The Opportunity The Director, Individual Philanthropy is a newly created role at Ronald McDonald House Global, designed to build the major and principal giving program that Ronald McDonald House's 2030 ambitions require.
Reporting to the Global Chief Development Officer, the Director, Individual Philanthropy provides strategic leadership for Ronald McDonald House's global individual giving program, driving major and principal gifts from new and existing donors. Once fully staffed, the role will oversee a team of 3. The Director shapes moves management and portfolio strategy to advance fundraising priorities across the system. The Director also personally manages a portfolio of principal donors and is expected to secure significant new and increased commitments from major gift donors. This leader collaborates closely with other revenue directors and partners across the organization to ensure alignment and integration of individual giving strategy with broader organizational goals.
This is a builder's role at a builder's moment. Ronald McDonald House has the ingredients of an exceptional individual giving program, including an engaged Board, loyal donors, an iconic mission, and chapters and staff who are eager to collaborate. What it does not yet have is the structure, discipline, and process required to convert those ingredients into sustained seven- and eight-figure outcomes. The next Director, Individual Philanthropy will design that structure, install moves management and portfolio strategy fit to scale, and personally lead some of the most consequential donor relationships in the organization. They will be both architect and operator: setting the strategy, then executing it.
For a sophisticated major gifts leader who is energized by white space, ready to roll up their sleeves, and excited to shape what an individual philanthropy program at Ronald McDonald House can become, this is a rare opportunity to leave a defining mark on one of the most beloved missions in the world.
Key responsibilities of the Director, Individual Philanthropy include, among others:
Strategy, Leadership & Fundraising- Lead the strategy and execution for Ronald McDonald House's individual major and principal gifts fundraising program.
- Manage relationships with principal and major individual donors and prospects, including the highest-capacity new donor and prospect relationships.
- Oversee moves management, donor segmentation, and portfolio strategy to maximize revenue and donor engagement.
- Set fundraising goals, monitor team progress, and adjust strategies to meet annual and long-term targets.
- Provide tools, guidance, and best-practice resources to support individual giving at the global, national, and chapter level.
New Donor Pipeline Development- Set the strategy and oversee the development of an individual donor pipeline sourced from direct response, digital marketing, and other acquisition channels.
- Ensure prospect research is fully leveraged to identify, qualify, and cultivate prospective donors.
- Partner with system leaders across the Ronald McDonald House network to collaboratively prospect, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors at every level of capacity.
Team Leadership & Development- Manage a team of individual giving professionals, providing coaching, performance management, and professional development.
- Build a high-performing, accountable team culture aligned with broader organizational priorities.
- Establish clear roles, goals, and metrics that enable team members to do their best work.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner with field, communications, marketing, and events teams to ensure alignment between organizational priorities, revenue strategies, donor proposals, and donor interests.
- Work closely with senior leadership to align individual giving strategy with organizational goals and initiatives.
- Advise senior leaders on donor engagement, solicitation strategies, and stewardship opportunities.
- Build relationships with system leaders to advance fundraising and create meaningful collaboration between global, national, and local giving.
- Support donor engagement events as needed.
Reporting & Performance Management- Monitor key performance indicators and provide regular reporting on individual giving outcomes.
- Analyze fundraising results to inform strategy and identify opportunities for growth.
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies, ethical standards, and donor confidentiality.
Candidate ProfileWhile it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality, and characteristic, the following offers a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:
A Passion for the MissionThe ideal candidate will bring:- A deep and authentic passion for Ronald McDonald House's mission and a fundamental belief in the power of keeping families together when a child is ill or injured.
- An infectious enthusiasm that inspires donors, colleagues, Board members, and chapter partners to rally behind the cause.
- An unwavering commitment to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and donor confidentiality.
- Cultural humility and compassion, recognizing the emotional weight of Ronald McDonald House's mission and engaging staff, families, and donors with care.
A Strategic Major Gifts BuilderThe ideal candidate will bring:- A track record of designing and executing comprehensive individual giving strategies that drive sustainable, multi-year revenue growth.
- Demonstrated success securing significant major and principal gifts, ideally at the seven-figure level, from new and existing donors.
- Strong knowledge of major, annual, and planned giving best practices and the ability to bring them together into a coherent, well-sequenced program.
- Proven success building and managing moves management, donor segmentation, and portfolio optimization systems and processes.
- Demonstrated success in new donor acquisition and portfolio growth, including translating direct, digital, and prospect research inputs into qualified major gift pipeline.
- Experience in a federated, multi-chapter, or affiliate-based organization is a meaningful plus, though not required.
A Player-Coach LeaderThe ideal candidate will bring:- A balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution; comfortable setting direction one moment and personally drafting the proposal, running the cultivation strategy, or making the ask the next.
- Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing fundraising teams, including coaching, performance management, and professional development.
- A genuine willingness to roll up their sleeves, especially in the early stages of building the program, before the team and infrastructure are fully in place.
- Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and influence skills, able to engage donors, peers, senior leaders, Board members, and system partners with credibility and warmth.
- The ability to influence without authority and align individual giving with organizational priorities across a large, distributed system.
An Operationally Disciplined ExecutiveThe ideal candidate will bring:- A clear point of view on the structure, processes, and disciplines required to scale a major gifts program, and the operational rigor to install them.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to bring focus and prioritization.
- A data-informed approach to fundraising, using analytics, KPIs, and pipeline metrics to drive decisions and demonstrate progress.
- The judgment to know when to invest in process, when to test, and when to act.
A Builder Energized by White SpaceThe ideal candidate will bring:- Comfort and even enthusiasm operating in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment in which the organization is investing significantly and growing quickly.
- The vision and courage to build a program from a relatively blank slate, paired with the discipline to make it real.
- Resilience and adaptability in the face of ambiguity and competing demands.
- Creativity and entrepreneurial energy to design innovative cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that accelerate growth.
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Compensation and BenefitsThe salary range for this role is $157,655 - $197,069 per year, plus a 25% target bonus calculated based on individual and company performance. The position is also eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald's long-term incentive plan.
The role offers a comprehensive benefits package, including comprehensive health insurance (medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental, and vision), life insurance, a 401(k) plan, an adoption assistance program, an educational assistance program, flexible ways of working, and time off policies including sick leave, paren
