Planned and Principal Gifts

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

At this pivotal moment in time, we are rapidly expanding and growing our team to meet the increasing needs of our world. We are looking for people who want to use their gifts and talents to make a real and tangible difference in our world and the lives of the suffering.

If you’re looking for a purpose-driven career in which you can grow your talents, while also standing up for the rights of the vulnerable, we want you to join us today.

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish.

Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy.

This position is reliant upon funding and may be subject to modification or termination based on resource availability.

The Director of Principal and Planned Gifts will be a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative fundraising professional who plays a critical role in advancing the organization’s philanthropic goals. Reporting to the Vice President of Strategic Engagement, this individual will develop and execute strategies to build long‑term relationships with donors capable of making transformational contributions—both through immediate principal gifts and future‑oriented planned gifts.

In their principal gifts capacity, the Director will serve as a visible, front‑line major gifts officer, managing a portfolio of approximately 35–50 high‑net‑worth prospects and partners. The Director will lead the full donor engagement cycle—identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individuals capable of making million‑ and multi‑million‑dollar investments in support of the organization’s mission. In their planned giving capacity, the Director will also identify and cultivate donors with the potential and interest to make legacy and other planned gifts, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and other complex giving instruments.

The Director will provide guidance and technical expertise to prospects, as well as collaborate across teams to integrate planned giving strategies into the broader fundraising efforts. This dual role requires a deep understanding of donor motivations, gift vehicles, and tax‑advantaged philanthropic planning. The Director will partner with legal, finance, and external advisors as needed to craft customized giving plans. Additionally, the Director may offer coaching and thought partnership to colleagues across the Strategic Engagement Team, particularly with the team of Strategic Partnership Directors, to elevate and expand the organization's capacity to close both current‑use and planned gifts at the highest levels.

• Actively maintains a portfolio of 35–50 principal gift‑level prospects with an associated annual revenue goal, inclusive of both current and planned giving potential.
• Serves the Strategic Partnership Directors team with planned giving resources, counsel and sales process support in closing planned gifts.
• Stewards each relationship according to established performance standards and metrics reflected by annual Lead Indicators, while also incorporating planned giving engagement benchmarks where appropriate.
• Develops and grows relationships within the assigned portfolio through creating complex, customized fundraising plans that align donor passions with organizational…