Job Summary
The Executive Director of Principal Gifts plays a key leadership role in driving the university’s principal gifts strategy, with a primary focus on securing philanthropic commitments of $1 million or more. This position personally manages a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, leading efforts in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of transformational gifts that advance the university’s mission and strategic priorities.
In partnership with senior university leadership, development colleagues, faculty, and staff, the role also works to build and manage a robust pipeline of principal gift prospects while aligning donor interests with institutional priorities to maximize philanthropic support and long-term impact.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit philanthropic gifts of $1,000,000 and greater from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support students, faculty, programs, and departments within the university.
- Manage a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects, ensuring active cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies tailored to high-capacity donors.
- Provide direction to the units' assigned Development staff.
- Collaborate with URD leadership (VP and AVP of Development), deans, and university administrators to identify institutional philanthropic priorities and develop successful strategies to secure transformational gifts.
- Prepare high-level proposals, gift agreements, stewardship plans, and related materials to support cultivation and solicitation efforts.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
The ideal candidate possesses a strong understanding of the solicitation process and best practices within a higher education advancement setting. They are skilled in identifying and cultivating a pipeline of prospective donors, aligning philanthropic priorities with university initiatives, and crafting tailored engagement strategies. With excellent planning, organizational, and problem-solving abilities, they communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. This individual demonstrates proven leadership in supervising staff, managing projects, and fostering collaboration. They work independently with minimal oversight, showing initiative and self-direction in coordinating and completing tasks efficiently.
Ability to communicate with an ethnically and culturally diverse campus community. Ability to follow all university policies, procedures, and guidelines including but not limited to safety, civility, information security, and non-discrimination policies and procedures. Ability to contribute to a positive university experience for each and every student and assist in achieving the university's commitment to a "vision of excellence."
Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of demonstrated successful major gift fundraising experience including donor identification, cultivation, and solicitation required.
• Experience in higher education preferred.
Physical Summary
- Sedentary work - Involves mainly sitting. Walking and standing are minimal. Lifting is limited to lightweight objects. (10 pounds or less).
Licenses / Certificates
Valid California driver's license required.
• Employees who are required to operate motorized vehicles and/or use their personal vehicle more than once a month on university business are required to take a mandatory Defensive Driving course and enroll in the DMV Employee Pull Notice (EPN) Program.
Department
University Development
Compensation
CSU MPP Compensation Summary Range: The MPP Comp Summary Range for this position is $11,597 - $17,396 per month.
Salary placement is determined by the education, experience, and qualifications the candidate brings to the position, internal equity, and the hiring department’s fiscal resources.
Benefits
This is a management level position with an attractive benefits package, which includes a vacation accrual rate of 16 hours per month, and excellent choice of medical, dental, and vision insurance, long term disability coverage, life insurance, educational fee waiver, and retirement benefits.
Classification
Administrator II
How to Apply
Another Source has been retained for this search. To ensure your application is received please apply directly through Another Source candidate portal by clicking here.
Additional Information
The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.
A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Due to the nature of this position, current CSULB employees are subject to a criminal record check unless they have successfully completed a criminal background check through CSULB within the past 12 months.
CSULB is not a sponsoring agency for staff and management positions (i.e. H-1B Visas).
California State University Long Beach expects respectful, professional behavior from its employees in all situations. Acts of harassment or abusive conduct are prohibited. Demonstrated appropriate professional behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate abusive conduct is expected of all employees.
Accommodations
We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact StaffHR-Accommodations@csulb.edu.
Out of State Employment Policy
California State University, Long Beach, as part of the CSU system, is a State of California Employer. As such, the University requires all employees upon date of hire to reside in the State of California.
As of January 1, 2022 the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.
Equal Employment Statement
Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, CSULB provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or other protected status. CSULB complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.