St. Francis House Director of Major Gfits Overview
Introduction
At a meaningful moment of growth and momentum, St Francis House is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven fundraising leader to serve as Director of Major Gifts This is an opportunity for a builder to help shape and advance a growing major gifts program as a key member of the philanthropy team, deepening donor engagement and expanding support for SFH’s impactful work in housing stabilization, behavioral health, workforce development, recovery services, and integrated care.
Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy, the Director will lead strategy and execution for the major gifts program, managing and growing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects capable of significant philanthropic investment
Mission
St. Francis House rebuilds lives by providing refuge and pathways to stability for adults experiencing homelessness and poverty – with a commitment to helping those it serves achieve renewed lives of dignity and self-determination.
About SFH
St Francis House is the Commonwealth's largest day shelter for adults experiencing homelessness and poverty, serving up to 600 individuals each day, year-round, across two downtown Boston locations For more than four decades, the organization has provided comprehensive services designed to support individuals experiencing homelessness on their path toward stability and independence.
SFH recently marked the culmination of a transformative, multi-year project made possible in part by a successful $74 million comprehensive campaign. Funding is supporting expanded programming and major facility improvements, including renovation of its Daytime Services Center at 39 Boylston Street These investments have strengthened SFH's ability to deliver services in a welcoming, person-centered, trauma-informed environment
Driven by a growth mindset and a deep commitment to collaboration, SFH is also helping address Boston’s housing crisis through new initiatives and partnerships. Expanding its downtown campus, it is codeveloping and will serve as the service provider for a nearby 19-story residential tower that will provide 126 affordable housing units, including 70 for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
A Legacy of Growth and Innovation
Founded more than 40 years ago in downtown Boston, St. Francis House has grown from a simple breadline into a nationally recognized provider of comprehensive services for adults experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Throughout its history, SFH has launched pioneering programs to address the intersecting challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness, including specialized services for women, recovery support services, and integrated behavioral health initiatives
Today, the organization continues to build on this legacy through a comprehensive service model that supports individuals from crisis to stability. Nearly 10,000 individuals turn to SFH each year for food, clothing, showers, medical care, housing support, behavioral health, workforce development, and pathways toward long-term stability.
SFH’s transformational growth has been led by President and CEO Karen LaFrazia During her 30-year tenure, she has championed multiple comprehensive campaigns to expand services, strengthen infrastructure, and increase access to housing
Karen Lafrazia President and CEO
Karen LaFrazia has guided St. Francis House through nearly three decades of transformational growth, expanding programs, facilities, and housing initiatives while advancing innovative approaches to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness
Organizational Culture and Core Values
St. Francis House is grounded in a culture of mutual respect, adaptability, and service. Staff across the organization share a commitment to meeting guests with dignity while supporting pathways to stability, recovery, and independence.
Rigidity is unacceptable. Instead, a service mindset, attention to detail, and teamwork are essential traits at all levels of the organization Within Philanthropy specifically, the team
Organizational Chart
operates with a high degree of autonomy and mutual trust – staff are expected to own their portfolios and bring solutions, not just updates.
A deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion informs both the workplace culture and the delivery of services. From the Board of Directors to front-line staff, SFH believes that diversity of background, experience, and perspective strengthens the organization and enhances its ability to serve the community
Programs and Services
Through a multidisciplinary structure, St Francis House delivers a coordinated continuum of services designed to support individuals from crisis toward stability, recovery, employment, and housing The following programs reflect the breadth of this work and the organization’s commitment to meeting individuals where they are while supporting long-term pathways out of homelessness
Day Shelter Services
SFH Day Shelter Services provide comprehensive case management in addition to essential daily support for guests, including nutritious meals served year-round, a safe daytime refuge, and access to clothing through the Fresh Threads program. Guests also have access to showers, toiletries, secure mail services, and identification support that enables access to employment and financial services
Housing Navigation
SFH works closely with the City and other partners to connect in with affordable housing options organization owns and manages 150 units of supportive housing individuals in navigating the com process of securing stable housi community. Housing stabilizatio managers provide individualized to help residents maintain longhousing success
Workforce Development
SFH’s Workforce Development programs help guests build pathways to income and long-term stability through career planning, job readiness training, and individualized employment coaching. Programs are designed to align with each participant’s goals and integrate with housing and behavioral health supports.
Behavioral Health
SFH’s Behavioral Health Services include access to licensed mental health clinicians who provide triage, clinical treatment, and crisis intervention. The Seeds of Change Day Treatment program supports guests navigating substance use disorders and mental health challenges, while the Carolyn Connors Women’s Center offers a safe and welcoming refuge and clinical supports for women who have experienced trauma
Recovery Support Center
The Room to Grow Recovery Center offers peer-based recovery support in a safe, nonjudgmental environment for individuals at all stages of recovery
Medical Clinic
The Marie L Arky Medical Clinic, operated by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), provides on-site primary, preventative, episodic, and behavioral health services for guests. Staffed by physicians, physician assistants, RNs, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health clinicians, the clinic also provides referrals for vision and dental care.
Partnerships and Funding
SFH delivers holistic, person-centered care through strong public and private partnerships Federal, state, and local contracts support essential services across shelter, recovery, behavioral health, workforce development, and housing initiatives.
Government funding accounts for approximately 52% of the organization’s $20 million operating budget, with philanthropy representing about 45%. Philanthropy is not a supplement to SFH’s work; it is foundational, supporting program innovation, facility improvements, and service expansion that government contracts alone cannot fund.
SFH’s collaborative approach also extends to housing development partnerships, including its work with the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, a nonprofit developer of affordable and mixed-income housing across Greater Boston
Together, these funding partnerships enable SFH to deliver integrated supportive services, expand housing access, and strengthen pathways to stability for the individuals it serves.
“Every day I witness firsthand the harsh realities of Boston’s housing crisis. The surge in homelessness in our region is a consequence of multiple compounding factors, including soaring rents and a severe shortage of affordable housing. St. Francis House is pleased to help alleviate this strain as a partner in providing much-needed affordable housing in downtown Boston.”
- Karen LaFrazia SFH President & CEO
Philanthropy at St. Francis House
Philanthropy plays an essential role in St Francis House’s ability to deliver comprehensive, person-centered care The Philanthropy team, led by Andrew Russell, Vice President of Philanthropy and External Affairs, includes the Director of Major Gifts and a Major Gifts Officer, the Director of Annual Giving and a four-person staff, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, and the Marketing and Communications team. This collaborative group of 13 focuses on deepening engagement in and across SFH’s full range of programs and services.
As the campaign nears completion, the organization is increasingly focused on building a sustainable, growing pipeline for major giving: this year, major gifts ($10K+) totaled approximately $3.6 million, with a goal of increasing that total by approximately 6 percent annually. A research firm has identified approximately 100 qualified major gift prospects for cultivation in the year ahead, and emerging donor interest in restricted giving particularly around behavioral health programming and SFH’s art studio offers new avenues for engagement
The front-line fundraising team employs moves management strategies supported by Raiser’s Edge and is preparing to evaluate its CRM platform to support continued growth in the philanthropy program The incoming Director of Major Gifts will have genuine latitude to shape portfolio strategy and pipeline development, working within a warm, collegial team and reporting to a Vice President who trusts his team to own their work.
Organizational Chart
Director of Major Gifts POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Director of Major Gifts (DMG) will lead the strategy and execution of SFH’s major gifts program, managing and growing a portfolio of approximately 100–125 individual donors and prospects capable of making significant philanthropic investments The DMG will cultivate, solicit, and steward five- and six-figure gifts in support of SFH’s annual and strategic priorities, ensuring donors experience thoughtful, meaningful, mission-connected engagement with the organization
Working in close partnership with the Vice President and Directors of Annual Giving and Corporate & Foundation Relations, the DMG will help build the individual giving pipeline, develop a portfolio strategy, and bring discipline and structure to a program with strong fundamentals and real room to grow.
The DMG will supervise and mentor a Major Gifts Officer, providing coaching, performance feedback, and day-to-day guidance, and will serve as an active, collaborative member of SFH’s philanthropy and leadership teams.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Portfolio Management and Fundraising
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a personal portfolio of approximately 100–125 individual donors and prospects capable of five- and six-figure gifts.
Build the program ’ s pipeline, working closely with SFH’s prospect research process to convert qualified prospects into engaged donors
Conduct regular donor meetings, traveling regionally as needed, to deepen relationships and advance solicitations
Ensure donors experience thoughtful, meaningful, mission-connected engagement with SFH throughout the donor lifecycle
Strategy and Program Development
Partner with the Vice President of Philanthropy to develop and execute the organization’s major gifts strategy, including annual revenue goals and pipeline development
Contribute a working knowledge of CRM systems and moves management best practices to SFH’s upcoming evaluation of its donor database platform.
Monitor key performance indicators and provide regular reporting on major gifts outcomes to inform strategy.
Help identify and develop emerging areas of donor interest, including restricted giving opportunities tied to program priorities such as behavioral health and the SFH art studio.
Team Leadership
Supervise, coach, and mentor a Major Gifts Officer, providing performance feedback, professional development support, and day-to-day guidance.
Model strong relationship management practices and help build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within the major gifts function.
Organizational Collaboration
Serve as an active, collaborative member of SFH’s philanthropy and leadership teams. Partner closely with the Director of Annual Giving and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations on donor handoffs, stewardship, and solicitation strategy. Collaborate with program leadership to translate SFH’s work in housing, behavioral health, workforce development, and day shelter services into compelling cases for philanthropic support
EXPECTATIONS
First-Year Priorities
Build the Pipeline
Step into a major gifts program with real momentum, working the roughly 100 qualified prospects identified through SFH’s research process and converting that pipeline into active donor relationships.
Establish Trust and Visible Leadership
Build strong relationships across the philanthropy team and with program and executive leadership, establishing credibility as a confident, self-directed fundraising leader
Strengthen Stewardship and Donor Communications
Identify opportunities to deepen donor stewardship practices and donor record-keeping, ensuring SFH’s growing donor base experiences consistent, meaningful engagement
Contribute to Program Maturity
Bring a builder’s mindset to a program transitioning from a campaign footing to sustainable annual major gifts growth, helping shape systems, reporting, and strategy as the program matures.
Engage in Strategic Planning
Contribute philanthropic perspective to SFH’s upcoming organization-wide strategic planning process.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will bring a combination of relationship-driven fundraising skills, self-directed leadership, and genuine enthusiasm for SFH’s mission.
Requirements
A bachelor’s degree preferred and 5+ years of demonstrated front-line fundraising experience, ideally in major gifts.
A successful record of cultivating, soliciting, and securing five- and six-figure philanthropic gifts.
A builder’s mindset experience helping mature a developing major gifts program is valued as much as a track record of large individual gifts.
A self-directed leadership style, with comfort setting one ’ s own agenda and working independently within a collaborative, low-hierarchy team culture
Experience managing or mentoring others, including coaching team members through complex donor relationships
Strong working knowledge of CRM and moves management systems (Raiser’s Edge or equivalent), with interest in contributing to SFH’s CRM evaluation process
Excellent relationship-building instincts and the emotional intelligence to engage authentically with donors, colleagues, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
Comfort navigating complex organizational dynamics with patience, diplomacy, and political savvy.
An appreciation for the mission and complexity of social services work, with genuine enthusiasm for SFH’s guests and programs.
Experience within the Greater Boston philanthropic community is highly valued. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $122,000–$138,000, commensurate with experience. Comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off, strong health and retirement benefits, and a hybrid work schedule.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, St. Francis House is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce where all staff can reach their fullest potential. SFH welcomes candidates with lived experience and those who have faced historic barriers to competitive employment – in particular, BIPOC, people who are multilingual or multi-cultural, and members of the LGBTQ+ community
