Director of Development

Overview

The Director of Development is a senior member of the Advancement team responsible for leading the day-to-day execution of Little Traverse Bay Humane Society’s philanthropic strategy and growing contributed revenue through major gifts, donor cultivation, stewardship and legacy giving.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement, the Director of Development translates organizational fundraising strategy into actionable development plans, provides direct leadership and support to the Donor Relations Manager and administrative staff, and personally manages a portfolio of major and prospective donors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day execution of LTBHS’s development and fundraising strategy under the direction of the Senior Director of Advancement, establishing priorities, goals, work plans and accountability for the development team.
• Supervise, coach and support the Donor Relations Manager and Advancement administrative staff, serving as their primary resource for day-to-day decisions, donor strategy, problem solving and professional development.
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, developing individualized cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies and conducting meaningful donor visits, conversations and asks.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive donor pipeline, including prospect identification, qualification, portfolio assignment, moves management, relationship tracking and regular review of donor profiles and giving opportunities.
• Assist with LTBHS’s legacy and planned giving efforts, including identifying prospective legacy donors, developing cultivation and stewardship strategies and growing awareness of opportunities to include LTBHS in estate and long-term philanthropic plans.
• Partner with the Donor Relations Manager to strengthen donor retention, increase giving and move qualified supporters into deeper relationships with LTBHS, providing coaching and strategy for donor meetings, checkpoints and asks.
• Oversee the operational execution of annual fundraising initiatives, appeals, donor communications, stewardship efforts and giving programs, ensuring activities align with the broader Advancement strategy.
• Work closely with the Senior Director of Advancement on major and transformational gift opportunities, campaign prospects and other high-level donor relationships, including preparing donor strategies, briefing materials and solicitation plans.
• Monitor fundraising performance, donor pipelines and development activity; use CRM data and reporting to identify opportunities, evaluate progress and ensure consistent relationship management across donor portfolios.
• Collaborate with other organizational leaders to identify compelling funding opportunities, impact stories and program needs that can be translated into meaningful donor engagement.
• Represent LTBHS with donors, professional advisors, community partners and other constituents and serve as an ambassador for the organization’s mission and philanthropic priorities.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is an experienced fundraising professional and relationship builder who understands how to move donors from initial engagement to meaningful, long-term philanthropic investment in the LTBHS mission. This individual should be comfortable personally cultivating and soliciting significant gifts while also coaching others to become stronger fundraisers.

Successful candidates should demonstrate:

• Minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible fundraising, development, donor relations or nonprofit advancement experience; experience with major gifts strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience cultivating, soliciting and stewarding individual donors, including comfort conducting face-to-face donor meetings and making direct financial asks.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors and prospects, including qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
• Strong understanding of major giving, annual giving, donor retention and donor upgrade strategies.
• Knowledge of planned and legacy giving strategies, or demonstrated ability and interest in developing expertise in this area.
• Experience supervising, coaching or mentoring fundraising staff and the ability to help team members develop their confidence and skills in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Strong strategic judgment and ability to develop individualized donor strategies based on giving history, interests, engagement and philanthropic potential.
• Ability to identify and qualify prospective major donors and appropriately move relationships through the development pipeline.
• Strong understanding of CRM systems and the importance of accurate donor profiles, contact reports, moves management and relationship history; ability to use donor data to inform fundraising strategy rather than simply process transactions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate organizational priorities and funding needs in a compelling, donor-centered manner.
• Ability to prepare and deliver gift proposals, donor correspondence, case statements and other fundraising communications.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion and confidentiality when working with donors and sensitive financial or personal information.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build authentic, long-term relationships with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and giving levels.
• Ability to confidently represent LTBHS in conversations with donors, prospective donors, foundations, professional advisors and philanthropic partners.
• Ability to set goals, evaluate fundraising performance and hold themselves and their team accountable for meaningful donor activity and revenue outcomes.
• Commitment to ethical fundraising practices, donor confidentiality and donor-centered philanthropy.
• Genuine connection to and ability to passionately communicate the mission of Little Traverse Bay Humane Society.
• CFRE certification or interest in pursuing professional fundraising education or certification.

Compensation: Starting at $75,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.