Region Director of Philanthropy

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Vice President, Philanthropy, the Southeast Region Director of Philanthropy will lead the fundraising strategy and staff teams for multiple programs, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mid-South. The position oversees fundraising performance of the programs directly reporting to the position, including Georgia and Tennessee programs. The Region Director of Philanthropy will work closely with philanthropy and programmatic leadership throughout the organization.

Responsibilities

• Manage a mixed portfolio of approximately 75 donors and prospects with an emphasis on major ($50K+) and principal gift ($1M+) individual donors. Includes donor visits, cultivation and stewardship activities, and solicitations.

• Creates comprehensive engagement strategies, leads cultivation teams, and leads in the creation and delivery of final solicitation and stewardship materials.

• Promotes blended gifts, planned giving, and involves peer volunteers, leadership, senior management, and project staff in cultivation as needed.

• In cooperation with State Directors of Philanthropy, oversee fundraising performance of the programs directly reporting to the position with a special emphasis on identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors.

• Ensures each state program has developed an annual philanthropy work plan, moves management plans for $100K+ donors, revenue forecast, and annual and long-range (3-5 years) fundraising goals.

• Works with Southeast Region Vice President and Field Program leadership to establish agreed upon fundraising priorities.

• Facilitate collaboration between Southeast philanthropy and all areas of philanthropy, national programs, and marketing.

• In the supervision of State Directors of Philanthropy, the Region Director of Philanthropy will consult/coach on effective strategies, best practices, and areas for improvement. Identify and advocate for needed resources for the various state programs. Resolve disputes and make decisions to ensure efficient, effective, and cohesive teams. Deliver annual performance assessment.

• Oversee and accountable for all fundraising activities for the Georgia and Tennessee programs, including design and implementation of annual and long-range plans, development and realization of annual revenue goals, setting priorities and focus for the philanthropy team. Work with State Directors to identify operating and capital needs to integrate and direct fundraising efforts. Track and report progress toward revenue and programmatic goals. Monitor philanthropy associated expenses ensuring proper investment of resources. Oversee donor communications and recognition, coordinating with regional and national marketing departments. Has oversight of donor events. Direct and coordinate the involvement of State Director and program staff with donors and in overall fundraising. Work with State Director and Georgia Advisory Board Chair to sustain and grow program’s Advisory Board, including identifying and recruiting new members, directing the fundraising knowledge and efforts of the Advisory Board, and overseeing the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual board members and ensuring giving metrics are achieved.

Expectations

• Carry a balanced portfolio of 75 prospects with the capacity to make 6-figure+ gifts and effectively move them through the four stages (qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship).

• Make at least 60-80 visits with donors and prospects, annually

• Contribute to Philanthropy’s overall success by assuring budget and goals are met or exceeded in the state programs this position directly supervises.

• Develop, implement, and follow up on the fulfillment of annual and long-range Region and State Philanthropy strategic plans

• Model TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.

Experience, Education, And Skills Required

• Minimum 11 years of fundraising experience, including direct major gift solicitations

• Experience supervising philanthropy staff, ideally in multiple geographies

• Ability to organize and motivate others, including direct reports, peers, and volunteers

• Demonstrated understanding of best practices across all disciplines of fundraising (institutional giving, working with volunteers, major gifts, planned giving, etc.)

• Experience in planning, leading, and managing action plans, campaigns, and projects, including coordinating with peers to achieve desired outcomes, tracking and reporting on progress to management

• Demonstrated ability to build a team with a variety of disciplines and departments

• The ability to train non-philanthropy staff in the discipline of fundraising as appropriate

• Strong skills in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. The ability to convey complex ideas via presentations, emails and face to face communications

• The ability to work with others to reach common goals and objectives

• Experience establishing and cultivating strong relationships with staff and ability to use good judgment, take initiative, and make recommendations

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, along with organizational skills and attention to detail

• Demonstrated ability to utilize database tools to manage donors and build fundraising strategies

• Available for significant, independent travel (up to 25%)