Senior Philanthropy Officer

Join Us in Transforming Lives

Are you a passionate, mission-driven fundraiser ready to make a global impact? Unbound is on an ambitious journey to end poverty for 400,000 families, and we're looking for a visionary Senior Philanthropy Officer to help bring this mission to life.

In this exciting role, you'll connect with high-net-worth individuals who share a desire to create real change. Through thoughtful relationship-building, strategic engagement, and compelling storytelling, you'll inspire major gifts to support Unbound's Focus Funds, which directly fuel life-changing programs worldwide.

You'll lead the donor journey—from discovery to stewardship—bringing a personal and innovative approach to cultivating and growing meaningful partnerships. By managing a portfolio of major donors and building a robust pipeline of philanthropic support, you'll play a pivotal role in helping Unbound end poverty for the families in our programs.

If you're driven to make a difference and excited by the opportunity to partner with donors to create lasting change for families and communities around the world, this is your chance to join Unbound and help change the story of poverty, one household at a time.

Position Start Date - January 2026

Location - Based in Kansas City, KS USA

Work Environment - Hybrid (Mix of On-Site and Remote Work)

Position Summary:

The Senior Philanthropy Officer will join Unbound's efforts to cultivate, steward, and grow relationships with high-net-worth individuals, with the goal of securing major gifts to Unbound's Focus Funds. This role requires a thoughtful and strategic approach to the entire donor development lifecycle, encompassing the six key stages: Discovery, Qualification, Cultivation, Solicitation, Acknowledgment, and Reporting. The Sr. Philanthropy Officer will play a critical role in increasing the organization's fundraising capacity by managing a portfolio of major donors and building a strong pipeline of philanthropic support,

Who We Are

Unbound is an international nonprofit based in Kansas City, Kansas, and founded by lay Catholics grounded in the Gospel call to put the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable first.

Our mission is to support families and communities worldwide on their self-directed paths out of poverty.

Our vision is to build a world free from poverty where all people have access to resources, community support and the ability to make decisions that improve their lives and uphold human dignity.

Unbound offers a practical way for sponsors, donors and volunteers to make a personal and direct impact as partners in our global community. Through walking with a child and family, youth, elder or community on their path out of poverty, our supporters have an opportunity to expand their worldviews and be part of creative solutions to poverty.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

1. Major Donor Strategy Development

• Develop and implement individualized donor strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals capable of making significant gifts.
• Create personalized engagement plans for each major donor and major donor prospect, ensuring meaningful engagements that align their philanthropic goals and Unbound's mission.
• Work with the VP of Philanthropy to establish annual and long-term fundraising goals for major gifts and monitor progress against these goals.
• Contribute to the creation of a comprehensive major gift strategy for growing this channel.
• Utilize data and donor insights to inform strategy, focusing on optimizing donor engagement and improving fundraising outcomes.

2. Prospect Research and Pipeline Development

• Oversee the identification of new major donor prospects through research, referrals, and networking.
• Utilize prospect research tools to uncover individuals with capacity and affinity for Unbound's mission.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of potential major gift donors to support future fundraising goals.
• Track and evaluate donor interactions and progress toward fundraising goals using the CRM.

3. Donor Qualification

• Qualify prospective donors by assessing their philanthropic interests, capacity, and alignment with Unbound's mission.
• Conduct initial meetings with potential donors to learn more about their giving priorities and identify where their interests overlap with Unbound's initiatives.
• Maintain detailed records of donor interactions, ensuring accurate tracking of where each donor is in the engagement process.

4. Relationship Building

• Build meaningful relationships with prospective and current donors by engaging them in Unbound's work through personalized strategies and interactions.
• Develop tailored cultivation plans for each donor, offering unique experiences such as personal meetings and customized updates.
• Work collaboratively with program and leadership staff to connect donors with the impact of their gifts, providing specific opportunities aligned with their philanthropic goals.

5. Solicitation

• Prepare for and execute solicitation meetings, focusing on the alignment between the donor's values and Unbound's funding needs.
• Present clear, compelling cases for support that inspire major donors to invest in Unbound's mission, seeking gifts in the six- and seven-figure range.
• Utilize personalized proposals, presentations, and impact stories to make a data-driven case for major donor investment.

6. Acknowledgment and Reporting

• Ensure timely, thoughtful, and personalized acknowledgments of all major gifts, thanking donors for their contributions in a meaningful way.
• Collaborate with the communications team to create recognition opportunities that celebrate major donors and demonstrate their value to the organization.
• Develop tailored stewardship plans for each donor, ensuring ongoing engagement and appreciation for their contributions.
• Deliver periodic updates and impact reports to keep donors informed about the progress of the programs they support.
• Ensure donors feel confident in the effectiveness of their gifts by maintaining regular, meaningful communication that reinforces the importance of their ongoing partnership with Unbound.

Personal Characteristics & Competencies – To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies and skills. (Examples)

• Proactive outreach and facilitating impactful one-on-one relationships with major donors.
• Demonstrate diversity by recognizing the dignity of each person reflected in the structure and activities of Unbound to include relationships of mutual respect, teamwork, and a commitment to Unbound's core values.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills include the ability to synthesize information into clear, concise messages in a compelling manner to internal stakeholders.
• Ability to build trusting, collaborative relationships with donors, sponsors, and cross-functional partners.
• Using data-driven decision-making to execute on business/management strategy.
• Professional appearance and attitude, self-motivated and goal-driven.
• Ability to demonstrate poise, tact, and diplomacy. Strong teamwork aptitude required.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships and the ability to model our core values.

Qualifications and Experience: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in nonprofit management, business administration, or a related field. Global experience is a plus.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with at least 2 years focusing on major gifts and high-net-worth donors.
• Proven track record of security major gifts.
• Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire major donors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficiency in donor management software. (e.g. Salesforce).
• A deep commitment to Unbound's mission and values.
• Moderate to advanced computer skills in a Windows environment, including Microsoft Office
• Must possess a positive attitude and be open to new ideas with the ability to listen carefully, try new things, suggest alternatives, and solve challenges.
• Self-starter, action-oriented. Influential and collaborative communication style. Forward thinker and business savvy.
• Able to quickly establish credibility and build rapport to be recognized as a leader and expert.
• Flexibility in working hours, including some evenings and weekends may be required.
• This position may require travel to meet donors and attend events.
• Strong accuracy and organizational skills.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English or other relevant languages is a plus.

Physical Abilities

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Frequently required to sit, stand, and walk.
• Use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms.
• Required to talk and hear consistently.
• May be required to occasionally travel domestically and/or internationally.
• Ability to occasionally lift, carry and/or drag up to fifty (50) pounds if necessary.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job; reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.