Senior Managing Director, Development

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to a collaborative, team-based effort to develop and execute a long-term vision and strategy for achieving our private fundraising goals.
• Partner closely with the Memphis and Nashville/Chattanooga Executive Directors, regional advisory board members, and other frontline fundraisers to maximize giving.
• Play a key role in donor strategy, cultivation, and acquisition over the next three to five years.
• Raise $5–10 million or more from a complex portfolio of high-potential donors across multiple funding streams, typically individuals or institutions capable of giving $100,000 or more annually.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager, working directly with the Executive Director to cultivate, solicit, and steward these donors.
• Oversee a select portfolio of statewide donors whose partnerships advance our broader regional and statewide impact.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• 20% - Build a comprehensive, multi-year vision and plan for cultivating complex, high giving potential donors in local contexts with the goal of maximizing revenue to the organization as a whole.
• 40% - Directly manage, cultivate, steward, and solicit a portfolio of high-potential donors across a variety of funding streams.
• 10% - Depending on the size and scope of your portfolio, manage a team of 2+ development staff members, holding accountability for their individual fundraising in addition to the goals for the portfolio you manage.
• 5% - Consistently maintain donor, prospect, and fundraising activity information in our customer relationship management system (currently SalesForce) and leverage this information in tracking progress, monitoring gaps, and adjusting strategy and approach.
• 5% - Steward team and organizational initiatives, effectively manage cross-functional stakeholders, align diverse teams around shared objectives, and drive collaboration to achieve organizational outcomes.

Your Experience

• Relationship Building and Management
• Exceptional relationship builder, particularly with external stakeholders
• Orientation and desire to seek out and develop new relationships and partnerships
• Influence others by uniquely tailoring approaches that appeal to the motivations and perspectives and executing sophisticated relationship management of a diverse group of donors
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly when working with external audiences
• Fundraising and Development Strategy
• Subject matter expert in advanced development practices and the art and science of fundraising
• Comprehensive experience and success working with high-potential donors across a variety of streams (individual, corporate, foundation, public)
• Understand current trends in philanthropy at both a local and national level and leverage up-to-date information and/or best practices
• Portfolio Management
• Adept at building multi-year cultivation and stewardship plans that maintain exceptional donor retention and build pathways to diversifying pipelines and securing new donors
• Ability to autonomously steward a complex portfolio of donors and prospects at various stages of the donor life cycle towards successful closing of gifts
• Monitor progress across the portfolio to ensure continuous donor stewardship
• When appropriate, serve as the primary relationship holder and/or primary solicitor for opportunities and donors
• Mentorship/Management of Fundraising Staff
• Manage and or mentor fundraising staff by giving feedback, coaching, and fundraising-related resources and learning experiences

Required Experience

• At least 10+ years of related experience in a highly complex development and fundraising context
• Track record of meeting and exceeding ambitious goals as a donor portfolio manager

Prior Experience

• Teach For America development experience
• Fundraising certification (i.e. CRFE/CRFM or the equivalent) and/or related Master’s Degree (e.g. MBA, M, Non-Profit Management)

Work Demands

• Occasional weekend or evening work hours required
• Must be able to travel across the state to engage with local donors