Executive Director of Philanthropy

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Department: Development

PLEASE NOTE: This position is open to candidates living in any of the following areas: Lakeland, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Naples.

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director of Philanthropy provides strategic leadership for One More Child's major giving function, building a growing culture and program of relationship-based philanthropy that inspires significant investment in the organization's mission and strategic priorities. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and collaborating with the Executive Director of Development, this role leads and develops a team of Philanthropy Officers while personally managing a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, with a concentration within their assigned region and key relationships across Florida.

The Executive Director is responsible for strengthening the philanthropic pipeline, advancing meaningful donor relationships, and securing significant individual commitments. In partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategic Development, the role plays a significant part in the Comprehensive Campaign and in securing capital, endowment, annual, and other strategic commitments. The Executive Director serves as a leader and champion of a donor-centered approach to philanthropy, collaborating with the Director of Development Communications and Director of Development Strategy in proposal development, donor communications, metrics, pipeline management, and analytics.

The Executive Director of Philanthropy is responsible for team performance, portfolio strategy, pipeline development, donor engagement, and revenue results. The Executive Director will establish priorities, portfolio standards, performance expectations, and operating practices for the philanthropy team in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer. The Executive Director will own and achieve major-gift revenue goals established in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, including goals for new commitments, renewals, upgrades, multi-year commitments, campaign commitments, and pipeline development.

The successful candidate will model a relational, donor-centered approach to fundraising-prioritizing meaningful engagement, discovery, and long-term relationships over transactional fundraising-and will champion a culture in which philanthropy is viewed as an opportunity to invite donors into meaningful participation in God's work through One More Child. Representing One More Child requires the person to be comfortable articulating its Christian mission and engaging donors from a faith-based perspective.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

Philanthropy Strategy & Leadership

• The Executive Director will generally allocate approximately 55% to personal donor and prospect management, 35% of time to team leadership and philanthropic strategy, and 10% to campaign leadership, executive collaboration, and organizational priorities.
• Lead the major gift function for One More Child, with primary responsibility for the strategy, growth, and effectiveness of the major giving program in alignment with the organization's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term vision.
• Build and strengthen the major giving program, establishing the strategies, culture, systems, and practices necessary to develop lasting donor relationships and increase philanthropic investment.
• Serve as a key thought partner to the Chief Advancement Officer in shaping the organization's approach to individual philanthropy and champion a relational, donor-centric philosophy grounded in discovery, listening, meaningful engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Maintain consistent, purposeful face-to-face and virtual engagement with assigned donors and prospects, with activity levels appropriate to relationship stage, donor capacity, affinity, and strategic priority.
• Lead, coach, and develop the team of Philanthropy Officers, establishing clear expectations for portfolio management, donor engagement, pipeline development, and fundraising performance.
• Identify and appropriately escalate potential ethical, reputational, legal, or gift-acceptance concerns associated with significant philanthropic relationships or proposed gifts.
• Develop accurate revenue forecasts based on portfolio activity, proposal stage, donor commitments, historical performance, and pipeline strength; communicate risks and opportunities to senior leadership.

Donor Relationships & Pipeline

• Maintain an appropriately sized portfolio of high-capacity, high-affinity donors and prospects, generally consisting of 75-100 active relationships, with portfolio size adjusted based on campaign responsibilities and organizational priorities.
• Personally manage a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, with a concentration within the Executive Director's assigned region, while cultivating key relationships across Florida and partnering with the Chief Advancement Officer on top donor relationships.
• Develop and execute strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals, families, family foundations, and other philanthropic partners capable of significant investment in One More Child.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified prospects and lead regular portfolio and pipeline reviews to evaluate donor movement, identify opportunities, and determine strategic next steps.
• Develop strategies to deepen donor engagement, strengthen retention, and increase lifetime philanthropic value through meaningful, long-term relationships.
• Partner with the Director of Development Strategy to leverage metrics, analytics, pipeline intelligence, and reporting to inform prospecting, portfolio management, fundraising strategies, and performance.
• Identify and advance planned-giving opportunities in partnership with appropriate organizational leaders and professional advisors.

Comprehensive Campaign & Strategic Funding

• Play a significant leadership role in the Comprehensive Campaign by identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals and families with the capacity and affinity to make significant campaign commitments.
• Partner closely with the Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategic Development to develop and execute donor strategies for the Comprehensive Campaign and other strategic funding priorities.
• Lead and participate in strategies to secure individual commitments for capital, endowment, annual giving, and other strategic priorities, aligning donor interests and passions with One More Child's greatest opportunities.

Philanthropic Communications & Collaboration

• Provide strategic direction and donor insight for proposals, presentations, briefing materials, stewardship communications, and other materials supporting cultivation and solicitation.
• Partner with the Director of Development Communications for proposal development, donor communications, and other philanthropic materials, providing the donor and fundraising strategy necessary to make these resources compelling and effective.
• Collaborate across Advancement, Communications, Programs, Partnerships, regional, and campus teams to provide a coordinated donor experience and align philanthropic opportunities with organizational priorities.
• Equip organizational leaders and staff to participate effectively in donor relationships by identifying prospects, sharing impact, creating meaningful donor experiences, and advancing philanthropic opportunities.

Performance & Professional Leadership

• Establish and monitor philanthropy goals and measures in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Director of Development, and Director of Development Strategy, including revenue, donor retention, portfolio growth, pipeline health, meaningful engagement, and donor movement.
• Ensure disciplined use of the CRM as the organization's system of record for donor relationships, contact activity, relationship strategies, proposals, solicitations, commitments, and next steps.
• Evaluate and continually improve major giving strategies and practices based on results, donor behavior, organizational priorities, and emerging opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, ethical fundraising standards, and applicable laws and regulations within areas of responsibility.
• Periodic travel outside of assigned region and regular driving within assigned region.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer
  Direct reports: Directly supervises five-six fundraising professionals, including one National Philanthropy Officer, three Regional Philanthropy Officers-Florida, and one Statewide Mid-Level Philanthropy Officer. Responsible for establishing performance expectations, coaching and development, portfolio assignments, goal setting, performance management, and professional development.
  Key internal partners: Senior Vice President of Strategic Development; Executive Director of Development; Director of Development Strategy; Director of Development Communications; program and regional leadership.
• Stay current with trends, best practices, technology, and ethical standards in philanthropy and continually strengthen One More Child's approach to relationship-based fundraising.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Required 7-10 years of progressive experience in philanthropy, major gifts, development, or a related fundraising field, including 5+ years major-gift fundraising experience, demonstrated record of personally closing significant gifts, experience managing fundraisers, portfolio management experience, CRM experience, and campaign experience or comparable complex fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding significant individual donors, including experience securing major gifts.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage a healthy philanthropic pipeline, including prospect identification, qualification, portfolio development, relationship planning, and moves management.
• Experience leading, coaching, or developing fundraising professionals, with the ability to establish clear expectations, accountability, and a culture of collaboration and performance.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic fundraising plans aligned with organizational priorities and long-term goals.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, listen effectively, understand donor motivations, articulate compelling philanthropic opportunities, and inspire investment.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with executive leaders, board members, program leaders, and other internal stakeholders to advance donor relationships and fundraising priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly for donor visits, meetings, ministry experiences, events, and other relationship-building activities.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree or professional certification in philanthropy, nonprofit management, business, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success securing six-figure or transformational gifts, including multi-year commitments.
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to a comprehensive, capital, or endowment campaign.
• Experience building or significantly strengthening a major giving program or philanthropy function, particularly within a growing organization.
• Experience managing a geographically dispersed fundraising team or donor portfolio.
• Experience using CRM systems, fundraising analytics, and data to inform prospect strategy, portfolio management, and fundraising decisions.
• Experience working with family foundations, corporate foundations, or other sophisticated philanthropic partners.
• Experience in a Christian nonprofit or ministry environment, with an understanding of faith-based philanthropy and donor engagement.
• Familiarity with relationship-based fundraising principles consistent with a donor-focused, discovery-based approach to philanthropy.

COMPETENCIES

• Present oneself, both at and outside of work, in a manner keeping with One More Child's Core Values of Humble, Hungry, Wise, and Called.
• Relational Leadership - Builds authentic, trust-based relationships with donors, colleagues, and organizational leaders; listens deeply, demonstrates genuine curiosity, and creates meaningful connections that advance relationships and mission.
• Strategic Thinking - Sees the big picture, anticipates opportunities, connects philanthropic strategy to organizational priorities, and balances long-term relationship building with measurable fundraising results
• Philanthropic Mindset - Approaches fundraising as an opportunity to understand donor interests and passions and connect them with meaningful opportunities to advance the mission, rather than as a transactional exchange.
• Leadership & Coaching - Inspires, develops, and holds others accountable; provides thoughtful coaching and feedback and creates an environment in which Philanthropy Officers can grow and succeed.
• Influence & Collaboration - Builds strong partnerships across the organization and effectively engages executives, board members, program leaders, and colleagues to advance donor relationships and philanthropic priorities.
• Donor-Driven Centered Communication - Communicates with clarity, authenticity, confidence, and empathy; effectively articulates mission, impact, and philanthropic opportunities to diverse audiences.
• Business & Fundraising Acumen - Understands the financial, operational, and strategic drivers of philanthropy and uses sound judgment to prioritize opportunities, allocate resour