Senior Lead, Advancement

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation; Lincoln (NE); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation seeks a Senior Lead, Advancement to drive philanthropy, donor engagement, and financial sustainability. You will work with the Senior VP and Advancement team to strengthen relationships, communicate effectively with donors, and advance fundraising strategy.

The role emphasizes leadership in fundraising campaigns, collaboration across departments, and a focus on stewarding donors from acquisition to retention to ensure NCFF’s long-term impact.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of professional fundraising and grantwriting experience with a proven track record.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain long-term relationships with a diverse donor portfolio.
• Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset to identify funding opportunities in a growing advancement function.
• Ability to collaborate across teams to align messaging and fundraising strategy with mission and impact.
• Leadership potential with capacity to onboard and manage direct reports as team grows.
• Proficiency with donor management/CRM systems and Microsoft Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Develop fundraising goals and moves management strategies across the donor portfolio.
• Coordinate cross-functional work with development, marketing, and communications to ensure brand consistency.
• Represent NCFF with funders, advocates, policymakers, and partners.
• Build and sustain relationships with corporate, private, public, and individual donors.
• Lead prospecting, engagement, and stewardship activities including grant research and reporting.
• Support securing public funding in collaboration with the Grant Strategist.
• Develop donor acquisition, cultivation, stewardship, and retention strategies.
• Design donor engagement initiatives across the lifecycle and prepare stewardship materials.
• Create fundraising materials and investable plans to support major gifts campaigns.
• Navigate complex dynamics to build support and advance NCFF’s mission.

Skills

Experience

Relationship mgmt

Strategic mindset

Cross-functional collab

Leadership

CRM proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred)

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

Outlook

Job description

Description

NEBRASKA CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOUNDATION:

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation is a nonprofit created to support children, young adults, and families with the overall goal of giving our state's kids what they need to thrive. We do this by building strong communities that support families. Our mission is to create positive change for Nebraska’s children through community engagement and we believe in a Nebraska where all children will have the resources and support to thrive.

SUMMARY:

The Senior Lead works in close partnership with the Senior Vice President of Advancement and colleagues across the Advancement team to foster a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, and donor-centered engagement. This role is responsible for strengthening and sustaining meaningful donor relationships, ensuring effective and timely donor communications, and advancing the organization’s long-term financial sustainability.

The Senior Lead will excel in relationship building, results, inclusive leadership and management, setting and managing priorities and commitment to NCFF’s mission and strategy.

This position supports the Senior VP in executing Advancement’s vision, oversight, and direction for key fundraising initiatives and donor engagement strategies.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

• In partnership with the Senior VP, develop and monitor fundraising goals and moves management strategies across the donor portfolio to ensure accountability and progress towards targets
• Working closely with Advancement team members across development, marketing, and communications roles, to ensure brand, messaging and communications continuity, while helping to manage day-to-day operations that drive organizational priorities forward.
• Representing NCFF with funders, advocates, policymakers, community leaders, and strategic partners, with the ability to effectively follow up with leads created by members of the Executive Team.
• Building and strengthening relationships with corporate, private, public, and individual donors, sponsors, and state partners to support philanthropic growth and stewardship.
• At the onset, coordinating private, corporate, and individual philanthropic prospecting, engagement, and stewardship, including activities related to grant research, proposal development, submission, compliance, and ensuring timely reporting.
• Serve as support for securing public funding in collaboration with the Principal Grant Strategist.
• Partner with the Senior VP to develop and implement strategies for donor acquisition, cultivation, stewardship, and retention.
• In close collaboration with the VP of Marketing and communications team, design and launch an updated donor engagement strategy that ensures meaningful touchpoints across the lifecycle – including initial outreach, cultivation pieces, meaningful stewardship communications, and retention/upgrading materials.
• Developing strategic communications, fundraising materials, and stewardship resources that support a cross-organization investable plan, major gift cultivation and fundraising campaigns.
• Navigating complex organizational and community dynamics with sound judgment, strategic thinking, and effective communication to build support, strengthen partnerships, and achieve organizational goals.
• Through collaborative leadership and relationship-building, the Senior Lead, Advancement plays a critical role in advancing NCFF's mission, increasing philanthropic support, and ensuring the organization’s long-term impact and sustainability.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Over time, direct reports could include a Major Gifts Officer, Corporate/Community Relations Lead, and Grant Writer.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Experience: Minimum of 7-10 years of professional fundraising and grantwriting experience with a proven track record of fundraising and demonstrated communications/professional writing experience. Specifically, demonstrated success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts and grants, with the ability to develop individualized strategies that align donor interests with organizational priorities and funding needs.
• Relationship management: Demonstrated ability to build and sustain long-term relationships with a diverse portfolio of donors, funders, and community partners across corporate, foundation, public, and individual giving sectors.
• Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset: Ability to think creatively, identify new funding opportunities, and work effectively in a growing or evolving advancement function with limited infrastructure.
• Collaboration and cross-functional partnership: Demonstrated ability to work effectively across teams — including program, communications, and leadership staff — to build cases for support, align messaging, and ensure that fundraising strategy is grounded in organizational mission and impact.
• Leadership and Team Development: Personal drive to support the growth of an advancement function and high performing team — including the capacity to onboard and manage direct reports as the team grows over time.
• Database proficiency: Experience with donor management or CRM systems with the ability to navigate the system to pull reports, review donor history, and inform portfolio strategy and donor engagement decisions. Other technical skills include an ability to use Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Sharepoint, and Outlook).

PREFERRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of planned giving: Familiarity with planned giving vehicles and experience in planned giving conversations, preferred.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in a field relevant to the position (such as Communications, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management) and at least 7+ years of professional experience in professional fundraising

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to use hands.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Preference is for this position to work out of the Lincoln, NE headquarters office
• Flexible scheduling, including possible evenings and weekends, and travel.