Executive Director

POSITION SUMMARY:

Lead all fundraising and philanthropic strategy for our client, driving sustainable revenue growth through annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, foundation partnerships, capital development and endowment development. This role is responsible for transitioning our client from an event-driven fundraising model to a relationship-based culture of philanthropy, building strong donor engagement, and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. This position will supervise an associate position, providing administrative support for the development department.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive development strategy, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate giving, foundation partnerships, capital and endowment development programs.
• Create and manage our client’s annual fundraising plan and calendar, ensuring clear priorities, timelines, and revenue goals.
• Establish measurable fundraising goals and track progress through consistent reporting and analysis.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, building and actively managing a robust donor pipeline.
• Establish and implement a structured donor stewardship plan to ensure consistent engagement, recognition, and retention.
• Utilize CRM systems to track donor activity, monitor pipeline progress, and inform strategy.
• Lead the development and growth of our client’s endowment fund, including creating strategy, identifying prospects, and securing planned and legacy gifts.
• Educate and engage donors, board members, and community stakeholders on the long-term impact of endowment giving.
• Integrate endowment opportunities into donor conversations, campaigns, and stewardship strategies.
• Partner with the CEO to lead board and advisory board development, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and fundraising accountability.
• Support board members in fulfilling their role as ambassadors and fundraisers for our client.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to ensure successful execution aligned with fundraising goals.
• Champion a culture of philanthropy across the organization, ensuring staff at all levels understand their role in donor engagement and storytelling.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team contributing to organizational alignment and strategic execution
• Partner with program and branch leaders to identify impact stories, program outcomes, and donor engagement opportunities.
• Promote alignment between programs, marketing, and development to strengthen community impact and fundraising success.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to align messaging, campaigns, donor communications and our client’s branding protocols.
• Provide leadership and direction to development staff, consultants, and volunteers as applicable.
• Represent our client in community, donor, and fundraising settings.
• Ensure accurate gift processing, donor acknowledgment, and reporting in compliance with our client’s policies and standards.
• Maintain integrity and confidentiality in all donor and organizational information.
• Performs other duties as assigned

COMPETENCIES:

Mission & Community Focus: Demonstrates a deep understanding of and commitment to our client’s mission, values, and programs. Promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging in all interactions. Engages members, donors, volunteers, and the broader community with enthusiasm and integrity. Recognizes opportunities to advance our client’s impact in the community through programs, fundraising, and partnerships.

Professionalism & Ethics: Maintains integrity, honesty, and confidentiality in all aspects of work. Demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making, even under pressure. Adheres to organizational policies, procedures, and ethical standards. Models accountability, reliability, and consistency in actions and communication.

Leadership & Collaboration: Inspires, motivates, and develops team members to achieve results. Fosters a culture of teamwork, respect, and open communication. Builds effective working relationships across departments, volunteers, and community partners. Leads by example, demonstrating adaptability, resilience, and initiative.

Communication & Relationship Management: Communicates clearly, concisely, and persuasively in both verbal and written formats. Listens actively and responds thoughtfully to staff, members, donors, and partners. Builds and maintains strong, trust-based relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Represents our client professionally at all times, including events, meetings, and public forums.

Results Orientation & Continuous Improvement: Sets measurable goals, monitors progress, and achieves expected outcomes. Uses data and feedback to inform decisions and improve programs, campaigns, and operations. Demonstrates creativity, problem-solving, and innovation in achieving organizational objectives. Maintains focus on priorities and adapts to changing circumstances without losing momentum.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE preferred.
• 5–8 years of nonprofit fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts, campaigns, and donor development.
• Experience building or growing a donor base, ideally in a developing or scaling organization.
• Strong relationship-building and donor cultivation and solicitation skills.
• Proven ability to think strategically and execute with accountability.
• Experience working with boards and volunteers in fundraising roles.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and fundraising analytics.
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to attend meetings, donor visits, and events, including early mornings, evenings and weekends.
• Regular travel between our client’s branches and community locations.
• Ability to lift or move materials related to presentations or events (up to 25 lbs occasionally).

EFFECT ON END RESULTS

• Achievement of annual fundraising revenue goals.
• Growth and movement of donor pipeline (identification → cultivation → solicitation →
• stewardship).
• Increased donor retention and engagement.
• Launch of major gift program with established recognition program.
• Launch of corporate giving program with established recognition program.
• Launch of active endowment fundraising and growth of endowment fund.
• Launch of active planned giving program and growth of commitments.
• Successful execution of annual fundraising plan and calendar.
• Active and engaged board and advisory board participation in fundraising.
• Demonstrated progress in building a culture of philanthropy across the organization