Senior Director of Development

National Park Trust•Rockville, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

National Park Trust (NPT) is seeking a Senior Director of Development to lead its fundraising program during a transformative period of growth. NPT aims to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow by protecting public lands and expanding access. As NPT enters a comprehensive campaign to support its expansion, projected at $20M over three years, this role will be crucial in building the philanthropic foundation needed for future success. The organization has a $4M annual development operation, an engaged Board of Trustees, and a three-person development team. The Senior Director will oversee all fundraising initiatives, including Individual Annual Giving, Corporate and Foundation efforts, Direct Response, and Planned Giving, as well as the execution of the Comprehensive Campaign. Key responsibilities include developing and leading fundraising strategy, managing major and principal gifts, facilitating campaign execution, engaging the Board and volunteers, and leading and developing the development team. Building an expanded team and implementing systems to support long-term success will also be a key responsibility.

Requirements

Proven track record of playing a lead role in a large-scale capital campaign ($20M+).
Successful past performance securing six- and seven-figure gifts.
Minimum of 8–10 years of professional fundraising experience, with deep knowledge of individual, corporate, and foundation sectors and familiarity with all giving channels from direct response appeals to planned giving.
Expert-level experience in formal moves management processes with a familiarity with donor databases (e.g., Neon, Raisers Edge, Salesforce).
Exceptional storytelling skills to translate land acquisition and youth stewardship into compelling cases for support.
All staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check.
Driver’s license and use of a car.
Local and overnight travel will be required.

Nice To Haves

A strong understanding of the environmental movement and land conservation is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support both near-term program needs and long-term sustainability.
Establish and achieve annual and multi-year revenue targets across all funding sources, ensuring a balanced and diversified funding model.
Oversee the organization’s major and principal gift strategy while managing an active portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects.
Guide cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts to secure six- and seven-figure gifts.
Implement a rigorous moves management process to track prospect movement through each phase of the philanthropic process from identification to stewardship.
Facilitate the execution of a $20M comprehensive campaign, working closely with the Executive Director, Board leadership, and campaign counsel to drive strategy, performance, and accountability.
Monitor campaign progress, ensure alignment with broader goals, and support achievement of key milestones and overall campaign success.
Empower a motivated Board of Trustees by providing tools, training, and opportunities to turn their best intentions into strategic action.
Lead, mentor, and grow the development team, ensuring roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations are clearly defined and aligned with organizational priorities.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, and evolve team structure and capacity to support fundraising growth and campaign success.