Senior Director of Development

Kentucky-Wesleyan-College; Owensboro (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Kentucky Wesleyan College seeks a collaborative, strategic fundraising professional to serve as Senior Director of Development. This leadership role expands philanthropic support through major and planned gifts and oversees a portfolio of 100–150 prospects, partnering with campus leadership to advance institutional priorities and student success.

The successful candidate combines relationship-building with data-informed planning, contributing to a culture of philanthropy and measurable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; minimum two years in major gift fundraising.
• Proven ability to identify, cultivate, and solicit major gifts.
• Experience working in higher education or nonprofit fundraising preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gift prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100–150 major gift prospects and donors.
• Conduct regular discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits with alumni, friends, parents, and community partners.
• Develop individualized donor engagement strategies aligning donor interests with priorities.
• Build and maintain a healthy major gift pipeline through research, qualification, and forecasting.

Skills

Moves management

Donor engagement

Relationship building

Communication

Travel

Donor events

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Microsoft Office

Job description

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Senior Director of Development

Full Time Owensboro, KY, US

POSITION TITLE: Senior Director of Development

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

STATUS: Full-Time

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Advancement

SUPERVISES: N/A

POSITION SUMMARY:

Kentucky Wesleyan College seeks a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven fundraising professional to serve as Senior Director of Development. This leadership position is responsible for expanding philanthropic support through the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and planned gift donors.

The Senior Director manages a portfolio of approximately 100–150 major gift prospects and donors, developing personalized engagement strategies that inspire transformational philanthropy. Working in partnership with Advancement colleagues, academic leadership, faculty, alumni, volunteers, and community stakeholders, this position advances the College's mission by securing significant philanthropic investments that support institutional priorities and student success.

The successful candidate is an experienced frontline fundraiser who combines strong relationship-building skills with strategic planning, data-informed decision-making, and a commitment to exceptional donor experiences. This position contributes to a culture of philanthropy through collaboration, innovation, accountability, and measurable fundraising outcomes.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and execute strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gift prospects in support of Kentucky Wesleyan College's mission and strategic priorities.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100-150 major gift prospects and donors, with a focus on donor retention, upgrades, long-term engagement, and gifts of significant philanthropic impact.
• Conduct regular discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits with alumni, friends, parents, and community partners, utilizing data-informed moves management practices.
• Develop individualized donor engagement and solicitation strategies that align donor interests with institutional funding priorities and increase philanthropic support.
• Build and maintain a healthy major gift pipeline through prospect research, qualification, tracking, forecasting, and collaboration with Advancement colleagues.
• Partner with faculty, staff, and campus leaders to create meaningful donor engagement opportunities and strengthen relationships across the College community.
• Lead and support donor stewardship and recognition efforts, ensuring donors are meaningfully engaged, acknowledged, and informed about the impact of their philanthropy.
• Collaborate with Advancement colleagues to develop compelling donor communications, promote institutional impact, and share alumni, student, and donor success stories.
• Assist in the planning and execution of donor cultivation, stewardship, recognition, and advancement events.
• Maintain accurate donor records, contact reports, and prospect activity within the College's constituent relationship management system.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Advancement leadership by contributing to fundraising strategy, revenue growth initiatives, and best practices in donor engagement.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice President for Advancement.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree; minimum of two years of experience in major gift fundraising preferably in an educational environment; a proven and verifiable track record of success in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major gifts.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Clear understanding of moves management in professional fundraising.
• Proven ability to successfully identify and build relationships with donors to connect their interests with opportunities in a higher education or other nonprofit organization.
• Basic understanding of planned gift concepts.
• A demonstrated ability to engage and effectively communicate with diverse audiences.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to persuasively articulate institutional impact and funding needs.
• Strong work ethic, self-awareness, and ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues across campus.
• Ability and willingness to travel, work occasional evenings and weekends, and participate in donor and institutional events as needed.
• Valid driver's license or ability to obtain reliable transportation for travel related to fundraising and constituent engagement activities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to develop and execute fundraising plans with strong support of metrics.
• High level of creativity, initiative, and motivation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of all facets of fundraising, including annual fund, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, stewardship, major gift fundraising, etc.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with academic and administrative leaders in a collaborative environment to conceive and implement innovative ideas.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience working in a CRM or other relational database such as Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge.
• Knowledge of best practices in alumni engagement, board and volunteer cultivation and development, project implementation and evaluation.

WORK HOURS/CONDITIONS:

Office environment; 40 hours per week; normally 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; some evening and weekend work required.