Development Director

Position Summary

The Development Director at the Camden Public Library is responsible for developing strong donor relations through in-person, face-to-face interactions; creating and implementing fundraising strategies analyzing past efforts and looking to the future; achieving ambitious fundraising goals; engaging with the community to build support and raise awareness for the library’s mission; and managing marketing and public relations efforts, crafting compelling and concise messages to enhance the library’s visibility.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Fundraising and Development
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with key constituents through face-to-face donor meetings, calls, letters, and planned events, large and small.
• Leverages the capacity of other team members and the Library Board of Trustees to make connections and engage, secure, and retain donors.
• Works closely with the Executive Director and the Development Committee to develop, plan, and implement innovative fundraising strategies for mid-level, major, and planned giving programs; provides leadership, support and direction to the major and mid-level programs to meet the annual goals; ensures that the library’s approach fosters long-term support.
• Assists the Executive Director in researching and applying for grant funding from public and private sources.
• Oversees strategies to cultivate donor segments and devises and executes plans to continuously move donors toward larger gifts.
• Organizes Millay Society events.
• Oversees growth of a strong Planned Giving Program.
• Communicates through emails, phone calls, and meetings with trustees and donors to keep them informed and engaged.
• Facilitates quarterly Development Committee meetings, in consultation with the Executive Director, creating the agenda, meeting kit, and minutes; provides data and analyzes fundraising reports for discussion with the Development Committee; provides financial reporting as needed.
• Maintains the fundraising database (Little Green Light/LGL), managing gift processing, data entry, reports, and data management; prepared or arranges for thank you cards for donations.
• Marketing and Public Relations
• Plans and administers the library’s public relations and marketing strategies and plans, including development of promotional materials and projects; collaborates with other team members, ensuring the strategy is well-rounded and achievable.
• Works with the Executive Director and Development Committee to conceptualize, edit, design, produce, and execute the postal mailing of the Giving Season annual appeal, customized for audience segments, as well as other direct-mail outreach throughout the year.
• Crafts compelling and concise messages, posts, reports, press releases, and proposals in a timely manner; shares library content through effective communication channels.
• Understands the community through constant listening and feedback loops, including surveying and active social media use.
• Is visible in the community and in the library; builds the library’s visibility and raises awareness for the library’s mission
• Designs and executes marketing plans in partnership with the Executive Director and Programs Director; creates and fulfills the annual integrated marketing communications calendar, including seasonal and restricted-fund appeals, like Giving Tuesday and National Library Week; analyzes campaign results and formulate ways to further improve marketing communications efforts each year; designs, edits, and produces strategic marketing and editorial publications, including the Annual Report; membership and sponsorship kits; invitations, and marketing brochures and guides.
• Assists in the recruitment, selection, and utilization of Library volunteers for development events.

Non-Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Performs other tasks as assigned.

General Expectations

• Comfortable making the ask.
• An extrovert in fundraising situations.
• Connects with donors in an authentic way.
• Committed to the Library’s mission, vision and values.
• Interacts harmoniously and effectively with others, focusing upon the attainment of development goals and objectives through a commitment to teamwork.
• Is present during major donor events.
• Follows established policies and procedures and complies with all safety requirements.
• Adheres strictly to confidentiality of customer, co-worker, and internal business information.

Physical Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and talk or hear. The employee is also required to use hands and fingers to operate a standard computer keyboard, use a computer, mouse, fax machine, printer and copier, and speak and hear using a telephone. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is primarily performed in a library environment. The Development Director should plan to be on-site an average of 3 days a week and the remaining 2 days can be performed from home or off-site as needed. Some travel, night, and weekend shifts are required from time to time. Work is occasionally stressful and requires the ability to cope with the pressures related to the position.

Qualifications Needed for Position

Experience and Skill Requirements: The following experience and skills are considered essential:

• At least 5 years of experience in major donor relationship management in the non-profit sector required, with experience working in a library setting preferred.
• Experience in formulating donor policies, donor initiatives, capital campaigns, marketing plans, and promotional materials required.
• Experience in event planning is preferred.
• Proven track record of securing donations from individuals, foundations, businesses, or other funding sources.
• Strong creative and technical writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively to connect with and motivate a range of audiences, including colleagues, Trustees, library members, and the public; familiarity with and dedication to inclusivity principals; ability to relate to individuals of varied backgrounds and experiences; ability to establish a positive working relationship with donors, Library trustees, staff, and volunteers, as well as local service organizations, town officials, and the general public.
• Experience in effective unique use of various social media channels.
• Self-directed and motivated, with the ability to work both independently and in collaboration with others.
• Discretion and respect for confidentiality of protected donor information, adhering to Board guidelines; ability to identify potential areas of breach.
• Ability to spearhead the growth of the library’s endowment.
• Ability to train and encourage volunteers, and coordinate and delegate workloads and work schedules.
• Ability to gain a working understanding of current fundraising trends and initiatives.
• Ability to develop a budget, analyze and interpret financial data, and manage resources required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Teams, Office, and OneDrive; publication editing/design skills with proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva; familiarity with use of AI for marketing content and design; WordPress experience a plus.

Education Requirements

The following education requirements are considered essential:

• A Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, business, or a related field, or the equivalent in education and experience, is required.
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and principles; ability to work with financial data, including outputting and analyzing reports, managing a donor database, and proposing strategic action in response.
• Knowledge of tax-planning principles and techniques that favor charitable giving.
• A thorough knowledge of the practices and principles of marketing and development.
• Knowledge of library techniques, methods, and procedures for promoting public libraries.
• Knowledge of the community and partners in which the Library is located.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to do this job. The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.

** All requirements and skills are essential, unless otherwise indicated. **

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under the Americans With Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case by case basis.