Philanthropy Advisor

Naples Botanical Garden; Naples (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Retirement Plan with matching

Long -Short Term Disability

PTO

Paid Holidays

Garden Perks

Job summary

Naples Botanical Garden is seeking a Philanthropy Advisor to manage a donor portfolio and drive major gifts and sponsorships. The role requires on-site attendance and collaboration across teams to secure support for annual priorities, initiatives, and endowments.

The ideal candidate will cultivate relationships with individuals and corporations, plan strategic solicitations, and ensure timely documentation of donor activity. Evening/weekend events are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Two+ years in development with major gifts experience.
• Experience creating corporate sponsorship and donor cultivation strategies.
• Experience executing corporate sponsorship programs.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for events.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, Raiser's Edge NXT preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of approximately 115–130 donors and prospects.
• Identify and qualify new donors through visits, referrals, and events.
• Develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Coordinate with program staff to align donor interests with Garden priorities.
• Document donor activity and next steps in Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Represent Naples Botanical Garden professionally in the community.
• Attend donor events and record activity in the CRM.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Donor cultivation

Portfolio management

Public speaking

Communication skills

Relationship building

English fluency

Event coordination

Discovery visits

Research abilities

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

MS Office

Job description

Salary Description

$60,000 - $75,000 Annually

Classification

Exempt

Organization Description

Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre world-class paradise, featuring the flora and cultures of the tropics and sub-tropics including Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Florida. The Garden’s mission is to connect people and plants through display, education, conservation, and applied science. The Garden has beautifully restored native habitats, cultivated gardens, walking trails, and public programming that offer education and enjoyment for people of all ages. Naples Botanical Garden is a 501(c)3 organization.

Position Summary

The Philanthropy Advisor is responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of donors and prospects to advance the mission of Naples Botanical Garden. This position builds meaningful relationships with individual and corporate donors, develops strategies that inspire philanthropic investment, and collaborates across the organization to secure support for annual operating priorities, special initiatives, and endowment. This position is responsible for increasing Royal Palm Society Gifts and Individual and Corporate gifts $10,000 and above. This position is not eligible for hybrid or remote work and requires full-time, on-site attendance.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of approximately 115–130 qualified donors and prospects.
• Identify and qualify new donors through discovery visits, referrals, membership engagement, research, and events.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Conduct meaningful donor visits and move donors through the continuum of engagement.
• Prepares well-written proposals, gift agreements, stewardship reports, and donor correspondence.
• Partner with program staff to align donor interests with Garden priorities.
• Ensure timely documentation of donor activity, next steps, and strategies in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Participate in donor events, volunteer activities, and organizational initiatives.
• Represent Naples Botanical Garden professionally within the community.
• Attends/supports events and connects with donors to further relationships. Records relevant activity in Raiser’s Edge.
• Serves as an industry-leading resource to other Garden and/or Museum professionals through informal means and/or formal association memberships.
• Ensure all team members are always representing the Garden in an appropriate manner.

Portfolio Performance Expectations

• Qualify new prospects while strategically removing or reassigning donors when appropriate to maintain a healthy portfolio.
• Achieve an annual portfolio fundraising responsibility of approximately $750,000–$1 million.
• Completes approximately 100 meaningful donor visits annually.
• Maintain timely and accurate portfolio management in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Performance expectations may be adjusted annually based on portfolio composition and organizational priorities.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Two plus years of development experience with history of soliciting major gifts from corporations and/or individuals.
• Demonstrated experience creating and executing innovative corporate sponsorship and donor cultivation strategies.
• Demonstrated experience in executing corporate sponsorship programs.
• Attends and completes Garden interpretive training withing six weeks of employment.
• Proven experience with high touch, high value donors and prospects.
• Experience building an annual plan for a portfolio.
• Exceptional communication skills, including written, interpersonal, and in public speaking in English.
• Exceptional active listening skills.
• Evenings and weekend work is required for events and/or donor meetings.
• Good computer skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, etc.), Outlook, and use of web browsers.
• Experience with CRM systems, Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred.
• Obtain Raiser’s Edge NXT Fundamentals certification within 60 days of employment.
• Gardening or Arts and Culture experience helpful but not required.
• May stand for long periods of time, bending and kneeling.
• Work in fluctuating temperatures.Work indoors and outdoors.
• Lift and carry objects up to 10 pounds on a regular basis.
• Have reliable transportation.
• Pre-Employment background check required.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Retirement Plan with matching
• Long -Short Term Disability
• PTO
• Paid Holidays
• Garden Perks

Naples Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Garden has a long-standing policy of employment and advancement based solely upon qualifications to perform the essential elements of a position without regard to age, creed, gender, national origin or ancestry, race, color, religion, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, HIV status, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, handicap or mental or physical disability.