Join our team

The Holdsworth Center seeks a Major Gifts Director who believes in the promise of public schools to deliver excellent and equitable results for students, and who believes their unique skills and inner purpose would be a great match for Holdsworth’s mission, culture and values.

Our organization & mission

Driven by the belief that teachers and students thrive with great leadership, The Holdsworth Center builds stronger leaders for Texas public schools. Founded as a nonprofit in 2017 by H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt, Holdsworth provides world-class leadership development programs and services within districts and at its Campus on Lake Austin, a one-of-a-kind place dedicated to the idea that public education holds worth.

Our founder Charles Butt believes educators deserve rigorous professional learning in a world-class setting and envisioned the Campus as a gift to hardworking educators and a testament to the importance of public schools. The serene and peaceful setting allows teams of educators to step back from the day-to-day and see their challenges and opportunities more clearly.

Our work

Leadership is not a skill people are born with – it can be taught. That’s why we offer world-class leadership programs, coaching and other services unparalleled in the education field.

In our programs, superintendents, principals, teachers and other educational leaders engage with some of the nation’s top experts in their fields from a variety of sectors, including preK-12 and higher education, government and business.

In some of our partner districts, we embed Holdsworth consultants to work hand-in-hand with central office leaders to define what great leadership looks and help them build custom solutions to identify and develop future campus leaders, place them in leadership roles and support them as they progress in their leadership journey.

Our culture & values

We have three core values at Holdsworth: Drive for Excellence & Equity, Be of Service and Believe in People. Our values flow from the vision and beliefs of our founder, Charles Butt, and guide our daily words and actions, bringing meaning to the work we do.

About the Position:

The Major Gifts Director, reporting to the Chief Development Officer, is responsible for the creation and management of a well-coordinated, strategic major gifts plan to cultivate and solicit support from high-level individual donors in support of Holdsworth’s mission and vision. The Major Gifts Officer will work to establish long-term partnerships, strengthen existing relationships, and create new contacts through personalized engagement strategies.

Purpose & Responsibilities

• Establish and implement a Holdsworth Center Major Gifts Program, including donors of $25,000 or more, with the goal of annually raising $500,000 in the first year and $1,500,000 by the third year.
  • Work with the Director of Development and Board of Directors to identify and cultivate a team of leaders to support the solicitation of major gifts.
  • With the support of a core group of board members and volunteers, successfully solicit major gifts.
  • Ensure proper cultivation, recognition, and stewardship of gifts, including exclusive events for major donors.
  • Utilize prospect research tools to identify potential major donors.
  • Develop and implement a framework, including personalized engagement opportunities, recognition, and structure.
• Cultivate and manage a robust portfolio of major donors by engaging in qualification, strategy development, relationship building, and solicitation of major gifts.
  • Build and carry an active portfolio of high-net-worth individual donors to achieve growing annual goals.
  • Participate in goal setting, proposal preparation, strategy development, and stewardship for major donors.
  • Design and execute personalized engagement strategies targeting new and existing major donors, including exclusive events and one-on-one meetings.
  • Secure visits, organize tours, and facilitate personal interactions with Holdsworth leadership for major donors.
• Collaborate with the Communications Team to develop and implement targeted communication strategies for major donors.
  • Develop personalized communication plans for major donors, including tailored proposals and impact reports.
  • Focus on storytelling and showcasing the impact of major gifts on Holdsworth’s mission and programs.
  • Support stewardship efforts of current major donors to retain and encourage increased giving year-over-year.
  • Achieve a 50% donor retention rate for major gifts.

Desirable candidates will have a range of prior experience and capabilities to include:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5+ years of related fundraising experience
• Excellent written and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, CRM platforms (Salesforce a plus), and fundraising platforms
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Extremely detail-oriented
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, work well under pressure, and manage details of several concurrent projects
• Excellent project management skills, ability to establish priorities, manage time, and meet deadlines
• Takes initiative, kindly assertive, and is a self-starter
• Experience in a non-profit organization is a plus

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range: $115,000 - $120,000
• Compensation for the role will depend on several factors, including but not limited, to your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. The Holdsworth Center also factors internal pay equity in evaluating compensation.
• This position is eligible to participate in company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short-term and long-term disability coverage, four-weeks of paid time off annually, employee assistance program, participation in a 401k program that includes a company match, and many other additional benefits.

Location

Houston or surrounding areas. Must be able to travel (up to 20%) for events. Must be able to travel to the Campus on Lake Austin approximately once per month for staff development and collaboration opportunities.