Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Director, Individual Giving

at Cure Blindness Project

🏢 About Cure Blindness Project

Cure Blindness Project is a mission-driven organization that has restored sight to over 2 million people in underserved regions through cost-effective eye care systems. Working here means directly contributing to life-changing impact at scale, with a lean, results-oriented team that values innovation and efficiency.

About This Role

As Senior Director of Individual Giving, you will architect and execute a comprehensive individual giving program from the ground up, including major gifts, planned giving, and annual giving. This role offers the unique opportunity to build a new function at a high-impact global health nonprofit, shaping strategy and driving significant revenue growth.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with a virtual check-in with your team to review pipeline progress and donor strategies, followed by a donor call or virtual visit to cultivate a major gift prospect. Afternoon could involve analyzing CRM reports to identify planned giving leads, preparing a briefing for the CDO before a board member meeting, and ending with drafting a stewardship proposal for a six-figure ask.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Cure Blindness Project Is Looking For

  • A seasoned fundraiser with 10+ years in individual giving, major gifts, and/or planned giving, who has personally closed five- and six-figure gifts.
  • A strategic leader who has built or scaled a major gifts program and managed a team for at least 5 years, with a track record of mentoring and developing fundraisers.
  • Proficient in CRM systems like Salesforce or Raiser's Edge, and comfortable using data to drive portfolio management, pipeline analysis, and reporting.
  • Passionate about global health and able to articulate the organization's impact in a compelling way to high-net-worth donors.

📝 Tips for Applying to Cure Blindness Project

1

Tailor your resume to highlight specific examples of building or expanding a major gifts or planned giving program, not just managing existing ones.

2

Quantify your achievements: mention the number of donors in your portfolio, gift sizes, and revenue growth percentages.

3

In your cover letter, mention your familiarity with remote team management and how you foster connection and accountability in a distributed team.

4

Research Cure Blindness Project's current fundraising channels (e.g., their website, annual reports) and suggest one specific initiative you'd propose for the individual giving program.

5

If you have experience with planned giving vehicles like bequests or charitable gift annuities, highlight that prominently as they seek to launch a new planned giving program.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Emphasize your experience in building or scaling a major gifts program from scratch, as this role requires creating new infrastructure.', 'Highlight any experience with planned giving, as launching that program is a key responsibility.', 'Show your alignment with the mission by referencing specific Cure Blindness Project outcomes (e.g., 2 million surgeries) and connecting them to donor engagement.', 'Demonstrate your leadership style and how you develop team members, as the role manages a team and reports to the Chief Development Officer.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review Cure Blindness Project's website and annual reports to understand their current fundraising messaging, donor recognition, and impact stories.
  • → Look at their leadership team on LinkedIn to understand the CDO's background and fundraising philosophy.
  • → Research their major donor base: are there any public lists of board members or high-profile supporters?
  • → Understand the global eye health landscape and how Cure Blindness Project differentiates from other organizations like Orbis or Seva Foundation.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would design a major gifts strategy for a global health organization with a lean team.
2 Describe a time you successfully solicited a six-figure gift from a new donor. What steps did you take?
3 How would you build a planned giving program from scratch? What donor segments would you target first?
4 How do you manage a donor portfolio remotely, especially when building relationships without in-person meetings?
5 Tell us about a time you developed a junior fundraiser. What was your approach to coaching and delegation?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't apply if you lack experience in building a program from scratch—this role is not just managing existing relationships.
  • Avoid generic cover letters that don't reference the specific mission or the planned giving aspect.
  • Don't underestimate the remote aspect: failing to discuss how you maintain donor relationships and team cohesion remotely could be a red flag.

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Cure Blindness Project!

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