Principal Gifts Officer

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism, and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all. 

The Principal Gifts Officer serves as a frontline fundraiser who will maximize the donor engagement process to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual and institutional prospects/donors capable of $500,000 and above in support of ADL’s highest priorities. Principal Gift Officers work in close collaboration with senior executives, program teams, operations, and divisional growth staff to deliver meaningful giving opportunities for prospects/donors across all geographies that ADL operates in. This role requires significant travel of up to 50%. 

• Cultivate and steward a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate donors with the capacity to make principal-level gifts of $500,000 or more. 
• Collaborate with fellow principal gift team members, senior leadership, and program staff to develop strategies for soliciting principal-level gifts using philanthropic trends and best practices to inform fundraising strategies and approaches. 
• Develop and maintain strong, personalized relationships with donors, understanding their philanthropic interests and motivations. 
• Strategize and execute personalized cultivation and solicitation plans for each donor in the portfolio, collaborating closely with senior leadership and/or other ADL professionals with relevant ties to the donor.  
• Lead the development of compelling solicitation proposals and presentations tailored to the interests and priorities of individual donors. 
• Orchestrate and participate in solicitation meetings and presentations, ensuring the timely coordination of executive travel and briefings when required.  
• Negotiate gift agreements and terms with donors, in collaboration with the Philanthropic Services team. 
• Ensure timely and meaningful stewardship of principal-level donors, including personalized acknowledgments, progress updates, and recognition strategies.  
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records in the CRM database, documenting all interactions and activities related to principal gifts. 
• Support the development and implementation of bespoke events and activities targeted to members of the principal gift portfolio. 

This job description provides a general overview of the role and its key responsibilities. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, and ADL reserves the right to assign additional tasks as needed. 

• Strategic thinker with the ability to analyze data, identify trends, and develop actional insights to develop sophisticated donor strategies. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with diverse stakeholders, including high net worth individuals, c-suite executives, board members, and colleagues. 
• Empathic listener able to engage prospects/donors to help them express themselves philanthropically through ADL. 
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with experience in crafting compelling fundraising proposals and presentations. 
• Display a positive attitude and show good judgment, common sense, and excellent listening skills; committed to transparency, accountability, and direct communication. 
• Ability to anticipate and be responsive to multiple stakeholders' needs simultaneously, internally, and externally, including individual donors and prospects. 
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to see multiple projects through to completion simultaneously, while meeting tight deadlines.  
• Self-motivated with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team while demonstrating an extraordinary drive to meet and exceed goals.  
• Prior experience working with fundraising databases (Salesforce), MS Office applications and online collaboration tools. 
• Ability to successfully navigate and thrive in a complex organization.  
• Committed to advancing the mission and goals of the ADL. 

• Significant fundraising experience including a demonstrated expertise in soliciting and closing six-figure and seven-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations, including multi-year commitments. 
• Experience working with senior leaders, high net worth individuals and a range of philanthropy professionals. 

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent professional experience.  

• Flexibility to work evening and weekends required. 
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly (up to 50% of time).  
• ADL is a hybrid environment; this role may require 3 days in the office.