The Organization
Located in picturesque Savannah, the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation and is the producer of the Emmy-award winning series Today in Georgia History. To learn more, go to www.georgiahistory.com.
Position Summary
The Director of Development directs and manages the GHS development team to sustain and grow the Society’s annual operating budget of $2.5 million. As a member of the senior management team, the person takes a leadership role in establishing institutional policies, practices, and direction. The Director of Development will develop, implement, and evaluate an annual development plan designed to obtain philanthropic support to achieve GHS’s organizational and financial goals. Working closely with the CEO, Executive VP/COO, and the Board of Curators, the Director of Development will oversee the completion of the major fundraising campaigns as well as help secure the Society’s future by building its endowment.
Responsibilities include:
- Directs and manages the development department, creates a development plan that is donor-centered and includes revenue projections for the following integrated sectors: annual fund, membership, board giving, major giving, corporate support, foundation support, government grants and special events.
- Oversees the major gifts program, researching and analyzing data to identify and prioritize GHS's major gifts prospects and developing cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies. Work with the CEO to motivate and train volunteers to successfully solicit gifts.
- Manages a portfolio of major individual and institutional donor prospects and solicits major gifts through face-to-face meetings and phone calls in collaboration with other staff and the Board of Curators. Prepares cultivation plans and supports the fundraising efforts of the CEO and the Board.
- Oversees corporation and foundation giving program, including identifying corporate, foundation and government prospects and overseeing creation and submission of grant proposals and sponsorship requests.
- Oversees membership program, supervising the Membership and Outreach Associate in day-to-day management of membership activities while reviewing the program goals to enhance offerings and retain and grow member donors to be more engaged with GHS.
- Work cooperatively with the CEO, Executive VP/COO and the Board of Curators to plan and execute endowment, capital and planning giving campaigns to meet the organization's long-term funding needs.
- Coordinates and oversees the Annual Fund Campaign
- Work closely with campaign volunteers and the CEO in implementing major fundraising campaigns to achieve the established targets and timelines.
- Develop effective cultivation and moves management strategies to implement organization-wide.
- Assist in planning and execution of fundraising events, from intimate parties to the Annual Trustee's Gala.
- Communicate regularly with GHS staff about fundraising projects that impact their programs in order to identify their needs for external funding.
- Generate fundraising reports for the development department, analyzing the results of all fundraising activities and providing recommendations to executive leadership.
- Must be available for occasional travel statewide as well as weekend and evening work to support fundraising, programming and marketing activities.
Knowledge, skills and abilities:
The Director of Development is a creative, conceptual and analytical thinker with a strong passion for GHS's mission. The successful candidate is results-oriented, a self-starter and an effective and persuasive communicator both in person and in written word. The Director of Development will be knowledgeable of strategic communication concepts, methods and techniques while possessing experience coordinating a variety of fundraising activities, including direct experience with donor cultivation and stewardship. Superior writing and editing skills: experience with the development of successful grant proposals or individual solicitations a must. Must be hard-working, organized and disciplined and a team player who is wiling to operate outside of their job description for the good of the organization. The Director of Development is a relationship builder at all levels - colleagues, donors, volunteer leaders, members, etc.
Education/Experience Required:
Bachelor’s Degree. Coursework in fundraising, nonprofit management, or public administration a plus. Minimum ten years of senior development experience with knowledge of major gifts, prospect research, and planned giving. Previous experience with an endowment campaign preferred. Strong leadership and management skills. Exceptional communication skills, verbal and written. Knowledge of the cultural sector a plus.
Preferred Education and Experience:
Experience working with Salesforce or other equivalent fundraising software is desired, including generating and analyzing reports.
To apply send cover letter, resume, and confidential salary history to:
Director of Development Search
Georgia Historical Society
501 Whitaker Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Email: jobs@georgiahistory.com
No phone calls please.
