Job Summary

The (Senior) Director of Philanthropic Partnerships is a senior frontline fundraiser whose primary mandate is to build IPA’s philanthropic pipeline and close major gifts. The role personally manages a portfolio that spans major gift relationships in the $25,000+ range and principal gift prospects with the capacity to make six- and seven-figure commitments for unrestricted and core institutional funding priorities. The role carries explicit responsibility for opening new philanthropic markets and identifying, qualifying, and cultivating new prospects to grow IPA’s long-term revenue base. This role is also central to IPA's multi-year campaign, Building Evidence-to-Impact Ecosystems, which will fund the organization's next phase of growth, including Embedded Evidence Labs and IPA's broader strategic priorities through 2030.

This is both a builder and closer role. The successful candidate will bring an established track record of personally closing gifts in the six- and seven-figure range and will apply that experience both to grow IPA’s major gift revenue and to personally close major gifts. New market focus areas include artificial intelligence (including AI company founders, executives, and aligned foundations), family offices, finance and hedge fund philanthropy networks, effective giving and evidence-aligned communities, and the major donor philanthropic market in the United Kingdom.

The role works closely with the Chief Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer (CPPO) to advance and close high-value gifts in the personal portfolio. The CPPO is the primary interface with the Executive Director on principal gift strategy and serves as the partner-closer on the most strategic relationships. The (Senior) Director plays a lead role in the execution of IPA's capital campaign, partnering with the CPPO on campaign strategy, donor identification and qualification, and the cultivation and solicitation of campaign-level gifts. The (Senior) Director leads, develops, and holds accountable two direct reports: a manager responsible for philanthropy operations and a manager responsible for the mid-level and planned giving program. Together this team executes IPA's mid-level fundraising, planned giving, and philanthropy operations functions, while the (Senior) Director carries personal accountability for major and principal gift fundraising.

Responsibilities

Frontline major and principal gift fundraising (approximately 50%)

Lead the full donor cycle for portfolio relationships: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship of donors in the $25,000+ range.
Personally solicit and close gifts across the portfolio, with measurable annual revenue targets set jointly with the CPPO.
Partner with the Chief Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer (CPPO) to advance and close principal gifts in the personal portfolio, including coordinating briefings, donor strategy, and meeting roles.
Carry a meaningful portion of IPA’s $15 million capital campaign goal, with a personal portfolio aligned to campaign priorities and a multi-year cultivation and solicitation plan.
Move qualified prospects from the major gift range into the principal gift range over time, building IPA’s long-term revenue.

Prospect and market building (approximately 25%)

Lead IPA’s prospect identification and qualification efforts, building a forward-looking pipeline of new individual and family foundation donors aligned with IPA’s strategic priorities with a focus on unrestricted and core institutional funding priorities.
Build IPA’s presence in priority new philanthropic markets, including artificial intelligence (AI company founders, executives, and aligned foundations), family offices, finance and hedge fund philanthropy networks, effective giving and evidence-aligned communities, and the major donor philanthropic market in the United Kingdom.
Position IPA’s evidence base for relevance to emerging philanthropic priorities in AI, including responsible deployment of AI in low- and middle-income country development, and translate IPA’s research portfolio into propositions that resonate with AI-sector funders.
Build the prospect research and intelligence function required to support pipeline growth, including external advisory relationships and wealth screening capabilities.
Develop and execute a written market expansion plan with quarterly milestones, in partnership with the CPPO.
Align prospect and market-building activity to the capital campaign timeline, ensuring that new markets and new prospects translate into campaign commitments within the campaign window.

Team leadership and program oversight (approximately 15%)

Directly supervise two managers responsible for philanthropy operations and the mid-level and planned giving program, holding each accountable for the performance of their respective functions.
Hold the team accountable to revenue targets, pipeline discipline, and documented moves management practices.
Coach team members on frontline fundraising fundamentals, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and pipeline management.
Identify and develop talent on the team, supporting growth into more senior frontline fundraising responsibilities over time.
Set annual goals, conduct performance reviews, and partner with the CPPO on structural decisions about the team’s composition, capabilities, and growth.

Senior leadership and external positioning (approximately 10%)

With the CPPO, contribute to strategic planning, revenue forecasting, and resource allocation decisions.
Represent IPA at external convenings with donors and prospects.
Maintain a current and authoritative view of the international development funding landscape, especially in the United States and United Kingdom, and translate that intelligence into strategic decisions for the CPPO.
Support board engagement in fundraising where appropriate, including activating board members as connectors and advocates for new prospect introductions.

Qualifications

Ten or more years of progressive frontline fundraising experience for the Director level, or fifteen or more years for the Senior Director level.
Direct experience fundraising for an international development, global health, research, or higher education organization.
Demonstrated personal track record of closing gifts in the six- and seven-figure range, including documented examples of cultivating and securing transformational commitments.
Demonstrated experience opening new philanthropic markets or donor segments, not solely sustaining established donor pipelines.
Experience in one or more of IPA’s priority markets: the United Kingdom philanthropic market, finance and hedge fund philanthropy networks, artificial intelligence philanthropy networks, family offices, or effective giving communities.
Track record of securing unrestricted or core institutional support, as distinct from project-restricted grants.
Experience managing fundraising managers, with direct accountability for the performance of their teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate research evidence into compelling donor narratives.
Proficiency with Salesforce or a comparable customer relationship management (CRM) system, and with moves management and pipeline reporting practices.
Willingness to travel approximately 20 percent of the time, including some weekends and evenings as needed.
Right to work in the United States or the United Kingdom, depending on the location selected.
Familiarity with randomized evaluations, evidence-based policy, or development economics. (preferred)
Experience contributing to or leading campaign fundraising, including multi-year cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of campaign-level gifts. (preferred)

Location

The duty station for this position is New York, NY; Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; or London, UK. The work arrangement is hybrid, with regular in-office collaboration required. Travel of approximately 20 percent is expected, including some weekends and evenings as needed.

Reports To

Chief Partnerships and Philanthropy Officer

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $125,000–$165,000 annually for candidates based in the United Sates. Placement within this range reflects the level at which the successful candidate is hired (Director or Senior Director) as well as their location. IPA also offers a competitive benefits package including health insurance, retirement contributions, generous paid time off, and professional development support.

How to Apply

To apply, submit a resume and cover letter describing your fundraising track record — particularly your experience closing six- and seven-figure gifts and opening new philanthropic markets — and what draws you to IPA's mission. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and advances what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of people living in poverty. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 1,000 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Safeguarding at IPA

At Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), we are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults. As IPA adheres to strict safeguarding principles, selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards. By joining IPA, you become part of a team dedicated to ethical conduct, social responsibility, and meaningful impact in the fight against global poverty. Together, we work to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect.

Innovations For Poverty Action

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(Senior) Director of Philanthropic Partnerships