Application Guide
How to Apply for Director of Individual Giving
at National Health Law Program
🏢 About National Health Law Program
The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is a leading nonprofit that fights for health equity through advocacy, litigation, and policy work. Working here means joining a mission-driven team dedicated to protecting the health rights of low-income and underserved populations, with a strong track record of impact at the national, state, and local levels.
About This Role
As Director of Individual Giving, you will spearhead NHeLP's individual fundraising strategy, focusing on major gifts growth and building a sustainable donor pipeline. This role is critical to expanding the organization's capacity to advocate for health justice, and you'll work closely with the Executive Director and Board to cultivate transformative donor relationships.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing donor pipeline reports and coaching your Senior Manager on stewardship calls. You'll then have a virtual meeting with the Executive Director to strategize on a board member's donor prospect, followed by a phone call with a major donor to discuss a six-figure gift. After lunch, you'll analyze quarterly revenue data and prepare materials for an upcoming board fundraising committee meeting.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who National Health Law Program Is Looking For
- A seasoned fundraiser with 6+ years of experience, specifically in individual giving and major gifts, who has managed a portfolio of high-net-worth donors through the full moves-management cycle.
- A strategic leader who can design and execute a scalable individual giving program, including data-driven pipeline development and revenue forecasting.
- A collaborative partner who has successfully worked with executive directors, board members, and volunteer committees to secure major gifts and expand donor engagement.
- A mission-aligned professional passionate about health equity and comfortable advocating for low-income and underserved communities in a remote, fast-paced environment.
📝 Tips for Applying to National Health Law Program
Tailor your resume to highlight major gifts results—include specific dollar amounts raised, portfolio size, and growth metrics over time.
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your experience with moves management and donor pipeline development to NHeLP's mission of health rights advocacy.
Research NHeLP's recent campaigns and policy wins (e.g., Medicaid expansion, ACA protections) and mention how your fundraising can support these efforts.
Emphasize your experience working remotely and managing a team (the Senior Manager of Individual Giving) in a distributed environment.
Prepare a one-page fundraising plan mock-up for your first 90 days, showing how you'd assess current pipeline and prioritize major donor cultivation.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your track record of growing major gifts revenue and building donor pipelines in a nonprofit setting.', 'Your experience partnering with executive leadership and board members to close high-level gifts.', "Your alignment with NHeLP's mission to advance health rights for low-income and underserved populations.", 'Your ability to supervise and mentor fundraising staff while managing a personal portfolio of donors.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review NHeLP's website to understand their current advocacy priorities, recent litigation cases, and policy reports.
- → Look at their annual reports and 990s to understand revenue sources and donor demographics.
- → Read about their leadership team (Executive Director, Board) to identify potential partners in donor cultivation.
- → Check their social media and news mentions for recent fundraising campaigns or donor recognition events.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't focus solely on events or annual giving; this role is about major gifts and strategic pipeline growth, not event planning.
- Avoid generic statements about 'passion for the mission' without showing specific knowledge of NHeLP's work in health law and policy.
- Don't neglect to mention your experience with CRM systems and data-driven fundraising—this is key for pipeline management and reporting.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to National Health Law Program!