Director, Philanthropic Initiatives

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Director, Philanthropic Initiatives provides strategic leadership for donor-engagement, mission alignment, donor fund governance and revenue enablement across Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. This position oversees the development and execution of stewardship plans, donor relations and recognition to enhance donor engagement. The Director ensures comprehensive donor recognition through donor walls, digital recognition, and system-wide recognition initiatives and annual donor lists. Acting as the primary liaison with Marketing, Facilities, PD&C, FinOps, and Accounting, the Director ensures alignment across departments and the execution of donor reporting and engagement strategies. Additionally, this role leads donor fund management, overseeing financial tracking, restricted gift oversight, and process improvements related to gift processing and reporting. The Director manages the Case for Support process, coordinating prioritization, updates, and donor communications. This role requires a strategic, collaborative leader with expertise in donor relations, project management, and cross-functional coordination to enhance donor engagement and advance the Foundation’s philanthropic goals.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, or a related field
Demonstrated success serving as a trusted advisor to senior or executive leadership
Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations
Experience influencing outcomes without direct authority
Experience with donor stewardship, donor fund management, philanthropic governance and proposal development
Prior people management experience, including coaching and developing teams
Experience operating in ambiguous environments, requiring judgment, prioritization and decision framing
Bachelor’s degree required
Passion for child health and well-being and commitment to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta mission
Strong strategic judgment with the ability to prioritize, sequence and frame complex work
Ability to translate ambiguity into clear options, recommendations and next steps
Advanced written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level writing and presentations
Deep understanding of donor intent, stewardship principles and philanthropic best practices
Ability to balance ideal outcomes with practical, achievable implementation
Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills across internal and external partners
Comfort navigating organizational complexity, competing priorities and stakeholder dynamics
Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and develop high-performing teams
High level of professionalism and accountability

Nice To Haves

Advance degree preferred

Responsibilities

Cross-Functional Planning & Executive Alignment
Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership on donor engagement, development strategy and mission alignment
Frame complex issues and recommendations for executive decision-making, including tradeoffs, sequencing and implications
Translate organizational strategy and clinical priorities into clear, donor-ready philanthropic priorities
Advance alignment across Development, Finance, Clinical Operations and Marketing partners
Case for Support & Donor Messaging
Lead the development and ongoing refinement of the Foundation’s Case for Support and donor-facing messaging
Ensure consistency and clarity across proposals, donor communications and impact reporting
Partner with Foundation, Marketing and clinical leaders to align messaging with mission priorities and outcomes
Donor Fund Management & Philanthropic Governance
Provide executive leadership for donor fund management, ensuring donor intent, governance and reporting are clearly defined and consistently applied
Partner with Finance and Operations to align fund structures, policies and practices with donor expectations and organizational priorities
Identify and address systemic donor fund management risks, gaps and inefficiencies
Develop frameworks, guidance and decision pathways that support frontline fundraisers and executive leaders
Ensure donor fund practices reinforce trust, transparency and long-term donor confidence
Donor Engagement Strategy & Journey Design
Lead the design and evolution of integrated donor engagement strategies that deepen relationships across portfolios, giving levels and channels
Develop donor engagement journeys to intentionally connect stewardship, communications, events and personal outreach
Reduce channel silos by partnering across teams to deliver cohesive, donor-centered experiences
Use insight and performance data to refine engagement strategies and support donor retention and growth
Revenue Enablement & Campaign Readiness
Strengthen donor confidence and long-term revenue by ensuring clarity and discipline in donor engagement, fund governance and stewardship practices
Enable frontline fundraising by providing clear priorities, donor-facing messaging and guidance that support effective solicitation and renewal
Support organizational readiness for future campaigns by embedding engagement strategy, messaging frameworks and alignment work into ongoing operations with accountability for donor confidence, retention and long-term revenue durability
People & Team Leadership
Lead, coach and develop a team responsible for donor engagement, stewardship and related functions
Set clear expectations, foster accountability and support professional growth
Build a culture grounded in integrity, collaboration and operational excellence