Senior Director of Major Gifts

A world-class and internationally ranked college with programs in art, design, architecture, liberal arts and sciences, and information studies, Pratt Institute (Pratt, the Institute) offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Pratt is a renowned artist community that connects a diverse, generous, and creative student body with faculty who serve as active practitioners in their respective fields, creating an educational experience that aligns pedagogy with practicality to ensure student success in creative fields and professional practice.

Pratt is at an inflection point as an institution. The Institute is in the planning and feasibility process of an anticipated nine-figure comprehensive campaign. In parallel, Pratt seeks to deepen its philanthropic sources of support in the coming years to ensure that the team can achieve its goal of increasing operating and endowment funds.

Pratt seeks a passionate, driven fundraising leader to serve as Senior Director of Major Gifts (Senior Director) to lead and expand Pratt’s major gifts program. The successful candidate will serve as an inspirational player-coach in major gifts, international fundraising, and donor relations, raising standards by exemplifying best practices and success in frontline solicitation.

The Senior Director will carry a portfolio of major gifts prospects and donors with the capacity to make five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts. The candidate will help identify defined and non-defined constituencies and build pipelines of major gifts prospects for the frontline fundraising team. The successful candidate will lead moves management, including the identification and migration of annual giving donors to the major gifts level for their team’s portfolios.

The Senior Director of Major Gifts will report to the Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Jacob Korb. The Senior Director will lead a team of four direct reports – Director of International Engagement, two major gifts officers, and Director of Donor Relations – with oversight of six professionals. The successful candidate will provide inspirational mentorship and build a high-performing culture.

The successful candidate will identify planned and blended gifts opportunities and collaborate with the Director of Planned Giving to successfully cultivate, solicit, and secure these gifts. The ideal candidate will serve as a leadership member of Pratt’s Institutional Advancement team, and partner closely with Pratt’s Vice President and Assistant Vice President on campaign efforts. The candidate will partner with and support volunteers, executive leaders, and academic leadership, providing opportunities for meaningful engagement with alumni prospects.