Director of Development

TREES KNOXVILLE; Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance contribution

Retirement match

Generous CTO (Combined Time Off)

State holidays

Job summary

Trees Knoxville seeks a Development Director to lead fundraising, donor relations, and revenue strategy. Reporting to the Executive Director, you will build the department from the ground up and drive a multi-year plan to transition from grants to sustainable funding.

You will cultivate major gifts, manage donor communications, and align with the executive team on planning, budgeting, and growth initiatives for a thriving nonprofit in Knoxville.

Qualifications

• 4 to 7+ years in nonprofit fundraising or related field.
• Proven ability to develop and manage multi-year fundraising plans.
• Experience with donor CRM management and reporting.
• Track record of meeting $300,000+ annual fundraising goals.
• Strong written and verbal communication; board collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising plan.
• Establish fundraising KPIs and report progress to ED and Board.
• Oversee proposals, reporting, events, donor communications, CRM standards.
• Collaborate with ED on budgeting and strategic planning.
• Oversee development messaging.
• Lead major donor cultivation and corporate sponsorships.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Board engagement

CRM management

Communication

Tools

Little Green Light

Bloomerang

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Trees Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and increasing the urban tree canopy across private and public lands in Knoxville and Knox County. The organization works collaboratively with local government, community groups, and residents to promote sustainable urban forestry practices. Through education, advocacy, and hands-on tree planting and maintenance, Trees Knoxville aims to improve environmental quality and community well-being. Potential team members join a mission-driven organization that values stewardship, community engagement, and long-term impact.

Position Summary

Trees Knoxville seeks a results-driven, strategic, and self-motivated Development Director to lead our organizational advancement, donor relations, and major revenue strategy. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this newly created position will lead all fundraising initiatives to transition our growing organization from reliance on government grants to long-term community self-sustainability.

As a proactive builder, the Development Director will establish our fundraising department from the ground up, develop a comprehensive multi-year fundraising plan, energize our Board of Directors, cultivate major gifts, and secure corporate sponsorships. This role is ideal for a visionary candidate who excels at building authentic donor relationships and executing annual giving campaigns. Working closely with the executive team, the Director will oversee donor-facing communications strategy and lead the organization’s long-term financial growth.

• Develop, execute, and evaluate a collaborative, multi-year fundraising plan.
• Establish and track strategic fundraising KPIs and metrics, presenting key data and progress reports regularly to the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Oversee proposal development, reporting, events, donor communications, and development of CRM standards and donation platforms.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director on organizational strategic planning, budgeting, and financial decision-making as a core leader within Trees Knoxville
• Oversee all development-specific messaging and communications.

Individual Giving, Corporate Sponsorships & Events

• Identify, cultivate, and steward donor relationships at all levels, engaging the Executive Director and Board to build long-term relationships and a robust major-donor pipeline.
• Lead direct mail and digital annual giving campaigns.
• Conceive, pitch, secure, and manage corporate sponsorship investments ($1,000 to $10,000+) for Tree Fest and seasonal community planting initiatives.
• Oversee fundraising events and corporate volunteer sponsorship days, including planning for potential major donor initiatives.

Grants & Fee-for-Service

• Collaborate with the Executive Director on foundation grant proposals.
• Assist the Executive Director in drafting and submitting government grant proposals.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to secure fee-for-service planting and maintenance contracts with municipal entities, utilities, and corporate grounds.

Board Engagement & Committee Leadership

• Facilitate the Fundraising Committee, partnering with the Committee Chair to foster a strong culture of philanthropy across the organization.
• Coach and support Board members to comfortably steward prospects and close donor gifts.
• Serve as a key fundraising ambassador for Trees Knoxville.

Knowledge, Skills & Qualifications

• 4 to 7+ years of successful employment in nonprofit fundraising, development, corporate partnerships, or institutional advancement.
• Demonstrated successful management of annual fundraising goals of $300,000 or more.
• Demonstrated success working directly with a Board of Directors and leading volunteer or board fundraising committees.
• Proven ability to create, execute, and monitor a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising plan from scratch.
• High proficiency in donor CRM management (e.g., Little Green Light, Bloomerang, or Salesforce), gift tracking, database administration, and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, with a track record of successfully pitching corporate leaders and cultivating individual major donors.
• Familiarity with the East Tennessee business landscape, local family foundations, and regional philanthropic networks is a strong plus.

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $65,000- $70,000 (commensurate with experience); potential for bonus based on fundraising goals.

Benefits: Employer-paid health insurance contribution, retirement match, generous Combined Time Off (CTO), and state holidays

Location: Knoxville, TN (Hybrid)