Major Gifts and Foundation Relations Manager

Description of the Organization:

For over 33 years, LEAP has worked with children, teenagers, and young adults in New Haven, Connecticut, transforming lives in some of America's most underserved communities. As New Haven's largest youth agency with a growing national presence, we provide academic support, social enrichment, and leadership development through our innovative peer mentorship model. We empower older students (ages 16–24) with training, education, and resources to serve as counselors to younger students (ages 7–15). This approach builds a community with power and purpose while positioning LEAP as a national model for youth development.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly strategic, relationship-driven professional to join our Development and Communications team. The Major Gifts and Foundation Relations Manager will develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of individual major donors and foundation partners supporting LEAP's $7M annual budget. This role will manage a portfolio of 80-110 individual major donor prospects with a goal of generating $1.25M-1.7M annually plus manage relationships with 10-20 key foundation and corporate partners to support continued institutional funding, working in partnership with the grant writer. The position requires exceptional interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to craft compelling cases for support that inspire transformational philanthropy while collaborating across departments to ensure meaningful donor engagement and stewardship.

Position Details

This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position requiring exceptional relationship management, strategic planning, communication excellence, and fundraising acumen. The role demands strong organizational abilities, emotional intelligence, comfort with modern technology—including AI tools and donor database systems—and the ability to balance individual donor cultivation with some foundation relationship management. The ideal candidate thrives in building authentic connections, excels at listening to donor interests and aligning them with organizational needs, and has a proven track record of closing significant gifts from both individuals and foundations. As a new position reflecting LEAP's growth and increasing focus on individual giving, this role offers a meaningful opportunity to help build and strengthen cross-team moves management systems that will serve the organization for years to come. Success requires comfort with metrics-driven goal setting, proactive initiative in cultivating donor relationships, and collaboration across the organization to create meaningful engagement opportunities.

Supervision

Reports to the Vice President of Development and Communications, with support from the Director of Development and Communications. Works closely with program, finance, communications staff, and organizational leadership. Coordinates with Board members and volunteers on cultivation and solicitation activities.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gift Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of 80-110 individual major donor prospects and donors (gifts of $5,000-$25,000) with the possibility of managing some patron-level donors as the organization grows
• Develop and implement personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for each donor
• Conduct 12-18 meaningful donor contacts through meetings, calls, site visits, and events per month
• Participate in researching, qualifying, and adding new major gift prospects to portfolio through wealth screening and relationship mapping
• Partner with Vice President of Development and Communications, Executive Director, Board members, and volunteers on solicitation strategy and execution
• Set and track progress toward annual fundraising goal of $1.25 M-1.7M from individual major donors
• Create compelling proposals and solicitation materials tailored to individual donor interests

Foundation Relations Management

• Manage relationships with 10-20 key foundation and corporate partners
• Serve as primary contact for assigned institutional funders, ensuring strong communication and stewardship
• Create compelling presentations and proposals tailored to foundation interests and priorities
• Collaborate on grant proposals and reports with support from the grants team
• Attend strategic funder meetings and site visits to strengthen partnerships
• Develop customized stewardship materials and impact reports for foundation partners
• Identify opportunities to deepen existing foundation relationships and increase investment
• Set and track progress toward annual goal of $300K - $800K from assigned foundation sources

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

• Design and execute creative stewardship plans that deepen donor and foundation relationships and inspire continued support
• Create tailored presentations, impact reports, and communications for major donors and foundation partners
• Coordinate meaningful engagement opportunities including site visits, program observations, and volunteer activities
• Develop personalized stewardship materials that demonstrate impact and connect funders to LEAP's mission
• Ensure timely, authentic acknowledgment and recognition of all gifts in portfolio

Strategic Planning & Systems Management

• Develop and implement comprehensive annual major gifts strategy aligned with LEAP's growth goals
• Maintain accurate, detailed records in LEAP's CRM (Raiser's Edge NXT) including contact reports, giving history, and strategy notes
• Track pipeline metrics and provide regular progress reports to leadership
• Collaborate with communications team on materials supporting major gifts and institutional giving efforts
• Collaborate with the development and communications team to streamline moves management systems
• Conduct prospect research using traditional and AI-assisted tools as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, or related field preferred
• Minimum 5-7 years of major gifts fundraising experience with proven track record of closing gifts of $25,000+
• Demonstrated success cultivating and soliciting individual donors through personalized relationship building
• Experience managing foundation relationships and collaborating on institutional proposals
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex relationships and projects simultaneously
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with ability to craft compelling, personalized proposals and presentations
• Proficiency with donor database systems (Raiser's Edge preferred), Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and presentation software (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
• Experience with wealth screening tools and prospect research platforms
• Familiarity with AI tools for prospect research, writing assistance, and data analysis
• Strong research, data analysis, and project management capabilities
• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship building skills with ability to connect authentically with diverse constituencies
• Strategic thinking combined with disciplined execution and follow-through
• High emotional intelligence and ability to listen deeply to donor motivations and interests
• Cultural competency and commitment to working effectively in diverse communities
• Self-motivated with ability to work independently and manage time effectively
• Comfort with metrics-driven accountability and goal setting
• Flexibility and adaptability in dynamic nonprofit environment
• Experience in youth development, education, or social services sector preferred
• Established relationships with Connecticut philanthropists and foundation funders preferred
• Knowledge of New Haven community and nonprofit landscape preferred
• CFRE certification or interest in pursuing professional development preferred
• Experience working with Board members and volunteers on fundraising initiatives preferred

Salary and Benefits

• Salary: $70,000-$80,000, commensurate with experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan with employer contribution
• Generous PTO, holiday leave, and professional development opportunities
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements

TO APPLY

Send a cover letter and resume through our online application portal by clicking on the Apply button below.

Note

This is a hybrid position based out of the LEAP office in New Haven, CT.

Additional information about the organization is available via www.leapforkids.org.

LEAP is an equal opportunity employer.