Vice President of Development

Vice President Of DevelopmentFahrenheit Advisors is assisting our client, Maymont Foundation, in the hiring of their next Vice President of Development. Maymont is a 100-acre historic estate and park located in Richmond, Virginia, with many unique experiences for all to enjoy, including the historic Maymont Mansion, The Robins Nature Center, arboretum, formal gardens, and habitats for native Virginia wildlife and farm animals. Since 1975, Maymont has been maintained and operated by the nonprofit Maymont Foundation, committed to creating experiences that delight, educate, and inspire its guests.Maymont Foundation is seeking a Vice President of Development who will lead the organization's fundraising and advancement efforts, connecting institutional and individual giving opportunities to Maymont's mission through annual and capital priorities. This role carries expanded scope beyond traditional development leadership — serving as the lead development officer responsible for fundraising strategy, board engagement, grants oversight, corporate partnerships, and local government relationships. This position reports to the President and CEO.Leadership ExpectationsProvide leadership for your team and the larger organization. Engage in strategic planning, analysis and decision making as a member of the senior leadership team committed to achieving organizational goals and budgetary needs. Communicate thoroughly and regularly with all of your staff to share senior level directon and cross-departmental information. Coach and guide your staff to understand and focus on achieving organizational goals and objectives.Focus on strategic goals, likewise aligning staff through coaching and guidance on the big pictureCommunicate and collaborate in forthcoming, open, fact-based and collaborative mannerDevelop and propose activities and initiatives for consideration that are aligned with goals and sustainabilityPursue data-based planning, tracking, analysis and reporting of resultsLead through purposeful, deliberate, directive management (lead from the front)Practice judicious, firm and steady human resource and financial oversightEssential FunctionsFundraising Strategy & LeadershipDevelop and implement annual and multi-year fundraising strategy inclusive of diverse revenue streams including individuals, corporations, foundations, and government sources; set, monitor, analyze and report on results. Establish measurable goals for revenue sustainability and growthLead and manage development team members across individual giving, institutional giving, and advancement servicesLead the strategy, planning, and execution of leadership and planned giving programsIdentify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects for both capital and annual prioritiesOversee the advancement team's planning and management of donor journeys through solicitations, stewardship, and special experiencesWork closely with the development and marketing teams to forecast annual revenue goals, perform regular revenue reporting and analysis, and manage donor reports to maintain accuracy and financial accountabilityMajor Gifts & High-Capacity RelationshipsManage a portfolio of the organization's high-capacity individual, corporate, and foundation funders — both current and prospectiveCreate and manage cultivation and solicitation strategies for promising major gift prospects, partnering with the Board of Directors, senior leadership, and key stakeholdersIdentify opportunities for deeper donor engagementCommunicate timely, regularly and appropriately to cultivate and steward donors, prospects, and external stakeholdersGrants ManagementSupervise the Grants Manager overseeing the full philanthropic grants process for foundations and corporations, including prospect identification, alignment of funding opportunities with strategic objectives, grant application submissions, award management, and post-award reportingManage stewardship for current and prospective grant-related fundersStay informed about local, state, and national funding trends and actively seek out new grants and funding opportunitiesBoard & Stakeholder EngagementManage Board of Directors' giving, including creation of annual engagement plans for each member and building board members' philanthropic impactDevelop and maintain strong relationships with community organizations, and stakeholders; represent Maymont at community events and meetings to enhance visibility and foster mission-aligned partnershipsActively seek out and develop relationships with government officials, agencies, and civic groups alongside the President/CEO and senior leadershipBrand Partnerships & Corporate EngagementWork with the development, special events and marketing teams to align opportunities for corporate funding, sponsorships and volunteer engagement with Maymont's priorities and initiativesWork with teams across Maymont to organize special donor engagement experiences that align with new and existing initiatives and programsAdvancement IntegrationServe as the senior point of integration between development and marketing, ensuring fundraising and communications strategies are unified and mutually reinforcingCollaborate with the marketing team to integrate annual fundraising strategy with overall communications goalsPartner with the marketing team and development team to create case statements, collateral, and campaigns for fundraising priorities; ensure staff and board members have the tools to communicate consistently and impactfully to external audiencesGrow the membership program and build Maymont's base of support through collaboration with marketing on campaigns focused on donor retention and increased commitment levelsCultivation EventsServe as a primary presence in the planning and delivery of cultivation events, programs, and activities, including the annual gala, to provide opportunities for new and renewed supporter engagementEngage fully in the life of the organization, serving as a visible and hands-on presence at Maymont's special and community eventsData & OperationsOversee database structure, processes, workflows and training to ensure ongoing accuracy of data management and progress-tracking in the donor database, ensuring completion of donor/funder/sponsor contacts, actions and cultivation efforts from initial discovery through acquisition and stewardshipReport progress on fundraising goals and key performance indicators to the President/CEO and BoardUse data-driven metrics to monitor, analyze, synthesize and evaluate development efforts, modifying or realigning strategies that are not optimally productiveAssist with other duties and tasks as assignedCompetenciesExcellent verbal and written communication skills; able to present effectively to donors, board members, community partners, and mediaAbility to manage others including goal setting, prioritization, delegation, and team buildingSkilled in interpersonal relationship development with the discretion and judgment required at a senior leadership levelHighly organized and detail-oriented with strong project management skillsAbility to maintain strict confidentiality of extremely sensitive data, records, and conversationsProficient in Microsoft Office with prior experience using fundraising software; experience with Blackbaud a plusAbility to work collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholdersHigh level of adaptability and flexibility to connect and respond to people of various backgrounds in a variety of settingsEducation & ExperienceMinimum Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, fundraising, business, or related field preferredMinimum 7–10 years of experience in development, fundraising, or advancement, with a nonprofit or cultural institution preferredDemonstrated track record of building, growing, and maintaining major donor relationshipsDemonstrated success in prospecting, cultivating, and securing individual and institutional giftsExperience managing grants from prospect identification through post-award reportingExperience building stewardship programs that align with organizational missionExperience with donor database management and gift entry processesWorking knowledge of the Richmond region, area attractions, and the philanthropic community preferredSalary range for this role is $120-135K.