Senior Director of Philanthropic Programs in at Unitarian Universalist Assoc of Congregations.

Updated:April 23, 2026

Title:Senior Director of Philanthropic Programs

Staff Group:Stewardship & Development

Reports To: Vice President of Communications & Development

Location:Open*

Job Category:Program Director III

Hours/Week:35

* Location is open in the continental United States. You should have easy access to a major airport due to the occasional travel requirements of this position.  

Purpose

To lead the Unitarian Universalist Association’s philanthropic growth by overseeing major gifts, planned giving, congregational giving, and grant programs — building the strategies, teams, and donor relationships that advance the UUA’s mission and long-term financial sustainability.

Principal Responsibilities

Strategy & Revenue Leadership

1. Design and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy across major gifts, planned giving, congregational giving, and grants.

1. Set annual performance benchmarks for each revenue stream and drive progress toward long-term goals.

1. Integrate major, principal, planned, and leadership giving programs into a cohesive philanthropic approach.

1. Oversee pipeline development, forecasting, and reporting in partnership with Development Operations.

1. Carry a personal portfolio of up to 10 leadership-tier donors.

1. Build on the UUA’s early grant-writing success and expand that program strategically.

1. Brief senior leadership regularly on donor trends, revenue projections, and emerging opportunities.

Team Leadership

1. Directly supervise and support three fundraising professionals: the Associate Director of Planned Giving, the Associate Director of Major Gifts, and the Congregational Giving Administrative Director.

1. Set clear expectations, conduct regular performance reviews, and invest in staff growth and development.

1. Build a collaborative, inclusive team culture rooted in UUA values and fundraising best practices.

Cross-Functional Partnership

1. Collaborate with Stewardship & Development colleagues to align giving, stewardship, and donor communications.

1. Partner with program and communications teams to sharpen the case for support and impact storytelling.

1. Represent the UUA with donors, prospects, and external partners.

1. Perform other duties as requested by supervisor, the Executive Vice President, or the President.

Qualifications

This position is graded as a PD3, with a salary midpoint of $116,700. Depending on factors such as experience, qualifications, and geographical location, candidates can expect offers that may range from 10–15% below or above the midpoint. Requirements include:

• 10+ years of progressive fundraising experience, including 5+ years leading major or principal gifts programs.
• Proven track record designing and executing multi-year fundraising strategies with measurable results.
• Experience supervising and developing fundraising professionals.
• Strong analytical, planning, and project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex ideas clear and compelling.
• Proficiency with donor management systems and comfort with data-driven decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and effective working relationships with donors, staff, and external partners.

• Occasional travel required for donor meetings, events, and organizational gatherings.
• Some evenings and weekends required to support donor engagement activities.
• Experience in a values-based, mission-driven, or faith-based organization.
• Familiarity with planned giving strategies and blended gift approaches.
• Knowledge of Unitarian Universalist principles and commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
• Understanding of issues around anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism; work or lived experience with BIPOC communities is of particular value; eagerness to work in an organization in which the dismantling of white supremacy is a high priority.

How to Apply

People with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply. The UUA is committed to developing a diverse and talented staff team. If you are excited about this role, but are unsure whether you meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage you to inquire and/or apply. Submit your resume and cover letter via our applicant portal on uua.org/jobs If you have any questions, please reach out to careers@uua.org.

About the UUA

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive religious denomination headquartered in Boston’s waterfront Fort Point Innovation District. Our faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations brings to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice. Our normal workweek is 35 hours, we pay 80% contribution towards health insurance premiums, 10% towards retirement (after one year), and have generous paid time-off policies. We are a great place to work, and we value diversity. The UUA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to the full inclusion of all. As part of this commitment, the UUA will ensure that applicants and staff with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (617) 948-4648 or humanresources@uua.org. For more information on the UUA, visit us online at UUA.org and uuworld.org.

Support for the Mission and Values of the Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive and historic religious denomination. While it is not generally required or expected that an applicant/employee identify as a Unitarian Universalist (UU) or be a member of a UU congregation in order to work at the UUA, all UUA staff members are expected to perform their job duties in accordance with the UUA’s values, principles and mission. In particular the following points, drawn from the Seven UU Principles, are of particular importance for the UUA’s work environment and staff culture:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every human being: We affirm the need for a human-centered workplace that allows our diverse staff to flourish. We also understand that our wider culture and society oppresses and denies human dignity, and we seek to counter the effects of that oppression in our hiring and workplace culture so that each person feels whole and valued.
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations, and the goal of world community with peace,libertyand justice for all: We speak openly and publicly of our support for social and political issues, including LGBTQ equity, racial justice, climate justice, gender equity, and reproductive justice.
• The interdependent web of existence: We recognize that the liberation of all people is interwoven, and we work to counter patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, environmental exploitation, and other interrelated systems of marginalization.