Senior Director of Development – Major Gifts

The Senior Director of Development - Major Gifts will play a key role in increasing fundraising success with Potomac Conservancy’s growing community of individual supporters. Implementing a multi-faceted donor acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship strategy with individuals giving $1,000 to $10,000, the person in this position will support the mission to protect the Potomac River and ensure clean water for all.

The Senior Director of Development reports to the Vice President of Development and enjoys the teamwork of three development professionals as well as collaboration with the President. You will be joining a passionate team of 20 staff members. A strategic plan is in place, and the final, public phase of an $8 million comprehensive campaign is supporting accelerated programmatic impact. The Conservancy’s income has grown over 100% in the last five years with most of this growth coming from individuals and family foundations; 65% of the organization’s support comes from individual donors.

Potomac Conservancy is the region’s leading clean water advocate. Founded in 1993, we believe the foundation of healthy, sustainable, and vibrant communities starts with clean water. We focus on water protection in the Potomac River watershed, from the highlands of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland to the District of Columbia and the DC metropolitan region.

Responsibilities and Duties

You will help to fuel the organization's work for clean water by expanding the financial commitment of our individual donor community, focusing on donors giving 4-figure to 5-figure gifts, and by identifying and cultivating those for whom this level of giving is possible.

Fundraising & Donor Stewardship (80%)

• Lead fundraising with a portfolio of between 150 – 250 donors with a focus on donors giving $1,000 to $10,000 and supporting the President and VP of Development with donors giving $10,000+.
  • Current donors make up 75% of the portfolio.
  • Identified but not-yet-engaged prospective donors make up 25% of the portfolio.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase individual giving, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
• Collaborate with current committed donors to network and bring new donors to the Potomac Conservancy community through introductions and a robust calendar of events.
• Craft compelling messaging for donor communications for major gifts and annual appeals in collaboration with the communications team.
• Maintain donor data using the CRM database and analyze, monitor, and report on progress.

Team Engagement (20%)

• Mentor others on the team, sharing your knowledge and skills in fundraising to enrich the whole organization’s donor stewardship.
• Implement the Potomac Conservancy’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice goals by expanding our fundraising and donor-facing events to include new communities.
• Carry out administration duties related to the individual fundraising program.
• Attend all-staff gatherings four times a year for organization strategy discussions.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including cultivating relationships with individual donors, and gaining repeat and increasing financial commitments in support of a mission.
• Bachelor’s degree and three to five years of active fundraising experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Confident speaking skills when communicating about a project, cause, or mission.
• Strong writing skills in letters and emails, as well as in more structured reports and proposals.
• Ability to manage the competing demands and timelines of projects while also being flexible enough to respond to new priorities.
• Exceptional attention to detail, and experience with project management.
• Ability to work independently, create strategy, take initiative, but also act as a team player.
• Willingness to travel throughout DC, Montgomery County in Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Availability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends 4-5 times a year.

Preferred Skills and Experience (not required)

• A passion for our local environment and dedication to protecting clean water.
• Event development and management experience.
• Database experience. We use EveryAction, a model similar to most donor databases.
• Fluency in a second language.
• This position uses a wide variety of skills. We encourage you to apply if you think you would be a good fit, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications.