Senior Development Officer

Imagination Station, Toledo's Science Center; Toledo (OH); On-site; USD 675,000 - 825,000; Full time

Job summary

Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio seeks a Senior Development Officer to design and lead fundraising activities with a target of at least $750,000 in annual support. You will cultivate donor relationships, drive prospect research, acquisition and stewardship, and coordinate proposals, impact reports, and moves management with programs, membership, marketing and finance.

The ideal candidate will have a successful history of fundraising growth, strong communication skills, and a passion for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2–4 years of fundraising experience.
• Experience in membership-driven environments preferred.
• Proven ability to cultivate and sustain donor relationships.
• Experience managing multiple projects.
• Confident representing the institution to diverse stakeholders.
• Proven track record across annual campaigns, events, analysis and reporting.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Energetic, entrepreneurial, organized with initiative.
• Strategic agility to grow Imagination Station's funding.

Responsibilities

• Foster a donor-centric development approach across the organization.
• Identify and align donor interests with Imagination Station's programs.
• Build and maintain active donor relationships and networking.
• Set revenue goals based on budgets and drive fundraising success.
• Maintain donor information in the donor management system.
• Plan and execute annual fund campaigns and moves management for donors.
• Collaborate with leadership to recruit and retain individual and corporate donors.
• Plan and execute proposals and impact reports; cultivate new prospects.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Fundraising strategy

Proposal writing

Impact reporting

Prospect research

Event planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

The Senior Development Officer will be responsible for the successful design and implementation of all activities to minimally secure $750,000 dollars in fundraising. The selected candidate should also be prepared to show a successful history of fundraising growth through donor and prospect research, acquisition and stewardship with emphasis on relationship building and sustenance. The strongest candidates will possess a passion for inquiry and demonstrate an enthusiastic interest in informal science education.

Responsibilities

Development Practices

• Foster a donor-centric approach in all development work across the organization.
• Gain familiarity and remain knowledgeable in Imagination Station programming and activities to help identify and align donor interest with the science center’s work.
• Exhibit a sincere desire and drive to see Imagination Station’s success through building financial resources.
• Maintain a productive relationship cross-functionally with programs, experience, marketing and finance teams to advance development work.
• Excel in all development activities including effective proposal and impact report writing and cultivation and acquisition plan development that broadens and deepens donor base.
• Maintain active community relationships and networking opportunities during and outside work hours.
• Maintain an active meeting schedule with new and existing donors.
• Based on revenue budgets; set goals and objectives to achieve fundraising success.
• Maintain all donor information and activity in donor software system.

Annual Fund

• Successfully plan and execute all development strategies of the annual fund campaign (AF) including the planning and execution of a moves management plan for existing donors.
• Increase AF giving by 20% annually through retention and acquisition.
• Working with the membership manager, analyze members for prospective donors and develop a strategy and plan that creates a desire to support Imagination Station as a donor.

Individual and Corporate Development

• Work closely with the Director of Business Development in the strategic cultivation, recruitment and retention of new individuals and corporate donors.
• Identify and cultivate potential individual donors who exhibit an alignment with Imagination Station’s work with intent to build individual donor base.
• Research and cultivate corporations/businesses new to Imagination Station, aligning their business interest with Imagination Station’s work culminating in increased revenue for events, programs and exhibits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree. Two to four years in successfully demonstrated fundraising. Combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience in membership-driven environments, cultural or educational institutions preferred.
• Proven exceptional skill at cultivating and sustaining authentic relationships with donors and other key constituents.
• Experience managing multiple projects.
• Confident, personable and comfortable representing the institution to a variety of individuals and corporate stakeholders.
• Proven track record in all facets of fundraising including annual campaigns, special events, data analysis and reporting, prospect research and cultivation and database management.
• Outstanding written and spoken communication skills, exceptional conversationalist.
• Positive, energetic big-picture individual with solid organization skills. Highly entrepreneurial, resourceful, flexible with a high degree of initiative.
• Overall strategic agility, ability both to conceptualize and execute, and the capacity to articulate a visionary approach to initiatives that will enhance the long-term financial integrity of the Imagination Station.

IMAGINATION STATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER