Director, Institutional Gifts

DISCOVERY PLACE INC•Charlotte, NC

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Institutional Gifts is responsible for raising the organization's profile as a science leader across the Carolinas in pursuit of strategic, high-value partnerships with corporations and foundations. These partnerships will yield revenue, expand awareness of Discovery Place Museums among corporate employees and consumers, and leverage volunteers to enable Discovery Place to have a greater impact. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, excellent writer, and consummate networker, who can ignite enthusiasm and inspire people to support the Museums. The Director of Institutional Gifts will partner closely with the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and other senior leaders, the Program team, Advancement colleagues, and donors. This position reports to the CAO and supervises one team member responsible for grant writing support and volunteer engagement. This position manages a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects, develops strategic partnerships, and leads fundraising efforts that generate significant contributed revenue in support of Discovery Place's mission. Success in this role will be measured through achievement of annual fundraising goals, growth of the institutional donor pipeline, donor retention, proposal success rates, and development of corporate and foundation partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or work-related experience that would qualify a candidate for the role.
Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience including corporate partnerships, foundation fundraising, and grant writing.
Demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure philanthropic investments from institutional funders.
Experience managing a portfolio of institutional donors and prospects through all stages of the fundraising cycle.
Comfort and ease working with high-level donors, senior leaders, and staff to engage and develop strong relationships for Discovery Place.
Entrepreneurial spirit with high energy for working in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment.
Ability to communicate Discovery Place’s mission and programs with enthusiasm, sincerity, persuasion, and passion.
Experience working on projects as both as a team member and a leader.
Experience working with volunteers.
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
Some nights and weekends will be required.

Nice To Haves

Energetic development professional with great relationship-building skills who can work with internal partners to deliver an unparalleled donor experience at Discovery Place.
Knowledge of history and trends within the nonprofit sector and the regional philanthropic communities.
Comfort with public speaking.
Experience managing staff.
Experience using fundraising software programs such as Salesforce, Donor Search, and Classy to track giving and relationship management.
Ability to manage and prioritize numerous projects on an ongoing basis while meeting deadlines and keeping team morale high.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute comprehensive institutional fundraising strategies that maximize support from foundations, corporations, public agencies, and other grantmaking organizations to achieve annual and long-term revenue goals.
Manage a portfolio of approximately 75-125 qualified corporate and foundation funders and prospects, leading cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal efforts to build sustainable philanthropic relationships.
Lead relationship manager for key corporate, foundation, and public-sector funding partners who lead charitable giving programs.
Responsible for direct asks and competitive proposal development, including case development, writing, editing, draft review, and final presentations, proposals, and reports sent from the Advancement division.
Drive growth of the Partners in Discovery annual program by serving as the primary business development lead responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and securing new corporate and small business partners.
In partnership with the events and advancement teams, organize events and museum gatherings designed to engage and retain Partners in Discovery program members.
Lead institutional prospecting and research strategies for corporate and foundation funders, helping to identify emerging funding opportunities, shape fundraising priorities, and strengthen organizational capacity through staff training and best-practice development.
Collaborate with Discovery Place staff to gather necessary information and data for grant applications and reports.
Monitor and track grant awards, ensuring compliance with grant terms and reporting requirements for both programmatic and financial reporting.
Develop and maintain an annual budget and grants calendar to project contributed revenue, track deadlines, grant requirements, and reporting obligations in partnership with key staff in advancement, finance, programs, and other divisions.
Work with program staff and colleagues to create and develop volunteer activities to engage institutional partners and expand the impact of Discovery Place programs.
Supervise staff who also work with foundation, corporate, and institutional funders and volunteers to ensure fundraising success and donor retention.
Stay informed about trends and best practices in grant writing and fundraising for museums and cultural institutions.
Promote and assist with donor, public relations, and advocacy events at Discovery Place.
Represent Discovery Place at institutional, civic, and community events, where appropriate.
Other duties as assigned by CAO.