Director of Development and Partnerships: Friends of the Rail Park

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development and Partnerships (DDP) is responsible for cultivating, maintaining, and expanding strategic partnerships with external stakeholders to amplify Friends of the Rail Park’s (FRP) impact and reach.

The DDP must bring a high level of competency related to individual giving, foundation giving, event planning, and corporate giving, with a demonstrated track record of success developing relationships that generate revenue for mission-based organizations.

In addition to having direct involvement with a wide array of individual and institutional supporters, the DDP has substantial contact with the organization’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board. This position reports directly to the Executive Director and is an active member of the organization’s leadership team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Lead a coordinated and comprehensive resource development strategy that includes
  • Developing and executing comprehensive strategies for engaging donors across a dynamic $1M pipeline.
  • Emphasizes diversification among corporations and private funders aligning with Friends of the Rail Park’s fundraising goals and strategic priorities.
  • Prepares regular revenue projection reports, monthly dashboards, and develops an annual fund development budget.
  • Coordinates and works collaboratively with key staff members to meet with and cultivate donors.
  • Stewards and grows a robust membership based Friends program.
  • Developing effective cases for support for organizational priorities in support of the FRP’s strategic framework and initiatives.
  • Overseeing a broad-based annual giving program targeting existing and new members.

• Coordinate a robust annual calendar of development and engagement events including
  • Bi-annual meetings of the Board of Directors
  • High-quality donor experiences through face-to-face cultivation, solicitation and stewardship meetings, professional proposals, and timely acknowledgments
  • Tours and other special events at the Park
  • Virtual and hybrid programs to cultivate and identify new donors
  • Other events as determined by programmatic needs, such as donor-funded programs and campaign-specific events.

• Relationship Management
  • Create individual strategies and goals for each prospect in the portfolio, in line with FRP priorities, based on the donor’s history of giving and the organization’s knowledge of the prospect’s capacity
  • Cultivates and maintain relationships with corporate leaders, foundation executives, and program officers, drawing from existing networks and experiences, to identify funding opportunities and establish mutually beneficial partnerships
  • Work with Committee Chair and executive director to leverage Development Committee in service of partnerships and organizational goals

• Stewardship, Compliance, and Reporting
  • Ensure timely and accurate reporting to corporate and foundation donors on the impact of their contributions, drawing from expertise in stewardship practices to cultivate long-term partnerships and continued support
  • Develop and manage the budget for corporate and foundation relations activities to ensure resources are allocated effectively to support strategic priorities and fundraising goals.
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards governing fundraising activities, applying knowledge of fundraising principles, ethics, and best practices to maintain transparency and integrity

Qualifications

• 7+ years or equivalent experience in nonprofit, philanthropic, or entrepreneurial experience with experience in fundraising and partnership development in relevant sector(s)
• Strong network of contacts in the nonprofit, business, government, and philanthropic sectors
• Strategic thinker who can develop and execute innovative initiatives that align with organizational goals
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational and time management skills to keep projects on track and manage small details without losing sight of the big picture
• Sound judgment and integrity with discretion in handling and securing confidential information, as well as the ability to conduct oneself in a highly professional manner as a representative of The Rail Park
• High emotional intelligence, ability to easily develop deep, trusting relationships with diverse individuals from many different backgrounds, and foster an atmosphere that respects and celebrates cultural and individual differences
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and equivalent Google Suite products (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar), including Google Drive, as well as other common office software. Experience with Kindful, MailChimp, and Prismic is preferred, but not required
• This position will be expected to participate in occasional evening and weekend events and programs on an as-needed basis