Senior Director of Individual Giving

The American Enterprise Institute seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, and goal-oriented individual interested in public policy to grow and manage a major gifts program focused on high-dollar individual donors. This role’s responsibilities include leading a team of fundraisers and support staff who identify prospective donors and cultivate, solicit, and steward donor relationships while personally managing a moderate portfolio of major donors. This position therefore requires high-level interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

This is an excellent position for someone who enjoys building relationships and having a direct impact on an organization committed to strengthening free enterprise and building a freer and safer world.

The successful candidate will be creative and knowledgeable about best practices in philanthropy and interested in developing and executing tailored strategies for each donor and prospect. Good conversation and listening skills and a knowledge of policy topics that interest donors are necessary to succeed in this role. A natural curiosity and the ability to fit into the organization’s academic, collegial culture are essential.

AEI’s Development department is fast‑paced and mission driven. Reporting to the vice president of Development, the senior director will have broad impact across the department and will interact daily with members of its corporate relations team, foundation relations team, Development operations team, and Development events team. The successful candidate will mentor and develop team members through regular feedback and coaching and will work daily with other senior team members to ensure the strategic relationship building and solicitation of our donor base.

The senior director of individual giving must demonstrate an ability to prioritize activities and execute tasks quickly. Strong writing and oral communication skills and an energetic and entrepreneurial spirit are essential. A deep understanding of AEI’s mission and an interest in public policy are also required. A track record (including 10 or more years of experience) of successful, high‑level fundraising and face‑to‑face solicitations is preferred, and a knowledge of capital campaign fundraising is a plus.

This role will be full‑time and in person, with the expectation to travel 40–50% of the time.

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, a cover letter demonstrating their interest in AEI’s mission and scholarly work, an academic transcript, and a writing sample related to development, such as a donor solicitation letter or other communication.

• Individual‑Giving Strategy and Performance
  • Lead the individual‑giving program, setting and achieving ambitious fundraising goals.
  • Direct major‑gift and individual‑donor strategies, allocating resources toward the highest‑impact opportunities.
  • Drive growth in donor participation, retention, and revenue year over year.
• Donor Engagement and Major Gifts
  • Manage a portfolio of high‑capacity donors and prospects, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
  • Partner with senior leadership and key stakeholders to leverage executive relationships in support of fundraising.
  • Oversee donor‑cultivation strategies across geographic regions and affinity areas.
• Team Leadership and Management
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of individual‑giving professionals.
  • Establish clear goals, accountability mechanisms, and performance expectations.
  • Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that supports professional growth and strong cross‑functional relationships.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships across the organization—including with research and communications teams and executive leadership—to ensure donor engagement is timely, relevant, and mission aligned.
  • Collaborate on donor proposals, briefings, and communications that reflect institutional priorities and donor interests.
• Organizational Leadership
  • Serve as a key thought partner in the Development leadership team.
  • Contribute to department‑wide planning, strategy, and continuous improvement.

• The employee is…