Dix Park Conservancy | Development Manager
- Full-time
Company Description
Dix Park Conservancy is seeking an individual who possesses the development skills and experience to provide careful data management and skilled assistance with all cultivation efforts. The Development Manager reports to the President & CEO of Dix Park Conservancy and is responsible for coordinating the ongoing and proactive qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects/donors (individuals, corporations, and foundations).
The Opportunity
Dix Park Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that exists to support the City of Raleigh and ensure the development, successful creation, and impact of a spectacular urban park. The endeavor is a unique opportunity to transform 308 acres into an innovative and inspirational public space that will meaningfully enrich the quality of life of everyone who lives in or visits this region – and simultaneously shine an international spotlight on our community and everything it has to offer. Dix Park will be an internationally acclaimed park, a tourist destination consistent with the State of North Carolina’s history of preservation of national resources, and a powerful driver of economic development. The Park, with its rolling landscape, surrounded by neighborhoods, schools, a university, and near downtown Raleigh, offers tremendous potential as a public space that nurtures bodies and souls, as well as improving the community and state.
World-renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh has just been selected to lead the creation of a comprehensive master plan for Dorothea Dix Park. Art in America recently proclaimed Van Valkenburgh “the Frederick Law Olmstead of the 21st century.” For more than 30 years, he has created landscapes around the world that welcome, engage, and inspire people, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, Chicago’s Maggie Daley Park, Princeton University, Harvard University, CityArchRiver (the St. Louis Arch Grounds), the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, and beginning this year, the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Dix Park Conservancy is currently in the quiet phase of The Campaign for Planning and expects to publicly launch and broaden that campaign in the very near future. Once the campaign is successfully completed, the development team will turn its attention to building the capacity to launch a larger campaign to implement the master plan and create the new Dorothea Dix Park.
Job Description
The Role of the Development Manager
The Development Manager is a new position and will be central to the Conservancy’s evolving Development Team. The staff Development Team is comprised of the President & CEO, this Development Manager, Strategic Fundraising Counsel from Capital Development Services, and a part-time Development Assistant – with additional administrative and event support from the Office Manager. The Team leads, responds to, and works closely with the Board of Directors, Board Campaign Committee, and individual solicitors. Each member of the Team contributes to this highly-collaborative, low-politic, strong development work group that is ultimately responsible for securing the contributions necessary to allow Dix Park Conservancy to reach its fundraising goals and fulfill its mission.
Highlights of Role & Responsibilities
Donor and Cultivation Management
- Actively manages a growing group of established donors, VIPs, and prospects (individuals, corporations, and foundations).
- Coordinates with staff and volunteers to move prospects into and through a robust cultivation and solicitation program.
- Maintains the “Cultivation Calendar” and the annual schedule of cultivation opportunities.
- Supports the major-gift solicitations processes for volunteer solicitors and the President & CEO.
Events
- Assists with the planning and implementation of highly successful, resource-conscious cultivation events (both large-to-midsize events and more intimate dinners and gatherings) worthy of Dix Park’s constituency, standards, and legacy. Helps to ensure seamless execution of all events.
- Works with Development Team to ensure appropriate invitation/attendee lists, produce and mail engaging invitations, and coordinate exceptional catering and tight logistics.
Data Management
- The Conservancy has recently created a Donor Perfect Database; the Development Manager will lead the design, implementation, and growth of an effective CRM system.
- Performs accurate, efficient, and strategic data entry to provide comprehensive constituent data organization and ensure a smooth cycle of cultivation, solicitation, and recognition.
- Creates and generates reports, queries, exports, and analysis.
- Is (or becomes) highly-proficient in Donor Perfect and serves as the lead database administrator and in-house expert.
General Development Management
- Takes an active support role in the coordination of staff and volunteer development meetings, discussions, and updates to ensure effective cultivation, solicitation, follow-up, data entry, and tracking of new and prospective donors.
- Manages development support/outreach materials.
Qualifications
All candidates should have proven leadership and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:
- Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of progressive experience is required in annual fund, major gift cultivation and solicitation, and working with board members and volunteers in fundraising.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential.
- Computer skills, including familiarity with fundraising database software, (preferably DonorPerfect), are necessary.
- The Development Manager will be a self-starter who is adept at outreaching to constituents and relationship building.
- The Development Manager will act in a lawful, ethical, and professional manner in carrying out the duties of this position and in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information.
Additional Information
Dix Park Conservancy has retained Capital Development Services to assist with professional recruitment. Candidates should submit a resume cover letter. Please highlight experience in both donor cultivation and development data/systems management. All material will be confidential.