Senior Director of Philanthropy

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Daytona Beach (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Daytona Beach, FL seeks a Senior Director of Philanthropy to own the institution's philanthropic revenue across major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, membership, events, and planned giving.

Reporting to the CEO, this role builds on existing fundraising infrastructure, manages donor relationships, and drives strategy without a direct team, coordinating with operations and program staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant graduate coursework or professional certification preferred.
• Minimum five to seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience spanning major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, and special event fundraising.
• Demonstrated success building or growing a comprehensive development function, including donor membership programs and grant funded initiatives.
• Experience with donor CRM and database systems; the Museum currently uses Blackbaud Altru.
• Proven ability to operate independently, without an established team, while coordinating across departments in a shared resource structure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor and corporate correspondence and grant writing oversight.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual philanthropy plan.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and funders spanning individual, corporate, and foundation relationships, including direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Own sponsorship strategy.
• Direct the Museum's grant strategy and pipeline across foundation and government sources, coordinating with contracted grant writing support.
• Lead the Museum's signature fundraising events, including sponsorship sales, procurement, budget management, and post-event stewardship.
• Grow the Museum's membership giving program.
• Establish and maintain donor relations and stewardship.
• Assume ownership of the fundraising systems, donor data, and three-year development plan.
• Coordinate with the Chief Operating Officer to access shared administrative support as needed.

Skills

Donor cultivation

Major gifts

Partnership building

Grant writing

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate coursework/certified preferred

Tools

Blackbaud Altru

Job description

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Philanthropy is the Museum's senior fundraising team member, holding full accountability the philanthropic revenue line: individual and major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, membership giving, special event fundraising, planned giving, and the annual fund. This is not a single-program role - it is ownership of the institution's entire philanthropy portfolio. The position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and operates as a senior individual contributor, personally building donor and funder relationships and executing strategy rather than managing a team. The role inherits and builds on the fundraising infrastructure, donor data, and three-year development plan established during the Museum's transition period, and is expected to take full ownership of that foundation rather than start from a blank slate.

Scope of Responsibility

• Individual & Major Giving
• Corporate & Foundation Partnerships
• Membership Giving
• Special Event Fundraising
• Planned & Legacy Giving
• Annual Fund
• Campaign Support

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual philanthropy plan.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and funders spanning individual, corporate, and foundation relationships, including direct cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Own sponsorship strategy.
• Direct the Museum's grant strategy and pipeline across foundation and government sources, coordinating with contracted grant writing support.
• Lead the Museum's signature fundraising events, including sponsorship sales, procurement, budget management, and post-event stewardship.
• Grow the Museum's membership giving program.
• Establish and maintain a donor relations and stewardship.
• Assume ownership of the fundraising systems, donor data, and three-year development plan.
• Coordinate with the Chief Operating Officer to access shared administrative support as needed.

Success Measures

• Total philanthropic revenue.
• Corporate and foundation funding secured.
• Membership program growth.
• Signature event net revenue relative to target.
• Documented donor and funder acknowledgment and stewardship standards, consistently met across every revenue line.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant graduate coursework or professional certification preferred.
• Minimum five to seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience spanning major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, and special event fundraising - not limited to a single revenue line.
• Demonstrated success building or growing a comprehensive development function, including donor membership programs and grant funded initiatives.
• Experience with donor CRM and database systems; the Museum currently uses Blackbaud Altru.
• Proven ability to operate independently, without an established team, while coordinating effectively across departments in a shared resource structure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor and corporate correspondence and grant writing oversight