Senior Director of Individual Giving

The American Enterprise Institute seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, and goal-oriented individual interested in public policy to grow and manage a major gifts program focused on high-dollar individual donors. This role’s responsibilities include leading a team of fundraisers and support staff who identify prospective donors and cultivate, solicit, and steward donor relationships while personally managing a moderate portfolio of major donors. This position therefore requires high-level interpersonal and relationship-building skills. This is an excellent position for someone who enjoys building relationships and having a direct impact on an organization committed to strengthening free enterprise and building a freer and safer world.The successful candidate will be creative and knowledgeable about best practices in philanthropy and interested in developing and executing tailored strategies for each donor and prospect. Good conversation and listening skills and a knowledge of policy topics that interest donors are necessary to succeed in this role. A natural curiosity and the ability to fit into the organization’s academic, collegial culture are essential.AEI’s Development department is fast-paced and mission driven. Reporting to the vice president of Development, the senior director will have broad impact across the department and will interact daily with members of its corporate relations team, foundation relations team, Development operations team, and Development events team. The successful candidate will mentor and develop team members through regular feedback and coaching and will work daily with other senior team members to ensure the strategic relationship building and solicitation of our donor base.The senior director of individual giving must demonstrate an ability to prioritize activities and execute tasks quickly. Strong writing and oral communication skills and an energetic and entrepreneurial spirit are essential. A deep understanding of AEI’s mission and an interest in public policy are also required. A track record (including 10 or more years of experience) of successful, high-level fundraising and face-to-face solicitations is preferred, and a knowledge of capital campaign fundraising is a plus.This role will be full-time and in person, with the expectation to travel 40-50 percent of the time. Qualified candidates should submit a resume, a cover letter demonstrating their interest in AEI’s mission and scholarly work, an academic transcript, and a writing sample related to development, such as a donor solicitation letter or other communication.Individual-Giving Strategy and PerformanceLead the individual-giving program, setting and achieving ambitious fundraising goals.Direct major-gift and individual-donor strategies, allocating resources toward the highest-impact opportunities.Drive growth in donor participation, retention, and revenue year over year.Donor Engagement and Major GiftsManage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.Partner with senior leadership and key stakeholders to leverage executive relationships in support of fundraising.Oversee donor-cultivation strategies across geographic regions and affinity areas.Team Leadership and ManagementLead, mentor, and develop a team of individual-giving professionals.Establish clear goals, accountability mechanisms, and performance expectations.Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that supports professional growth and strong cross-functional relationships.Cross-Functional CollaborationBuild and maintain strong partnerships across the organization—including with research and communications teams and executive leadership—to ensure donor engagement is timely, relevant, and mission aligned.Collaborate on donor proposals, briefings, and communications that reflect institutional priorities and donor interests.Organizational LeadershipServe as a key thought partner in the Development leadership team.Contribute to department-wide planning, strategy, and continuous improvement.Physical Requirements and Working Conditions at AEIThe employee is regularly expected to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. This job requires close-up vision for computer work.The employee must be able to lift up to 30 pounds.The employee must be able to work in a confined area.Moderate noise (e.g., from computers, phones, printers, and light traffic) is expected.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities associated with this position.Ten or more years of major-gift fundraising experience at a large university or nonprofit organization, including personal solicitation of major giftsFive or more years of management experienceSignificant experience leading individual-giving and major-gifts programs, preferably in a mission-driven organizationDemonstrated success driving revenue growth and managing complex donor relationshipsProven people-management skills plus experience building and leading high-performing teamsStrong interpersonal and communication skills plus the ability to collaborate across functions and seniority levelsStrategic-thinking skills and a hands-on approach to fundraising executionAlignment with and passion for AEI’s missionAn eagerness to delve into AEI’s research and a demonstrated comprehensive understanding of public policy issues that interest donorsFlexibility and adaptabilityBenefitsAEI offers generous benefits, including 18 days of paid leave (15 days of paid annual leave and 3 personal/floating holidays); 12 days of paid sick leave; paid family leave; medical and dental coverage, in addition to a health savings account; medical and dependent care FSA; a tuition assistance program of up to $5,200; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a 403b retirement plan with a contribution from AEI, among other benefits. For more information, you can see a full summary of our benefits at https://www.aei.org/jobs/benefits/. Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate's full-time, applicable work experience; key skills and qualifications; as well as internal and external market considerations. The salary range for this full-time, exempt position is $170,000 - $250,000. Salary is just one component of AEI’s total compensation package for employees.

Created: 2026-01-28