Senior Associate Director, Philanthropy; Prospect Development

Overview

The Prospect Development team plays a crucial role in advancing MD Anderson's fundraising efforts by focusing on identifying, researching, and strategically managing potential major donors. Prospect Development conducts in-depth prospect research to uncover key information about potential donors, analyzing data to identify trends and opportunities, and crafting strategies to effectively engage and solicit major gifts. The team collaborates closely with frontline fundraisers to ensure alignment between donor prospects and organizational goals, participates in portfolio reviews to optimize donor engagement, and contributes to the development of comprehensive fundraising strategies.

A strong partnership with Business Solutions and a solid understanding of donor databases is essential for managing and leveraging donor information effectively. The Prospect Development team is integral in driving successful fundraising initiatives and enhancing donor relations.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and collaborative leader with expertise in prospect research, data analysis, and fundraising strategy. They excel at building and maintaining a robust donor pipeline, leveraging research tools and analytics to align prospects with institutional priorities. Strong project management, relationship‑building skills, and the ability to mentor and guide team members are essential. This individual is detail‑oriented, adaptable, and skilled at translating complex data into actionable strategies that drive philanthropic growth.

$77,500 (Min) - $97,000 (Mid) - $116,500 (Max)

• Paid employee medical benefits (zero premium) starting on first day for employees who work 30 or more hours per week
• Group Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D and Disability coverage
• Paid time off (PTO) and Extended Illness Bank (EIB) paid leave accruals
• Paid institutional holidays, wellness leave, childcare leave, and other paid leave programs
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service
• Teachers Retirement System defined‑benefit pension plan and two voluntary retirement plans
• Employer paid life, AD&D and an illness‑related reduced salary pay program
• Extensive wellness, recognition, fitness, employee health programs and employee resource groups.

Drive execution of strategic plans and lead decision making around stakeholder relationships, special projects and initiatives and the orchestration of strategic approaches. Continuously capture and collect significant data points, execute on deliverables with precision, develop actionable strategies and allocate appropriate resources to execute work functions. Serve as a coach, mentor and sponsor, enabling others to thrive in a dynamic and changing environment.

• Lead the ongoing development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to identify, qualify, and prioritize potential donors across all giving levels and philanthropic interests.
• Manage grateful giving prospect pipeline by collaborating with grateful giving program to build and maintain a scalable program to systematically and proactively identify patients with potential philanthropic interest.
• Address challenges, seize opportunities, and lead the continuous improvement of prospect identification processes, products, services, and resources.

Consistently deliver skillful execution of team‑specific work with an eye toward continuous improvement, while being aware of the impact of the team's work on and in partnership with others.

• Develop and carry out strategies for the maintenance and expansion of the prospect pool. Conduct proactive research to identify and rate major and principal gift prospects, utilizing online resources, screenings, alerts, reports, relationship mapping, and other resources.
• Coordinate Prospect Research activities for designated fundraising team(s), including but not limited to, attending strategy meetings, assisting with event strategies, educating team members on Prospect Research functions, and serving as a liaison between the Research function and the assigned fundraising team(s).