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About Pursuit
Pursuit is a workforce development nonprofit that creates economic transformation for adults with the most need and potential. We train low-income New Yorkers to launch tech careers that propel them into the middle class — and we measure our success in lifetime earnings gained, not just jobs placed. Our graduates triple their incomes within a year of graduation and have now generated more than $1 billion in lifetime wages.
About the Role
Pursuit is hiring a Director of Individual Giving to build and lead our individual donor program at one of the most consequential moments in our organization's history. We are in the early stages of a multi-year campaign with a directional goal of $45 million over the next three years, and individual giving is central to that plan.
The Director of Individual Giving will own Pursuit's full individual donor pyramid — from high-net-worth principal and major gift donors at the top, down through the mid-level individual giving program — and will serve as the senior fundraising partner to the CEO and Chief Development Officer on Pursuit's most important individual relationships.
This role's primary focus is high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and major gifts — carrying a portfolio, building cultivation pathways, and closing 5-, 6-, and 7-figure gifts.
What You'll Own
The HNWI portfolio and major gifts pipeline
You will build and run a year-round strategy for individual giving at the major and principal gift levels. This includes identifying and qualifying new prospects, designing donor journeys, running 1:1 outreach, and creating cultivation moments — salons, dinners, site visits, intimate convenings — that move donors toward meaningful commitments. You will personally carry a portfolio of high-capacity individuals and partner with the CEO and CDO on Pursuit's top donor relationships.
The AI Jobs Institute (AIJI) campaign — individual giving track
Pursuit is launching the AI Jobs Institute, a new institute focused on equipping low-income adults with the skills, credentials, and pathways to succeed in the AI economy. To launch AIJI, Pursuit is running an 8-month, $45M campaign spanning foundations, corporations, and individual donors.
The Director of Individual Giving will own the individual giving track of the AIJI campaign. In practice, that means:
- Designing the giving structure for individuals — including naming opportunities, giving tiers, and a principal gift framework for the largest commitments
- Identifying, cultivating, and soliciting HNWI prospects against the campaign's individual giving target
- Partnering with the CEO and CDO on the closes that require executive engagement
- Building the donor materials, briefings, and stewardship plans that make principal-level asks possible
Our flagship annual Gala
Bash is Pursuit's signature cultivation and fundraising event each November and the largest individual giving moment of our year. The Director of Individual Giving will own Bash end-to-end — strategy, donor cultivation, table sales, and sponsorship. You will use Bash as a platform to deepen and convert HNWI relationships throughout the year, not only the night of the event.
Who You Are
- 5–6 years of fundraising experience with a focus on high-net-worth individual giving and major gifts • Demonstrated track record of closing 6- and 7-figure individual gifts
- Existing HNWI relationships you can bring to the work, plus the discipline to build new ones quickly
- Comfortable owning a portfolio independently and partnering with a CEO and CDO on top relationships
- Strong written and verbal communicator — equally fluent in donor-facing materials, internal strategy memos, and event execution
- Excited about Pursuit's mission and the opportunity to shape a fast-growing development function during a once-in-an-organization moment
Logistics
- Reports to: Chief Development Officer
- Location: New York City, NY — 3 days/week in office minimum
- Structure: Full-time, or 4-day-a-week contract
- Compensation: $140,000-160,000 base salary, plus performance bonus eligible
• Start date: As soon as possible
Pursuit New York, New York, USA Office
New York, NY, United States
Pursuit New York, New York, USA Office
47-10 Austell Place, 2nd FlLong Island City NY 11101, New York, NY, United States, 11101
What you need to know about the NYC Tech Scene
Key Facts About NYC Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 549,200; 6% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Capgemini, Bloomberg, IBM, Spotify
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, Fintech
- Funding Landscape: $25.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Greycroft, Thrive Capital, Union Square Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tribeca Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Two Sigma Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, CUNY, AI Now Institute, Flatiron Institute, C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, NASA Space Radiation Laboratory
