Director of Gift Planning

Organization Overview

Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) is an independent, not-for-profit organization serving Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana with a volunteer board of directors. We oversee and administer hundreds of charitable funds created by donors to impact our community for the better, now and for generations. We work with these individual donors to carry out their philanthropy, annually making over $6 million in grants from these funds and serving as a leader on important community issues.

Position Summary

The Director of Gift Planning is a salaried, part-time, exempt professional staff assignment responsible for building strong relationships with legal and financial advisors in the Southern Indiana and Louisville Metro Service Area to expand awareness of CFSI within the professional advisor community and to increase referrals from advisors.

They will serve as a liaison with the legal, financial, accounting, and wealth management communities, educating and informing them of the benefits of their clients choosing to work with CFSI for their giving. A high level of confidence, knowledge, and comfort in interacting with the professional advisor community in a one-on-one manner, and in making presentations to groups of advisors and other audiences, as well as representing CFSI to allied professionals and potential donors, is required. They are also responsible for cultivating new gifts, working with potential donors, and opening new funds at the Foundation, and in this role, will deliver high-quality, meaningful donor services for existing and new fundholders.

Position Specifics

Reports to: The Director of Gift Planning reports to the President & CEO. The Director of Gift Planning works under the supervision of the President & CEO and collaboratively in a team environment with other staff to provide the highest quality service to CFSI’s professional advisor community and their client referrals, as well as donors, prospects, and the general public.

Essential Job Duties + Responsibilities

Professional Advisor Outreach

• Develop, plan, and implement programs to cultivate relationships with attorneys, accountants, trust officers, financial planners, brokers, insurance agents, investment and wealth managers, and other advisors (collectively, “Professional Advisors”) and also with prospective clients for CFSI throughout the CFSI service footprint to encourage gifts to the Foundation.
• Create and implement the Professional Advisor Outreach annual plan in conjunction with CFSI’s Strategic plan roadmap and implementation plan to build relationships with Professional Advisors.
  Under the direction of and in conjunction with the President & CEO, research and pilot ways to implement “value-added” philanthropic services to CFSI’s Professional Advisor community.
• Plan and execute continuing education sessions for Professional Advisors as appropriate, promoting charitable giving strategies and sharing information about CFSI that Professional Advisors can share with their clients.
  Serve as an in-house technical resource on financial and tax issues relating to charitable giving and split-interest gifts, and remain current with federal and state laws and IRS regulations concerning charitable giving.
• Make presentations to Professional Advisors and other community groups on the benefits of using the Foundation to accomplish charitable objectives; this will involve having or developing a deep understanding of the business model of community foundations in general and CFSI in particular, the types of funds and gift vehicles we offer, and the options that Professional Advisors can in turn offer to their clients or that potential donors can use to achieve their philanthropic goals.
• Conduct research, develop and implement engagement strategies, and evaluate new business relationships to advance philanthropy in our community.
• Respond to inquiries from individuals and groups about CFSI and services offered to donors, their advisors, and charitable organizations.
• Actively participate in local and regional organizations with Professional Advisors as appropriate (i.e., Southern Indiana Estate Planning Council, Estate Planning Council of Metro Louisville, Charitable Gift Planners of Kentuckiana, Louisville Bar Probate & Estate Section, Indiana Bar events, etc.).

Donor Services and Stewardship

• Plan and execute educational sessions for donors and prospective donors on aspects of charitable giving that impact tax and estate planning, or on methods to achieve potential charitable/philanthropic goals they might have.
• Assist individuals/families in establishing philanthropic plans and creating funds at CFSI through outright and planned gifts.
• Maintain prospective donor and Professional Advisor information in the Foundations’ computer databases, and pull appropriate reports as needed.
• Respond to all donor/advisor calls and requests in a timely and accurate manner.
• Participate in the design and delivery of new-donor, in-home welcome meetings and other Stewardship activities as appropriate.
• Plan and implement ongoing and/or recurring opportunities to meet with donors and fundholders, i.e., fund reviews, succession plans, site visits, etc.
• Work in close collaboration with CFSI’s Community Leadership team to develop mechanisms for sharing our local community knowledge with donors and Professional Advisors, both systematically and upon request.
• Work with appropriate staff to establish regular segmented communications to Professional Advisors, donors, fundholders, and donor-advised fund advisors to develop relationships and engagement.

Administrative

• Open new funds; perform administrative tasks associated with this responsibility and respond to questions from new fundholders regarding their funds, their gifts, and grants as necessary.
• Provide reporting on new and existing funds for board meetings and other needs as appropriate.
  Document bequest expectancies, maintain and keep legacy spreadsheet and CRM information for bequest expectancies up to date and accurate.
• Develop and manage an Estate Administration program for mature estate gifts to CFSI.
• Compile key performance indicators for respective areas of responsibility.
• Participate in the administrative process of maintaining the integrity of fund records and donor files.
• Document information about organizations, prospects, donors, and Professional Advisors in the CFSI database; maintain up-to-date and accurate records of contacts with the same.
• Must be able to follow up meetings, phone calls, and conversations with Professional Advisors and donors/prospects by appropriately and timely documenting records in CRM and planning and implementing appropriate next steps for each contact.
• Other assignments and special projects as assigned by the President & CEO.

It is anticipated that this position will require thirty-two (32) hours (4 days) per week. Regular office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, but the successful applicant for this position may create a flexible schedule within those office hours to be agreed upon in advance. The person in this position will be a primary point of contact for professional advisors, both on the phone and in person, and should execute these duties in a professional, welcoming, informative, and friendly manner.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree required. J.D. degree strongly preferred, ideally with a concentration in the area of trusts and estates, wealth management, or financial planning. Kentucky or Indiana Bar membership preferred, but not required.

Experience: A strong background in financial planning or charitable planned giving, customer service, and marketing experience is preferred; a background in law or accounting with a concentration in the area of trusts and estates would be appropriate for this position.

Experience in working with and dealing with a “high profile” board and its committees, as well as donors, etc., to nonprofit organizations is a plus.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to manage and track multiple simultaneous projects successfully.
• Above average proficiency in computer skills, particularly Microsoft Office (specifically Excel, Outlook, and Word) required. Working knowledge of CRM databases preferred.
• Knowledgeable in charitable giving strategies and techniques; strong knowledge of a range of planned giving techniques and the tax laws related to charitable giving. Must be able to simplify and explain technical giving strategies and vehicles.
• Strong storyteller; ability to connect with diverse audiences through storytelling.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills as well as the ability to multitask and succeed in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to think critically, work independently, and exercise good judgment is required.
• Ability to work with the Foundation’s many constituencies (board, donors, funders, grantees, partners, policy makers, staff, and the general public) in a manner that builds trust, commitment, and a shared mission.

Desired Qualifications

• Professionalism in manner and appearance; in-person and on the phone; patience, tact, cheerful disposition, and enthusiasm.
• Demonstrated ability to work well and develop productive relationships with a wide variety of personalities and work styles
• Dependability and reliability in attendance and productivity.
• Self-starter, ability to work with minimal supervision and to work well as part of a team.
• Ability to follow tasks through to completion within the timelines set for each project/task required.
• Able to multitask, meet deadlines with accuracy, and pay attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the regional community is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal skills, outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Sound judgment with the highest ethical standards.
• Commitment to quality work, continuous improvement, and accountability; strong organizational skills and attention to detail and accuracy.
• Welcomes organizational growth and change, a commitment to the mission and values of the Foundation.
• Ability to maintain utmost confidentiality of sensitive donor and prospect personal, financial, and business information.
• Personal and professional integrity.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.

Requirements are representative of the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.

Salary & Benefits

This position is a professional, part-time, salaried, exempt, staff assignment. Annual compensation is competitive and will be commensurate with skill level and experience.

Other Information

Physical Requirements

This position may require the ability to lift objects of at least 15 pounds in weight. Job duties require approximately 80% sitting/typing and 20% standing/walking. Physical requirements will vary depending upon the specific duties to be accomplished. 

In addition, this position requires that the successful candidate be able to maintain a physical presence in the New Albany headquarters offices regularly and consistently, as needed and required. They must be able to operate and have access to a vehicle for occasional work-related travel, including travel outside of Clark and Floyd Counties in Southern Indiana. Attendance may be required from time to time at special events during normal working hours or outside the normal work week.

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana is an equal opportunity employer.

How to Apply

To apply, please return your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements by February 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. to:

Linda S. Speed, J.D.
President & CEO
lspeed@cfsouthernindiana.com