Director of Philanthropy (Public Relations & Marketing Specialist IV)

Posting Details

Posting Summary

Working Title
Director of Philanthropy (Public Relations & Marketing Specialist IV)

Role Title
PR & Mktg Spec IV

Role Code
29094-SW

FLSA
Exempt

Pay Band
05

Position Number
29800120

Agency
Laurel Ridge Community College

Division
Laurel Ridge Community College (Div)

Work Location
Frederick - 069

Hiring Range
The hiring range for this position is $69,045.00-$100,116.00.

Emergency/Essential Personnel
No

EEO Category
2-Professionals

Full Time or Part Time
Full Time

Does this position have telework options? -Telework options are subject to change based on business needs-
Yes

Does this position have a bilingual or multilingual skill requirement or preference?

Work Schedule

• This position requires on-site presence, with one day a week telework. The director's assigned office is at the Middletown Campus.
• The position requires frequent travel throughout Laurel Ridge's service region for donor meetings, college activities, and community events.
• The position requires occasional evening and weekend activities.

Sensitive Position
No

Job Description

For best consideration, please apply by 11:59pm EST on November 2, 2026.

Laurel Ridge Community College seeks an experienced Director of Philanthropy to secure charitable support for the College and its students while raising awareness of the College and its impact in the community.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Development/Executive Director of the Laurel Ridge Educational Foundation, the Director of Philanthropy is a senior, front-line fundraiser, responsible for developing new prospects and engaging current and lapsed donors throughout Laurel Ridge's service region.

The Director manages a portfolio of donors and prospects and brings strong relationship-building skills and disciplined follow-through. The position requires someone who listens carefully to donors' interests and motivations, connects those interests with opportunities at the College, and makes philanthropic asks.

With a commitment to the College's mission, the Director collaborates with Laurel Ridge colleagues and community partners and helps build a culture of philanthropy in which gifts at all levels are valued.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a donor and prospect pipeline with discipline.
• Identify prospective donors through networking, referrals, community engagement, and research.
• Cultivate prospective donors and steward existing donor relationships.
• Personally solicit and secure philanthropic commitments, including major and planned gifts.
• Develop and implement strategies to retain and deepen donor relationships and re-engage lapsed donors.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Laurel Ridge colleagues to understand institutional priorities, identify philanthropic opportunities, and connect these opportunities with donor interests.
• Develop donor proposals, presentations, solicitations, stewardship materials, and other philanthropic communications
• Maintain timely donor and prospect records and document next steps.
• Assess fundraising progress and opportunities and recommend strategies to the Executive Director.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to promote philanthropy and the role of the educational foundation.
• Participate in planning and supporting Foundation events.
• Represent Laurel Ridge at events on campus and in the community.
• The position requires frequent travel throughout Laurel Ridge's service region for donor meetings, college activities, and community events.
• Participate in occasional evening and weekend activities as necessary
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Schedule and Other Considerations:
This position requires on-site presence, with one day a week telework. The director's assigned office is at the Middletown Campus. The position requires frequent travel throughout Laurel Ridge's service region for donor meetings, college activities, and community events. The position requires occasional evening and weekend activities.

Special Instructions for Applicants

• This position requires applicants to submit a sample of professional writing previously prepared for an external audience. Please do not create a new writing sample specifically for this application. Confidential or proprietary information should be redacted.
  • The writing sample should demonstrate the candidate's ability to communicate persuasively. Examples include donor or client proposals, solicitations, sponsorship requests, stewardship communications, or similar professional correspondence. Identify the intended audience, purpose of the communication, the outcome, and your role in preparing the submitted material.
• Initial review of applications will begin on September 28.For best consideration, please apply by 11:59pm EST on November 2, 2026.
• Candidates interested in being considered for a posted position are required to submit an online application. Upload cover letter (this is optional, but recommended) and resume (this is optional but recommended).

Compensation and Benefits

The hiring range for this position is $69,045.00-$100,116.00. The position is classified staff and as such is eligible for the benefits package offered by the Commonwealth of Virginia for state agencies. For more information, please visit www.dhrm.virginia.gov.

Click here to learn about Laurel Ridge Community College.

Special Assignments

May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

KSA's/Required Qualifications

1. Significant and progressively responsible experience in fundraising, sales, business development, government relations, or another revenue-generating role. (Per DHRM Policy, significant experience indicates advanced expertise characterized by leadership, strategic impact, process improvement, or recognized subject matter expertise.)
2. Significant experience with donor/customer/client acquisition, retention, and stewardship.
3. Ability to develop and implement successful strategies to achieve fundraising, sales, business development, or other revenue goals.
4. Ability to create persuasive proposals and written materials and deliver effective presentations to external audiences.
5. Ability to build successful relationships with external stakeholders through networking, partnerships, and community engagement.

Additional Considerations

1. Experience working in advancement for a nonprofit organization or higher education institution preferred.
2. Demonstrated success in personally securing financial commitments preferred.
3. Demonstrated experience cultivating, soliciting, and securing charitable gifts preferred.
4. Experience using a CRM or fundraising database to maintain donor or prospect records, track interactions and next steps, and support relationship management and fundraising activities preferred.

Operation of a State Vehicle
No

Supervises Employees
No

Required Travel

Travel as per any required duties of the position, such as to sites/campuses and any training. Ability to cover assignments throughout the college service region as necessary for the job is required.

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number
CLS_4713P

Recruitment Type
General Public - G

Number of Vacancies
1

Position End Date (if temporary)

Job Open Date
09/02/2026

Job Close Date
11/15/2026

Open Until Filled

Agency Website
https://laurelridge.edu/

Contact Name
Kris Iden

Email
kiden@laurelridge.edu

Phone Number

Special Instructions to Applicants

Candidates interested in being considered for a posted position are required to submit an application to the posted position via the VCCS Career Portal. Upload cover letter (this is optional, but recommended) and resume (this is optional but recommended).

In support of the Commonwealth's commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth's Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly called a Certificate of Disability) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans may also apply via the AHP if they also provide an AHP Letter. To request an AHP Letter, use this link: https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155

Additional Information

Background Check Statement Disclaimer

The selected candidate's offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth's Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link: http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/