Description
About Asphalt Green
Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organization that transforms lives and builds community through sports, fitness, and play for all.
Each year, Asphalt Green serves thousands of New Yorkers through sports, aquatics, fitness, camps, and community programs that promote health, personal growth, and lifelong participation in physical activity. Across three campuses and numerous community partnerships, Asphalt Green is committed to providing high-quality programs that are inclusive, accessible, and rooted in excellence.
Asphalt Green believes that access to movement, sport, and wellness can change lives. Our work helps young people develop confidence, resilience, leadership skills, and healthy habits that extend far beyond the playing field.
About the Role
The Senior Director of Principal Giving serves as Asphalt Green’s principal gifts officer and leads strategy for the organization’s highest-capacity individual donors and prospects. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role is responsible for building and managing a principal giving program that secures large, strategic philanthropic investments from individuals and families in support of Asphalt Green’s mission, programs, capital priorities, campaign goals, and long-term growth.
This role manages a portfolio of prospective donors with the assessed capacity to make philanthropic commitments of $500,000 to $5,000,000+. Primary prospect pools may include Asphalt Green members, parents of young athletes enrolled in Asphalt Green sports and aquatics programs, current donors, families, community partners, and New York City philanthropists whose interests align with Asphalt Green’s mission and campaign priorities.
The Senior Director of Principal Giving will independently identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward principal gifts, while also partnering closely with the Chief Development Officer, executive leadership, board members, and senior volunteers on donor strategy. This role will help shape compelling funding opportunities around big ideas, capital naming opportunities, major programmatic investments, and strategic organizational priorities.
This position is a strong fit for a senior fundraising professional with significant experience securing and stewarding high six-figure and seven-figure commitments, working with high-net-worth donors and families, and supporting capital or comprehensive campaign efforts.
Portfolio Scope
The Senior Director of Principal Giving provides strategic leadership for Asphalt Green’s highest-capacity individual donor relationships and principal gift opportunities. Scope includes:
Managing a portfolio of prospective donors with assessed capacity to make commitments of $500,000 to $5,000,000+.
Leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for high-net-worth individuals, families, and aligned philanthropists.
Supporting comprehensive capital campaign priorities, capital naming opportunities, major programmatic investments, and long-term strategic funding needs.
Partnering closely with the Chief Development Officer, executive leadership, board members, and senior volunteers on donor strategy.
Building a principal giving pipeline from Asphalt Green members, parents, current donors, community partners, and New York City philanthropists.
Tracking portfolio activity, donor engagement, solicitation progress, closed gifts, revenue projections, and moves management through Salesforce/CRM.
Why This Role Matters
Principal giving helps Asphalt Green secure the philanthropic investment needed to expand access, strengthen programs, invest in facilities, and deepen community impact across New York City.
The Senior Director of Principal Giving will connect high-capacity donors to Asphalt Green’s most important opportunities, from capital and campaign priorities to transformative programmatic investments. By building deeper relationships with individuals and families, this role will help Asphalt Green grow a stronger fundraising pipeline, secure significant philanthropic commitments, and advance its mission of bringing sports, fitness, and play to more New Yorkers.
What You’ll Do
Principal Giving Strategy
Lead strategy for principal giving, including high-capacity donor identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and long-term engagement.
Build and manage a pipeline of principal gift prospects aligned with Asphalt Green’s mission, programs, capital needs, campaign priorities, and strategic goals.
Develop individualized donor strategies that move prospects toward meaningful philanthropic investment.
Partner with the Chief Development Officer to set portfolio goals, track progress, evaluate principal giving opportunities, and grow Asphalt Green’s donor pipeline.
Help define compelling giving opportunities, funding priorities, naming opportunities, and case messaging for high-capacity donors.
Support a disciplined, data-informed, and relationship-centered approach to principal gift fundraising.
Donor Portfolio Management
Manage a portfolio of high-capacity individual donors and prospects with potential to make commitments of $500,000 to $5,000,000+.
Independently identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward principal gift donors and prospects.
Create and maintain donor plans that include engagement history, giving capacity, philanthropic interests, next steps, solicitation timing, and stewardship needs.
Conduct donor meetings, discovery conversations, cultivation visits, solicitations, and follow-up conversations.
Build strong, trust-based relationships with donors, prospects, families, advisors, and other key stakeholders.
Use donor data, prospect research, wealth screening, relationship insights, and moves management practices to guide fundraising strategy.
Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship
Design and execute cultivation and solicitation strategies for large strategic commitments, including high six-figure and seven-figure gifts.
Prepare compelling donor proposals, gift opportunities, briefing materials, talking points, case statements, and follow-up communications.
Develop proposals around big ideas, capital naming opportunities, major programs, community impact, and long-term organizational priorities.
Partner with Development Communications, Marketing and Communications, Programs, and Finance to create accurate, compelling, and donor-ready materials.
Lead or support solicitations for principal gifts, multi-year commitments, campaign gifts, blended gifts, and major philanthropic investments.
Develop stewardship plans that help donors understand the impact of their support and deepen their long-term relationship with Asphalt Green.
Ensure donors receive timely, thoughtful, and personalized follow-up after meetings, solicitations, gifts, and key engagement moments.
Executive, Board, and Volunteer Partnership
Partner with the Chief Development Officer, executive leadership, board members, and senior volunteers to engage high-capacity donors and prospects.
Prepare leadership and board members for donor meetings, cultivation conversations, solicitations, and stewardship touchpoints.
Research and write briefing materials to support effective donor and prospect meetings.
Help identify the best internal relationship manager or partner for key donor relationships.
Suggest potential prospects for board members, senior volunteers, and volunteer committees.
Support board and executive engagement in fundraising by providing clear strategy, briefing materials, next steps, and follow-up.
Maintain professionalism, discretion, confidentiality, and sound judgment when working with high-level donors and organizational leaders.
Campaign and Strategic Funding Support
Support fundraising connected to major organizational priorities, comprehensive campaign goals, capital needs, program growth, community impact, and long-term strategic initiatives.
Help shape funding opportunities and donor cases that connect philanthropy to Asphalt Green’s long-term goals.
Partner with the Chief Development Officer and Development leadership on campaign planning, donor pipeline development, revenue strategy, and principal gift readiness.
Identify opportunities to grow donor commitments through multi-year gifts, blended giving strategies, naming opportunities, or deeper engagement.
Work with internal partners to understand Asphalt Green’s mission, programs, facilities, community impact, and strategic priorities, and translate that information into compelling donor opportunities.
Cross-Department Collaboration
Work closely with Development, Marketing and Communications, Programs, Community Programs, Sports, Aquatics, Fitness, Camps, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership.
Gather program information, impact data, stories, financial details, and strategic updates to support donor engagement.
Collaborate with Development Communications on donor materials, proposals, stewardship reports, campaign messaging, and donor-facing content.
Coordinate with Finance and program teams to ensure gift opportunities, budgets, proposals, and donor materials are accurate and realistic.
Communicate donor needs, deadlines, internal requests, and follow-up items clearly and professionally.
Data, Reporting, and Pipeline Management
Document donor identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up activity in Salesforce/CRM.
Maintain accurate donor records, contact reports, moves management updates, proposals, and pipeline information.
Track portfolio activity, donor engagement, solicitation progress, closed gifts, revenue projections, and stewardship activity.
Provide regular updates to the Chief Development Officer and Development leadership on portfolio progress, pipeline movement, risks, opportunities, and next steps.
Help improve systems and practices that support principal giving strategy, donor relationship management, reporting, and accountability.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means Asphalt Green has a stronger principal giving pipeline, deeper relationships with high-capacity donors, and clearer strategies for securing transformational support. A successful Senior Director of Principal Giving will:
Build and manage a strong portfolio of principal gift donors and prospects.
Move high-capacity prospects through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Secure and steward significant philanthropic commitments aligned with organizational and campaign priorities.
Develop compelling funding opportunities around capital needs, naming opportunities, major programs, and strategic priorities.
Partner effectively with the Chief Development Officer, executive leaders, board members, and senior volunteers.
Create clear donor strategies, proposals, briefings, and stewardship materials.
Maintain accurate donor records, portfolio plans, pipeline updates, and moves management activity.
Help grow a culture of strategic, relationship-centered fundraising at Asphalt Green
Who You’ll Work With
Chief Development Officer
Development leadership
Executive leadership
Board members and senior volunteers
Individual Giving team
Leadership Giving team
Institutional Giving team
Development Communications Manager
Marketing and Communications team
Finance team
Community Programs team
Sports, Aquatics, Fitness, and Camps teams
Operations team
Donors, prospects, families, advisors, and external partners
Requirements
Required Qualifications
At least 10 years of progressive fundraising, advancement, or nonprofit development experience.
Significant experience independently cultivating, soliciting, closing, and stewarding six- and seven-figure gifts from individuals, families, or family philanthropy vehicles.
Experience managing a high-capacity donor portfolio and moving prospects through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Experience supporting or participating in capital campaigns, comprehensive campaigns, major strategic funding initiatives, or transformational gift efforts.
Strong ability to develop compelling funding concepts, donor proposals, briefings, talking points, and stewardship materials.
Experience partnering with executive leadership, board members, campaign volunteers, or senior organizational leaders on donor strategy.
Strong relationship-building skills with donors, prospects, executives, board members, volunteers, and internal partners.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Experience using donor data, prospect research, wealth screening, and moves management practices to guide fundraising strategy.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple relationships, deadlines, asks, and follow-up items.
Ability to work with discretion, confidentiality, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Ability to collaborate across departments and translate organizational priorities into donor opportunities.
Proficiency with Salesforce, donor databases, CRM systems, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, or similar systems.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in a nonprofit, education, sports, fitness, recreation, public health, youth development, community-based, cultural, or mission-driven organization.
Experience working directly on capital campaigns, comprehensive campaigns, principal gift initiatives, or major strategic funding priorities.
Experience with planned giving, blended gifts, family philanthropy, donor-advised funds, foundations, or philanthropic advisors.
Experience using prospect research tools, wealth screening platforms, donor analytics, or portfolio management systems.
CFRE, fundraising, nonprofit management, or related professional certification
Schedule and Work Environment
This role is based primarily at Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side headquarters and may require work across Asphalt Green locations, donor meeting locations, events, and partner spaces as needed.
This position is hybrid eligible; however, onsite presence will be required for leadership meetings, donor meetings, events, program visits, board engagement, and cross-department collaboration.
The work environment is primarily office and relationship-based. The role may also involve attending donor meetings, cultivation events, site visits, board meetings, program observations, and community events.
This schedule is important because the role supports donor relationships, fundraising deadlines, executive and board engagement, events, and strategic Development priorities. Evening, weekend, or offsite availability may be required for donor meetings, events, cultivation opportunities, and major organizational moments.
