Director, Philanthropy

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of it on evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty.

GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Location

Remote, with a strong preference for the San Francisco Bay Area. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas in the U.S. at this time.

About This Role

GiveDirectly is hiring a Senior Manager to anchor our presence in the San Francisco / Palo Alto tech community and grow high-net-worth (HNW) giving. You will own the full donor lifecycle—sourcing, cultivating, closing, and stewarding six‑ and seven‑figure gifts—while acting as GD’s strategic ambassador across the Bay Area ecosystem.

This is a rare senior individual‑contributor role that puts you in the room with the Bay Area’s most influential founders, engineers, and investors—converting their curiosity into six‑ and seven‑figure gifts that directly reduce extreme poverty. You’ll build on GiveDirectly’s current Bay Area relationships while opening new doors through curated salons, warm‑intro networks, and targeted partnerships. You’ll work closely with the CEO on pivotal donor conversations and strategy and be expected to operate in a high‑trust, high‑autonomy, outcome‑driven environment.

Reports to :

Director, Philanthropy

Level : Senior Manager, with the potential to hire at Director level based on experience and fit

Travel Requirement : Must be able to travel ~1‑2 times per year to one of our countries of operation for team retreats or field visits

What You’ll Do

Own and grow a major giving portfolio : Steward and upgrade a defined book while opening net‑new doors across founders, early employees, VCs, and advisors / DAFs.

Prospect systematically : Build a high‑quality top‑of‑funnel (research, warm intros, small co‑hosted gatherings), qualify efficiently, and maintain accurate forecasts and next steps.

Support leadership : Leverage senior leaders to grow our impact with the highest impact partners; plan visits, brief for meetings, support events.

Host & attend the right things : Curate micro‑salons / dinners; represent GD at high‑signal tech / AI events; partner with credible insiders for co‑hosted convenings.

Build Bay Area partnerships : Create repeatable channels—community events, employer / DAF talks and matches, founder‑led brand collaborations—that reliably produce donors or visibility with high‑value audiences.

Translate impact for technologists : Do presentations / talks, craft concise briefs and proposals that connect GD’s evidence and operating model to a builder’s mindset; tailor for technical and executive audiences.

Operate with data : Keep impeccable CRM hygiene; regularly test new initiatives (events, intros, content), measure results, and double‑down on what converts.

What You’ll Bring

Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies : emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow‑through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low‑income and / or historically marginalized communities that we serve.

Connector‑operator : Demonstrated success with high‑value relationships (in tech / AI / finance), whether as a founder, fundraiser, consulting, sales or biz dev, converting curiosity to commitments and upgrading renewals.

Bay Area ecosystem fluency : Credible with founders, engineers, investors; comfortable in rooms hosted by AI labs and venture firms; adept at convening the right co‑hosts and guests.

Outbound hunter mentality : Proactive prospector with a repeatable approach to qualifying, advancing, and forecasting pipeline; disciplined CRM hygiene.

Deep alignment with GiveDirectly’s values : impact oriented, fast moving, positive, candid.

Exceptional written and verbal communicator : Ability to translate evidence and operations into founder‑friendly “giving products” and memos; giving talks; comfortable discussing data and evidence with technical audiences.

Autonomous with high operational rigor : A self‑starter, comfortable operating in ambiguity, with strong project management skills and clarity in fast‑moving, entrepreneurial contexts.

Who Should Apply (Three Broad Profiles)

Fundraising & capital‑raising track : Major gifts / advancement, family office / DAF advisory, or philanthropy consulting—comfortable structuring six‑ and seven‑figure gifts (stock, DAFs, crypto) and stewarding HNW portfolios.

Biz dev / sales / partnerships track : Tech BD or enterprise sales, VC / platform partnerships, operator community partnerships—skilled at prospecting, qualifying, running tight pipelines, and closing complex, multi‑stakeholder commitments.

Community builder / founder‑operator track : Built high‑signal communities or programs (salons, fellowships, operator groups), or scaled something as a founder / early operator—credible with technical audiences and strong event taste.

Working at GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Flagging for US applicants : We invite you to “Know Your Rights” as an applicant.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization working with communities to eliminate extreme poverty, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any abuse or misconduct related matters involving potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre‑hire screens, including in‑depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens. These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we work with, and prevent abuse to our recipients and staff.

GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect people and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance when it comes to preventing, reporting, or responding to any form of abuse or exploitation.” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.

Reasonable Accommodations

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the role, please email us at careers@givedirectly.org with the email subject “Accommodation Needed”. We will work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to support your needs.

Candidate Application Prep Guide

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!

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