability to lead peers and collaborate with staff in a manner that instills confidence and empowers staff to achieve through challenges and tough decisions and situations; helping them to achieve full potential and attain high individual and team performance and goals
• High integrity and judgement
• Maintain self-awareness, understanding impact of self on others
• Strong evidence of ability to function in an environment of complexity, uncertainty and change management
• Natural sense of curiosity regarding individuals and industry, with a skill to uncover connections, networks and interests

Job Qualifications

Education:
A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Business Management, Healthcare Administration, or a related field is required.

Experience:
A minimum of 10 years of experience in fundraising or a related field within a large, complex organization or healthcare setting is required. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts, with a strong working knowledge of deferred giving vehicles and community/philanthropic resources.

In addition, at least 5 years of experience managing a department or service line, including direct supervision of team members, is required.