Director, Community

XPRIZE Overview 

XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. As a 501(c)3, our unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all.  Since our founding in 1994, we’ve launched $519 million in prize competitions that are driving more than $31 billion in social and economic impact — a 60x return on philanthropic investment. These competitions not only de-risk early-stage breakthrough ideas but also mobilize capital, talent, and momentum to accelerate solutions from concept to real-world scale.

We operate across 5 areas of impact, including: 

• Deep Tech + Exploration
• Energy + Climate + Nature
• Food + Water + Waste
• Health
• Learning + Society

Join XPRIZE to help create meaningful impact as we strive to empower humanity to achieve breakthroughs and architect a more equitable and abundant future for all.

Position Overview

XPRIZE Foundation is seeking an experienced fundraising professional to join the Community team within Advancement. The Community team is responsible for expanding and stewarding XPRIZE's global benefactor community by cultivating meaningful relationships with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and philanthropic advisors who are passionate about advancing breakthrough innovation.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Advancement, the Director, Community will serve as a frontline fundraiser responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of major gift prospects and benefactors. This individual will develop long-term philanthropic relationships that result in unrestricted and strategic philanthropic investments while helping expand XPRIZE's global network of supporters.

The successful candidate is an entrepreneurial relationship builder with demonstrated success securing major gifts, managing complex donor relationships, and collaborating across a highly matrixed organization. This role requires exceptional communication skills, strong fundraising instincts, and the ability to represent XPRIZE's mission with credibility among sophisticated philanthropic audiences.

Responsibilities

• Build and actively manage a portfolio of approximately 100-150 major gift prospects and benefactors.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making annual philanthropic commitments of $50,000-$250,000+, with an emphasis on growing unrestricted support.
• Execute individualized donor strategies that deepen engagement through personalized cultivation, executive interactions, site visits, salons, and exclusive XPRIZE experiences.
• Develop and manage an annual fundraising pipeline that supports individual and organizational revenue goals.
• Conduct regular discovery meetings to identify new philanthropic opportunities and expand XPRIZE's global benefactor community.
• Collaborate closely with the Integrated Strategy, Strategic Philanthropy, Prize, and Executive Leadership teams to coordinate donor engagement strategies and blended fundraising opportunities when appropriate.
• Partner with Executive Leadership to prepare for donor meetings, cultivation events, and strategic travel.
• Represent XPRIZE at conferences, events, and donor gatherings to increase organizational visibility and identify new fundraising opportunities.
• Maintain accurate forecasting, donor strategy, contact reports, and pipeline activity within Salesforce.
• Support Community engagement initiatives including salons, benefactor experiences, Visioneering, and other donor-facing events.
• Remain current on philanthropic trends, wealth strategies, and emerging best practices in major gift fundraising.

Requirements

• 7-10 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience with demonstrated success securing major gifts from high-net-worth individuals.
• Proven record of achieving ambitious annual fundraising goals.
• Experience independently managing a major gift portfolio from qualification through stewardship.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior executives, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
• Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred. Significant relevant experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
• Experience within nonprofit philanthropy required.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing fundraising forecasts and pipeline reporting.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Experience working in CRM systems; Salesforce preferred.
• Ability to travel approximately 25%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience fundraising within science, technology, innovation, healthcare, education, or environmental organizations.
• Familiarity working with family offices, donor advised funds, wealth advisors, and philanthropic consultants.
• Experience planning and executing donor cultivation events.
• Existing network among high-net-worth philanthropic communities is a plus.

Competencies required for this role: 

• Action Oriented 
• Manages Ambiguity 
• Collaborates internally and externally 
• Communicates Effectively and professionally 
• Manages Complexity 
• Directs Work 
• Global Perspective 
• Nimble Learning 
• Plans and Aligns 
• Builds Networks 
• Drives Results 
• Situational Adaptability 
• Builds Effective Teams 
• Drives Vision and Purpose

Why Work at XPRIZE:
In addition to working for a mission-driven company that catalyzes industries, pushes innovation forward, and is creating an abundant and equitable future, we offer the following benefits:

• Remote-first environment (must live and work in the United States)
• Quarterly company-paid All-Hands meetings in Los Angeles for frequent in-person collaboration
• Employee and dependent medical, dental, and vision options
• A 401(K) program with employer match
• Ample paid time off, including vacation, floating holidays, sick days, and company-paid holidays
• An Employee Assistance Program for confidential, professional support with personal, family, or other challenges
• Employee stipends/reimbursements for cell phone, internet, health & wellbeing, and learning & development
• Generous Paid Parental Leave for all employees welcoming a new child to their family
• One meeting-free block per week and four focus weeks per year to ensure uninterrupted time for strategic projects

The anticipated base salary for this position is $120,000 to $140,000 and may also qualify for an annual incentive. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors including the qualifications of the individual applicant, years of relevant experience for the role, level of education attained, and certifications and/or other licenses held. XPRIZE is a remote-first environment. All employees must be authorized to work in the United States and work from within the United States full-time.

The XPRIZE FOUNDATION is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate in employment. Equal access to employment, services, and programs is available to all persons. Those applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application and/or interview process should notify a representative of the organization. 

Please note: Though submitting a resume to the XPRIZE FOUNDATION implies that you are interested in a position(s), it does not imply that you are an applicant. You are not considered an applicant until you have been contacted directly by a Talent Acquisitions representative requesting that you begin the designated application process, which may involve phone and/or in-person interview(s), job-related testing, and background checks.