Job Description
Job SummaryThe Director, Individual Giving is a fundraising professional responsible for the growth and performance of the Sesame Workshop's Individual Giving program. Reporting to the VP of Brand Marketing, this position leads a multi-channel program, with a focus on acquisition, retention, and long-term donor value. The role will work closely with Revenue and Development leadership to ensure Individual Giving supports Sesame's broader philanthropic growth strategy.
Responsibilities & Delivery- Program Leadership & Strategy
- Lead a comprehensive and holistic individual giving strategy spanning donor acquisition, retention, recurring giving, donor upgrade, and long-term donor growth
- Support the development of annual goals, revenue projections, budgets, and performance benchmarks
- Lead the development and launch of Sesame's branded recurring donor membership program
- Develop donor engagement and stewardship strategies that deepen connection to Sesame Workshop, increase donor loyalty and lifetime value, and advance donors through the giving pipeline
- Fundraising and Channel Optimization
- Lead acquisition, retention, reactivation, conversion, and upgrade strategies across all donor segments through audience segmentation, personalization, testing, and optimization
- Develop and optimize donor premium and incentive strategies, including product selection, design, testing, and fulfillment coordination
- Data, Analytics & Performance
- Own the day-to-day management of Individual Giving performance dashboards and KPIs, monitoring revenue, donor acquisition, retention, recurring giving, and other key metrics, and providing recommendations to optimize program performance
- Partner with Revenue Operations and Salesforce teams to improve donor segmentation, reporting, campaign tracking, and audience insights
- Analyze donor acquisition costs, retention trends, channel performance, and lifetime value to optimize resource allocation and maximize ROI
- Present performance insights, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership to inform investment and growth decisions
- Donor Pipeline Development
- Develop donor engagement and upgrade strategies that advance donors through the giving pipeline-from first gift to recurring support and mid-level engagement-while increasing the number of high-potential donors ready for major gift qualification
- Partner closely with the Major Gifts team toidentify, qualify, and transition high-potential individual donors, ensuring a warm handoff process that supports seamless portfolio cultivation and maximizes major gift conversion
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead cross-functional planning and execution in partnership with Brand Marketing, Revenue, Audience Development, Marketing Operations, and Brand Creative teams to ensure alignment on fundraising priorities and delivery of goals
- Manage Direct Mail and related vendor relationships supporting fundraising, acquisition, retention, analytics, and membership initiatives
- Partner with Brand Marketing, Comms, and Revenue teams to develop compelling cases for support, donor messaging frameworks, and fundraising narratives that drive engagement and giving
- Serve as a key collaborator with the Major Gift team to align on donor segmentation thresholds, pipeline criteria, and joint stewardship strategies
This role serves as the day-to day leader of Sesame Workshop's Individual Giving growth engine, ensuring donor acquisition, engagement, retention, and revenue generation are managed as an integrated business rather than a collection of independent campaigns.
This role may perform other related duties as needed to support team and organizational priorities.
Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degreerequired; advanced degree a plus
- 7+ years of progressive experience in individual giving or development, with demonstrated success in donor retention, upgrade, and pipeline growth
- Experience building or scaling an individual giving program;
- Experience managing vendors, agencies, consultants, or cross-functional project teams required; direct people management experience a plus
- Experience with direct mail, paid media, and Salesforce
- Proficiency with CRM systems
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong strategic thinking and project management skills
- Passion for Sesame Workshop's mission to help children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder, and ability to serve as a compelling ambassador to donors and prospects
Sesame Workshop Hybrid Work PolicyThis position is based at our headquarters office in New York (Manhattan) at 1900 Broadway, New York, NY, and follows a hybrid work model. In-office requirements vary by role and employee group, and currently range from two to five designated in-office days per week.
Pay Transparency Policy StatementAs a federal contractor, Sesame Workshop follows Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions as guided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
