Director of Philanthropy

Metro Nashville Public Schools•Nashville, TN

7h•Onsite

About The Position

Directs the district's private philanthropic resource development function, designing and executing a comprehensive strategy to secure charitable gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, and in-kind contributions that advance Board-adopted academic and operational priorities. Serves as the district's principal relationship holder for individual, corporate, and private foundation donors, personally managing a portfolio of major-gift prospects from identification through solicitation and stewardship. Establishes the standards, controls, and ethical framework governing how charitable support is solicited, accepted, recorded, restricted, recognized, and reported across the district — including the gift acceptance criteria applied at both the central office and school levels. Holds budget authority for the philanthropy function and accountability for its return on investment, and reports fundraising performance, pipeline health, and donor commitments to executive leadership and the Board. Operates without direct reports, achieving results through influence, cross-functional coordination, and the direction of external counsel, vendors, and volunteer leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution in nonprofit management, business administration, public administration, communications, marketing, philanthropy, or a closely related field Required
A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in fundraising, development, or philanthropic resource development Required
At least three (3) years managing a personal portfolio of major-gift prospects with documented solicitation and closure results; Demonstrated experience securing gifts from more than one revenue channel (individual major gifts, corporate partnerships, private foundation grants, planned or deferred gifts); Demonstrated experience designing and executing a multi-year development plan against measurable revenue targets; Experience preparing and presenting fundraising performance information to executive leadership, a board, or a governing body. Required
DL NUMBER - Driver License, Valid and in State and the ability to travel independently among school sites, donor locations, and community venues Required

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, philanthropic studies, or a related field Preferred
Experience in a public sector, K–12, higher education, or public-agency-affiliated development environment Preferred
Experience with capital campaigns, endowment building, or planned giving programs; Experience administering a donor CRM or fundraising database (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, or comparable); Experience operating a development function without dedicated development staff, achieving results through cross-functional and volunteer resources. Preferred
Certified Fund Raising Executive - CFRE International Preferred
Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE) or Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) Preferred
Grant Professional Certified (GPC), Grant Professionals Certification Institute Preferred
Active membership in the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) or comparable professional association Preferred

Responsibilities

Develops, recommends, and executes a comprehensive multi-year philanthropic strategy aligned to the district’s strategic plan and Board-adopted priorities, establishing annual revenue targets by channel and measurable objectives for pipeline growth, and monitors the local, state, and national philanthropic landscape to advise executive leadership on emerging funder priorities, opportunities, and risks.
Translates district academic and operational needs into fundable priorities and builds the case for support, working with academic, operations, and finance leadership to define scope, cost, outcome measures, and reporting commitments before any funding proposition is taken to market.
Manages a personal portfolio of major-gift prospects and donors through the full development cycle — identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, closure, and stewardship — conducting prospect research and establishing capacity ratings, ask amounts, solicitation strategies, and cultivation timelines for each assigned relationship.
Prepares and delivers solicitations, proposals, and funding presentations to individual donors, corporate partners, and private foundations, and manages submission calendars, budget narratives, and post-award reporting obligations for privately funded awards.
Cultivates and manages corporate, private and family foundation, and community partnerships, negotiating partnership terms and translating them into written agreements, and directs the solicitation and evaluation of in-kind contributions against district need, acceptance criteria, and total cost of ownership.
Designs and administers the district’s donor stewardship and recognition program, including impact reporting, acknowledgment practices, and fulfillment of restricted-gift reporting commitments.
Staffs the Director of Schools, Board members, and executive leadership in their donor-facing roles — preparing briefings, talking points, and follow-up strategies — and represents the district at community, civic, business, and philanthropic events, including evening and weekend engagements.
Establishes and maintains district standards, procedures, and internal controls governing gift solicitation, acceptance, restriction, valuation, recording, acknowledgment, recognition, and reporting.
Reviews proposed gifts against Board policy, district priorities, and acceptance criteria, and recommends acceptance or declination of gifts carrying restrictions, conditions, naming implications, ongoing cost obligations, or reputational risk.
Ensures compliance with Internal Revenue Service substantiation and acknowledgment requirements, the Tennessee Public Records Act, district records retention requirements, and applicable student privacy law; maintains separation between philanthropic relationships and procurement, contracting, and vendor selection; and identifies and escalates actual or apparent conflicts of interest.
Serves as the district’s advisory authority on fundraising conducted outside the philanthropy function — advising school-based leaders, parent organizations, and support groups on district fundraising standards, gift acceptance requirements, and permissible solicitation practices, and coordinating with the office responsible for federal, state, and other public grants so that private funding strategies do not duplicate, supplant, or conflict with public grant activity. This position does not administer federal or state entitlement or competitive grant programs.
Develops and administers the operating budget for the philanthropy function and holds accountability for cost-per-dollar-raised and return on investment; manages contracts and scopes of work for consultants, prospect research services, campaign counsel, event vendors, and the donor record system; reconciles philanthropic revenue with the finance office; and establishes and reports performance metrics — dollars raised by channel, pipeline value and velocity, closure rates, and donor retention — to executive leadership and the Board.