Senior Manager of Development (Chesterwood)

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Manager of Development heads the development function at Chesterwood and is responsible for strengthening the financial health and capability of the site through a comprehensive fundraising program. A member of the senior staff and reporting to the Chesterwood Executive Director, the Senior Manager of Development, will plan, implement, manage, and carry out all fundraising activities at Chesterwood. They will dedicate specific focus to the cultivation of new and current individual donors, writing and submittal of major state and Federal grants, as well as acquiring new foundation and corporate grants. They will also increase the involvement and financial engagement of local/regional individual donors, including establishing and growing an annual fundraising signature event (annual gala) and increasing giving capacity and participation from the Advisory Council.

This position is funded for 2 years from date of hire. There is the potential for extension based on additional funding.

DUTIES

Fundraising Activity Leadership

• Working with the Executive Director, develop an annual plan for all fundraising activities.
• Be a passionate and informed advocate for Chesterwood and serve as one of its key spokespersons, actively seeking opportunities to engage with the broader community and to participate in events that position Chesterwood for improved fundraising or visibility.
• Identify and involve new local/regional individual donors for involvement in the organization.
• Provide leadership in all fundraising events, including oversight of staff, planning, financial goal tracking and communication/follow-up.
• Direct all fundraising activities, including: cultivation and tracking of all donor levels for Chesterwood; fulfillment and communication with corporate sponsors and development of strategy to expand corporate support; coordination of foundation and government support strategy; and development of an effective planned giving strategy that includes timeframes, milestones and metrics.
• Ensure tracking of and appropriate ongoing communication with key donors. Direct follow-up by support staff.
• Help to create multiple areas of development engagement for individual donors including targeted campaigns, special events, sponsorships, and more.
• Develop new donor groups, including those associated with new programs.
• Manage all fundraising events, including managing consultants, staff, planning, financial goal tracking and communication/follow-up.
• Build participation and fundraising capacity for Chesterwood’s annual signature fundraising gala event.
• Focus on identifying and expanding government, corporate and foundation grant opportunities.
• Strengthen financial participation from the Advisory Council
• Write all grant applications and final reports for the organization and supervise acknowledgment protocol for gifts across giving levels from membership to major gift fulfillment.
• Reach out to and work in concert with National Trust for Historic Preservation development staff in Washington, DC.
• Consult with other historic sites to optimize site-wide donations.
• Ensure donor recognition as appropriate.
• Production of monthly reports tracking progress in all fundraising activities.
• Supervise collaboration with visitor services to stimulate membership growth.

Communications & Engagement

• Work with Executive Director to write and develop all needed fundraising collateral materials and donor appeals.
• Supervise the work of the Senior Associate in Development on all external communications, including;
  • All gift acknowledgement letters.
  • Donor database management.
• Work with the Executive Director and Senior Site Manager in:
  • The development of printed and digital communications targeted at increasing constituent engagement and membership renewal.
  • Development of membership/program mailings and year-end appeals
  • Development of ongoing emails, newsletters and frequent social media posts.
  • Oversee media outreach related to raising donor visibility for key programs and identify and manage outside consultants, as needed.
  • Facilitate the writing and dissemination of press releases, facilitate interviews with journalists and develop and cultivate social media influencers.

Chesterwood Advisory Council

• Assist the Executive Director in identifying and cultivating potential members.
• Develop regular communications for advisors and identify ways to engage their interest.
• Solicit Advisory Council members for both annual dues and additional giving towards various campaigns.
• Keep Advisors informed with semi-annual reports on development progress, challenges in meeting goals, data analyses, and projections.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 7 years of professional level experience, including experience with budgeting, staffing, supervising professionals and leading teams to generate high quality results, preferably within a high-profile non-profit setting.
• Minimum 5 years direct fundraising experience. Proven leadership in development areas of grant identification, donor cultivation, and gala organization. Prior work in the art/design/museum/botanical garden world is preferred.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Ability to achieve results with limited supervision.
• Ability to engage diplomatically with and engender the trust of donors, colleagues, board members, and other stakeholders at all times.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of fundraising best practices.
• Energetic and skilled networker who enjoys community engagement, attending events, and participating in activities.
• Successful, collaborative supervisor who encourages new ideas and creativity. Able to build a strong team and a creative, healthy work environment.
• Experience supervising support staff, as well as successfully managing key internal and external stakeholders and relationships.
• Proven ability to collaborate across departments to implement processes and achieve results, as well as to work collaboratively with a small, dedicated team. Track record of building and maintaining productive relationships with multiple internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in working with culturally diverse audiences, partners, donors, and colleagues.
• Highly organized, with ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion.
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment.
• Personable style with effective presentation skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to articulate the site’s mission to a wide range of audiences in a variety of ways.
• Proven ability to continually develop skills.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required. Familiarity with other software, including donor or related databases, presentation software and social media platforms, a plus.
• Regular and reliable attendance required.

PAY & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt level position, eligible for full benefits, including health, dental and life insurance, retirement benefits, paid parental leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation, plus sick time and holidays.

Hiring Range: $75,000 - 80,000 per year