July 29th, 2025
Mount Holyoke College
Director of Leadership Giving
( Massachusetts | Hybrid )
About the Organization
Mount Holyoke College is a selective, nondenominational, residential liberal arts college that welcomes applications from female, trans, and non-binary students. Mount Holyoke’s exploratory education opens new pathways for discovery and knowledge, while the collaborative community supports students as they develop skills to solve challenges everywhere. Students are encouraged to see the world through a different lens—exploring beyond traditional boundaries and connecting to global perspectives and points-of-view. Working closely with exceptional faculty and staff, students are challenged to think creatively, act collaboratively, and lead purposefully. That’s why Mount Holyoke alums can be found on the leading edge of change—from the arts and humanities to STEM innovation to social justice and beyond. As a community of achievement, Mount Holyoke celebrates what makes each of us extraordinary while cultivating a deep sense of connectivity.
Mount Holyoke’s vibrant campus is home to over 2,100 students, with 20 percent of the student body representing 80 countries other than the U.S. Expanding beyond gender diversity, 28 percent of students identify as domestic students of color—African American, Asian American, Latinx, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or multiracial.
With strong traditions and spaces designed for collaboration, the College offers three distinct Academic Centers meant to empower students to become agents of change—globally competent, environmentally responsible, ready to lead. The McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives is the hub and catalyst for comprehensive internationalization at Mount Holyoke, offering varied and meaningful opportunities for students to advance their global competencies and for faculty to incorporate more global perspectives into their teaching. The exceptional international diversity of the community offers a powerful context for building global competence. The Miller Worley Center for the Environment is dedicated to actively engaging Mount Holyoke students in the scientific, social/human, and global dimensions of environmental study, enabling students to make connections—across disciplines, across points of view, across constructs—that help them understand the concept of “environment” more broadly in their work, community, and lives. The Weissman Center for Leadership promotes the exploration and expansion of leadership—in all its many shapes and forms, helping students, faculty, and staff learn the skills to think strategically and yield influence—such as by identifying an audience, honing a message, advocating and organizing for change, and taking leadership in one’s daily life.
There is a treasure trove of time-honored traditions at Mount Holyoke that are emblematic of the ways in which students, alums, faculty, and leaders show up every day, treating each other with respect and affecting positive social change. These experiences and ways of being serve as unifying threads binding past and present students, faculty, and staff.
Job Description
Position salary range: $156,647 – $177,932
Position reports to: Heather McDonald
Mount Holyoke College (MHC), a private liberal arts women’s college that is gender diverse, seeks a creative, courageous, and mission-driven Director of Leadership Giving (Director) to cultivate major gifts and lead a growing team during a time of renewal, vigor, and bold action as the College continues its legacy as a trailblazer in women’s education and a powerhouse of changemakers and visionaries. The Director will be a proactive and strategic leader responsible for spearheading a donor-centric fundraising program across key markets in the U.S. in support of the MHC Forward Strategic Plan, calling upon the support of a fiercely loyal and connected alum community representative of the fearless leaders and boundless learners who attend and work at Mount Holyoke.
As the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, Mount Holyoke’s history as an educational institution forged in dissent is central to its vision for the future. Rooted in a nearly 200-year history of challenging exclusion and advancing gender equity, the College remains unwavering in its support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility—even as these values face threats. MHC has been a trailblazer in inclusive admissions policies, becoming the first of the Seven Sisters to welcome trans and nonbinary students. With a proud legacy of global renown, the College fiercely advocates for its international student community, which represents 20 percent of students. Nationally recognized for its high level of undergraduate research, Mount Holyoke continues to invest in scholarly research and discovery. The College earned the prestigious Carnegie Classification as a baccalaureate college with “Arts & Sciences Focus and High Research,” and ranks #1 among U.S. institutions for producing graduates who go on to earn PhDs in the life sciences and STEM.
Under President Danielle Holley’s leadership, the Mount Holyoke community is alive with ambition and purpose to support the MHC Forward Strategic Plan, which lays out a bold vision to ensure Mount Holyoke’s enduring excellence and transformative impact. MHC Forward sets the foundation for the College’s next comprehensive campaign, set to launch in the fall of 2026. Mount Holyoke’s culture of principled boldness and forward-thinking momentum offers an inspiring context for the Director to contribute to a mission deeply rooted in societal impact at a time when women’s colleges are more important than ever.
In partnership with the Associate Vice President for Development, the Director will lead a team of six, ensuring the team’s professional growth and collective fundraising success. Working closely with colleagues across College Relations, the Director will help develop and execute College-wide fundraising strategies, designing compelling cases for support, and facilitating regular collaboration and communication across campus to advance Mount Holyoke’s strategic priorities. As a senior leader on the development team, the Director will serve as a thought partner to campus leaders in identifying fundraising opportunities, enabling data-informed decisions, and implementing innovative strategies. Grounded in creative and relationship-driven approaches, the Director will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects to secure gifts of at least six and seven figures while promoting proven fundraising practices within the Leadership Giving team and across the College.
The successful candidate will bring at least seven years of progressive leadership experience and a proven ability to secure major and principal gifts, in addition to five years of management experience. The ideal candidate will possess outstanding communication skills, passion for Mount Holyoke’s mission, and a commitment to inclusive fundraising practices, along with a proactive, thoughtful, and transparent management style. The candidate must possess a high level of integrity and credibility; be a self-starter with a clear set of priorities; and be adaptable to changing circumstances. In accordance with its core values and mission, MHC is especially interested in recruiting members of diverse communities and individuals who will promote and uphold the values embodied within the College’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.
While candidates residing within commuting distance of South Hadley, MA are preferred, Mount Holyoke is open to considering compelling candidates in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, New York City Metro, and South Florida.
Contact email for applicants MHC-DLG@talentcitizen.com