Director, Development

Morehouse School of Medicine; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Morehouse School of Medicine seeks a Director of Development to lead foundation-focused fundraising and build strategic relationships with major donors and foundations. The role drives campaigns, writes compelling proposals, and collaborates with leadership to advance health equity and education initiatives.

The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of foundation prospects, design engagement programs, and coordinate with the VP of Philanthropy to achieve multi-year initiatives across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• 5–7 years of experience in major campaigns, fundraising, and foundation relations with a progressively growing philanthropic portfolio.
• Experience in program design, evaluation, and community engagement efforts.
• Excellent proposal writing skills with the ability to articulate program designs and evaluation plans for foundation-based funding proposals.
• Strong time management, organizational skills, and detail orientation.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in a dynamic environment with a commitment to meeting deadlines.
• Proficiency in fundraising software (e.g., Blackbaud Raiser's Edge, Salesforce) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Drive foundation-focused fundraising to advance health equity and research.
• Design and execute a comprehensive engagement program for foundation prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of 80-120 foundation prospects, executing strategies for programmatic, capital and endowment building campaigns.
• Translate complex program ideas into compelling proposals and collateral materials for investment.
• Represent the Advancement Office at cultivation and fundraising events.
• Track progress and results in the CRM system.
• Ensure adherence to MSM Advancement protocols for gift processing, acknowledgment, prospecting, soliciting, and stewarding.

Skills

Fundraising principles

Foundation relations

Portfolio management

Grant writing

Project management

Communication

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Salesforce

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Employment in this role may be contingent upon extramural funding and successful performance and may be terminated or reduced in percentage of appointment if such funding is not secured or ceases to be available.

Position Information

About MSM

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is a place of distinction, serving as the nation’s leading academic medical center for vulnerable populations. It’s also a place for passionate individuals looking to join a dedicated community working today to help prepare tomorrow’s leaders.

We exist to:

• Improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities;
• Increase the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce;
• Address primary health care through programs in education, research and service;
• With emphasis on people of color and the under-served urban and rural populations in Georgia, the nation and the world.

At Morehouse School of Medicine, we’re leading the creation and advancement of health equity. You will find a fulfilling career at MSM !

Posting Number

Posting Number NONAC3599

Job Title

Job Title Director, Development

Position Title

Position Title Director, Development

Position Type

Position Type Non-Faculty

Number of vacancies

Number of vacancies 1

Department

Department Institutional Advancement

Position Summary

Morehouse School of Medicine ( MSM ) seeks to recruit a talented and experienced fundraising professional for the position of Director of Development to make significant contributions to the advancement of health equity in pursuit of health justice. The successful candidate will be a passionate, creative, and mission-driven professional to join our growing team of Resource Development Professionals. This team supports current activities and has just completed MSM’s historic $500M Comprehensive Campaign through the major expansion of campus infrastructure, addition of new degree programs, and the development of regional medical campuses and research collaborations across the U.S. and the world.

This is a public-facing role, a key relationship builder who works closely with institutional funders, with an emphasis on Foundations, and leaders on behalf of MSM . As such, this individual must model our core organizational values of being bold, collaborative, and adaptive to change. The ideal candidate will have a firm understanding of established fundraising principles and techniques, strong project and time management skills, and a track record of superb interpersonal, written, and professional communication and relationship management skills. The Director, Development, will lead the cultivation and stewardship foundation-focused philanthropy efforts and will be responsible for coordinating activity, developing strategies, building relationships, writing grants and raising funds including capital investments, seed funding for new programs, and multi-year special initiatives across the MSM education, research, and medical enterprise.
Morehouse School of Medicine offers reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Specifically, the Director, Development will:

• Drive foundation-focused fundraising efforts to advance health equity, biomedical research, interdisciplinary education, and community engagement.
• Collaborate with the VP of Philanthropy and AVP Philanthropy to design and execute a comprehensive engagement program for foundation prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of 80-120 foundation prospects, executing strategies for programmatic, capital and endowment building campaigns.
• Translate complex program ideas into compelling proposals and collateral materials for investment.
• Represent the Advancement Office at cultivation and fundraising events.
• Ensure adherence to MSM Advancement protocols for gift processing, acknowledgment, prospecting, soliciting, and stewarding.
• Create written reports for individuals and foundations, faculty updates, acknowledgment letters, and respond to requests from faculty, donors, and colleagues.
• Partner with faculty and advancement colleagues to build the prospect base through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of new donors.
• Initiate development events for donors and prospective donors to showcase unique opportunities for support.
• Track progress and results in the CRM system.
• Fundraising Expertise: Strong understanding of fundraising principles and techniques, with experience in managing foundation relations and philanthropic portfolios.
• Relationship Management: Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain relationships with individual donors, foundation leaders, faculty, and community influencers.
• Communication: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate MSM programs and initiatives for fundraising purposes.
• Project Management: Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Leadership: Demonstrated leadership and consensus-building skills
• Strategic Thinking: Entrepreneurial thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to execute strategic moves management.
• Integrity and Discretion: High level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Creative Problem Solving: Agile thinking to build out a viable corporate engagement plan for short-term and long-term support.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
• 5-7 years of experience in major campaigns, fundraising, and foundation relations with a progressively growing philanthropic portfolio
• Experience in program design, evaluation, and community engagement efforts
• Excellent proposal writing skills with the ability to articulate program designs and evaluation plans for foundation-based funding proposals
• Strong time management, organizational skills, and detail orientation
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience in a dynamic environment with a commitment to meeting deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and fundraising-related software (e.g., Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or CFRE
• Experience in higher education fundraising, particularly in academic medicine
• Extensive network of foundation contacts and a successful track record in foundation philanthropy
• Experience in a high-growth organization, scaling teams and departments
• Commitment to MSM’s mission, vision, and core values

Closing Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Morehouse School of Medicine is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Georgia State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Morehouse School of Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

Pre-Employment/Employment Requirements

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings.

Immunization

Immunization Requirements

It is MSM’s Immunization policy that all Prospective Employees are encouraged to provide proof that they are vaccinated against COVID -19 prior to commencement of employment. If employment will commence during Flu Season, MSM requires all individuals to provide proof that they are vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza for the current Flu Season, unless granted an exemption. Failure to provide proof of vaccination for any required vaccines or obtain an exemption from MSM will result in rescission of a candidate’s offer of employment or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Morehouse School of Medicine
720 Westview Drive
Atlanta, GA 30310
404-752-1500

Partner Site(s):

Morehouse Healthcare