Senior Director of Development

Kentucky Wesleyan College; Owensboro (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kentucky Wesleyan College seeks a collaborative Senior Director of Development to lead major and planned gift fundraising. This leadership role expands philanthropic support by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors, managing a portfolio of ~100–150 prospects.

The position partners with faculty, alumni, volunteers, and community partners to secure transformational gifts and advance institutional priorities and student success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; two years of major gift fundraising experience preferred in educational settings.
• Strong track record in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major gifts.
• Ability to engage diverse audiences and communicate institutional impact effectively.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gift prospects.
• Manage a 100–150 prospect/donor portfolio with focus on retention and upgrades.
• Conduct discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship visits with alumni, volunteers, and partners.

Skills

Moves management

Major gift solicitation

Donor relations

Planning and strategy

Diverse audiences communication

Donor engagement

Travel readiness

Event participation

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM (Blackbaud Raiser's Edge)

Job description

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. Some travel required.