Director of Development

Parks-and-People; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Parks & People is seeking a Director of Development in Baltimore to lead fundraising efforts that sustain park and community programs. You will build relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners while guiding and growing a small development team to meet ambitious revenue goals.

Reporting to the President & CEO, you will drive annual giving, major gifts, and endowment initiatives, ensuring strong stewardship and data-driven management across all fundraising activities.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Baltimore fundraising landscape and key funders.
• Ability to engage potential major donors effectively.
• 7+ years of development experience with six-figure gifts, grants and awards.
• Proficient in MS Office, development CRM software, and office tools.
• Strong time management for multiple concurrent projects.
• Experience leading a professional fundraising team.
• Ability to motivate staff and board members.
• Collaborative work ethic and cross-team coordination.
• Ability to use data/analytics to drive strategy and decisions.
• Willingness to work beyond standard hours when needed.

Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate major givers to secure at least $300K in annual operating support.
• Administer outreach, communications and stewardship plans with donors.
• Provide leadership for a $5M endowment campaign through feasibility, case, and strategy.
• Manage the development staff and ensure fundraising targets are met.
• Develop and execute annual giving, endowment, and sponsorship initiatives.
• Staff the Board's Development and Events Committees with guidance and plans.
• Collaborate with the CEO to engage public/private sectors and major donors.
• Maintain genuine relationships across Baltimore's philanthropic landscape.

Skills

Baltimore fundraising landscape

Major donor engagement

Development experience 7+ years

MS Office & CRM

Time management

Team leadership

Interpersonal leadership

Collaborative mindset

Data analytics

Flexible schedule

Job description

Organization’s Mission: Sparking wonder through play, education, and nature to create a community of environmental stewards for a healthier Baltimore.

Parks & People works to sustain and improve Baltimore’s parks and open spaces through public-private partnerships. Since 1984, P&P has a history of making investments in green park projects to revitalize neighborhoods and is a major provider of programs to allow children, youth and adults to learn, grow, and explore their natural environment. Parks & People envisions a Baltimore City where green renewal contributes to economic investment and population growth, where people enjoy green spaces that spark wonder, and where communities build the strength and leadership to steward the environment.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: The Director of Development serves as Parks & People’s chief development officer with oversight of the development department. Specifically, the Director of Development is responsible for leading a development team in the strategy and execution of fundraising work that results in raising $3.5M in annual operating income through major giving activities, grants from public and private sector funders, and individual giving appeals. Therefore, this role requires an experienced development professional who can provide the expertise to create dynamic annual plans to realize the needed revenue target, and personally participate in the work required to generate needed income.

The role manages a team, which currently consists of four full time equivalent staff persons (1.5 FTE for communications, 1 FTE for Donor Relations, and 1.5 FTEs for Grants prospecting, writing and reporting). The objective is to maximize P&P fundraising potential and guide all its major functions to the next level of excellence, with the support of the aforementioned staff and CEO. The Director, working with the CEO, would be responsible for launching an endowment campaign, a planned giving process, planning and executing annual giving campaign, ensuring corporate and foundation grants and reports are completed, and developing and executing the strategy for sponsorships and donations at P&P’s special events.

REPORTS TO

President & CEO

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• 1.Identify and cultivate major givers: This role includes identifying, engaging, and securing from current and prospective major gift donors at least $300K in annual operating support.
• 2.Administer an outreach, communications and stewardship plan to establish and sustain relationships with current and prospective donors.
• 3.Provide leadership for a $5M endowment campaign: This role includes performing a feasibility study, developing a case statement, and creating the strategy to increase the endowment fund from $2.4M to $5M by 2029.
• 4.Manage Parks & People’s development staff to ensure all fundraising efforts are performed well.
• 5.Provide professional development training and opportunities to P&P’s development staff.
• 6.Staff the Board of Directors’ Development Committee: In this role, the Director creates an annual development plan and convenes the board committee to generate specific guidance and help from the board on executing the plan.
• 7.Staff the Board of Directors’ Events Committee: In this role, the Director creates an annual vision, theme, and event plan to get the board committee’s assistance for the annual Picnic in the Park fundraising.
• 8.Work collaboratively with the President & CEO to get in front of leaders in the public, private, and voluntary sectors, major donors, and other individuals and groups capable of helping to advance the mission and vision of Parks & People.
• 9.Must have genuine relationships with multiple key stakeholders across the Baltimore philanthropic landscape.

MANAGEMENT & OVERSIGHT

• 1.Manage all activities of the Development division, including all designated staff and consultants, to ensure that overall annual development goals for fundraising are met.
• 2.Oversee the donor database system, grant tracking & reporting systems, prospect research program, and a moves-based portfolio management system.
• 3.Establish and oversee a comprehensive data management and reporting system that includes financial projections and periodic development progress reports.
• 4.Oversee creation of collateral material in support of fundraising endeavors.
• 5.Perform all other duties as assigned by the President & CEO.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrable knowledge of the Baltimore fundraising landscape, for example, connections with people at 5-10 Baltimore Business Journal Top 20 Foundations or Philanthropic Corporations.
• Ability to be dynamic and engaging with potential major donors.
• At least seven (7) years of development experience with a history of securing 6-figure major gifts, grants and awards.
• Solid knowledge of MS-Office Suite, Development CRM Software, and other office automation software.
• Excellent time-management skills needed to handle multiple, concurrent projects, which are often associated with deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience and success in building and providing leadership for a collaboration-oriented team of professional staff members.
• Possess the interpersonal and leadership skills needed to work with and motivate staff and board members.
• Collaborative work ethic and ability to understand and identify opportunities and connections between fundraising activities and other divisional and organizational activities.
• Ability to use data and analytics as tools to communicate progress and make strategic and timely decisions regarding program effectiveness and impact.
• A willingness and availability to work beyond the usual 8:30am-5pm business day and on weekends as needed.