Development Director

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission (FTHC) seeks a Development Director to drive philanthropic and programmatic growth. This role partners with the THC Executive Director and Board to expand fundraising, donor engagement, and public programs across Texas.

The Director will lead major gifts, campaigns, and communications, while building scalable systems, analytics, and board alignment to sustain impact and succession planning for the organization.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college.
• 12–14 years nonprofit sector with 9–10 years in development.
• Experience in major gifts and grant-writing; planned giving preferred.
• Experience in program development and coordination.
• Experience with a CRM/donor database such as Neon, Raiser’s Edge, or other fundraising software.
• Experience in donor communications.

Responsibilities

• Leadership development and support within the Friends of the THC; work with ED on strategic priorities.
• Strategy and planning for fund development, communications, and programs.
• Develop and grow a major gifts pipeline and coordinate foundation fundraising.
• Build systems and reporting to enable forecasting and accountability in development.
• Oversee marketing/communications to strengthen donor engagement and visibility.
• Support development training and collaboration with THC leadership and FTHC ED.
• Assist in board engagement and meeting planning and governance support.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Major gifts

Grant writing

Donor communications

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Nonprofit management

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

CRM software

Job description

The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission (FTHC) is seeking a Development Director to help lead the next phase of philanthropic and programming growth and organizational impact.

The Texas Historical Commission (THC), by statutory authority, has a development office that reports to the THC Executive Director. This development office is led by the Chief Development Officer of the THC, with a staff team, all of whom are state employees. Per a Memorandum of Agreement between the THC and the non-profit 501(c)(3) Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, the THC Development office also staffs the nonprofit organization. Therefore, the THC Chief Development Officer serves as the Executive Director of the Friends of the THC, and the Development Director, as well as other development and operations staff serve in parallel roles for the nonprofit organization as well.

Within this structure, the Development Director is a critical leadership position supporting the THC Chief Development Officer/Friends of the THC Executive Director and works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the exercise of initiative and independent judgment. The Development Director will partner with the FTHC Executive Director and Board of Trustees, to grow the development function so that it can support, sustain, and expand the Commission’s impact across the state. This will include the Development Director providing advanced fund development and consultative services and technical assistance to the THC agency staff, Commissioners, FTHC Board of Trustees, and the general public. The ideal candidate will bring to this role strong experience in fund development strategy and planning. This is a leadership role that requires a candidate who can build, execute, and partner at a high level, and who will grow to be a critical part of the FTHC’s succession plan.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• 1. Leadership Development and Support: This position is envisioned as a critical leadership position within the Friends of the THC, and will therefore work closely with FTHC ED on developing, tracking, and implementing strategic priorities for the FTHC, and will work with the ED to understand and implement strategic priorities beyond development and fundraising.
• 2. Strategy & Planning: The Development Director will work with the ED and staff to ensure that the FTHC’s mission is fulfilled through effective strategy and planning for fund development, communications, and programs.
• 3. Development & Fundraising: This position will be responsible for building and growing a disciplined pipeline of major and principal gift donors, and will manage (in partnership with the ED and the Development Manager) a robust list of major gift prospects (individual, foundation, corporate, and institutional prospects) for specific programs and projects, including capital campaigns. The Development Director will coordinate all foundation and institutional fundraising to support any ongoing capital and program/project fundraising campaigns, and will work with the ED to ensure strong campaign strategy and readiness, including the development of cases for support for capital projects and programs. This position will also be responsible for ensure shared ownership of key relationships, activating the ED and the Board to effectively cultivate and steward these relationships.
• 4. Development Infrastructure and Operations: The development Director will guide the building and strengthening of systems, processes, and reporting to support sustainable and scalable growth in fundraising. This will including making sure to optimize CRM, donor analytics, and performance tracking, to enable clear forecasting and goal setting, and establish accountability structures across the development function.
• 5. External Strategy, Marketing, and Communications: This position will oversee and align marketing and communications as a core component of fundraising, and for effective ongoing communications with donors, partners, and supporters. The Development Director will partner with the ED to provide strategic guidance to the team to build consistency in messaging, brand positioning, and storytelling, integrating donor engagement, communications, and visibility into a cohesive strategy.
• 6. Program Development and Support: The Development Director will also work with THC leadership and FTHC ED to develop and expand distinct preservation programs, including education and outreach programs, as well as development trainings and workshops as required.
• 7. Board & Financial Management: As part of the leadership of the organization, the Development Director will assist the ED in strengthening Board engagement, accountability, and leadership in fundraising. This includes providing them with the tools as well as the clear expectations required for them to perform their leadership role. The position will support the ED on board meeting planning, assisting in building board and committee meeting agendas, and will facilitate board action items that relate to THC divisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Minimum twelve to fourteen (12-14) years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a minimum of nine to ten (9-10) years of experience in development and fundraising, with at least five (5) years of leadership and management experience in that role.
• Experience in major gift fundraising and grant-writing. ADditional experience in planned giving preferred.
• Experience in program development and coordination.
• Experience with an industry standard CRM/donor database system, such as Neon, Raiser’s Edge, or other fundraising software.
• Experience in donor communications (emails, newsletters, annual reports, etc.).
• Proficiency in online communications software (like Gov Delivery, MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience and skill in public speaking.
• Strong communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of or interest in historic preservation, cultural resources, or Texas history is beneficial.
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, board members, partners, and donors in an on-site office environment.
• Required to travel a minimum of 30% of the work period.