Senior Director of Development

Art and Wellness Enterprises • Bentonville, AR

89d

About The Position

The Senior Director of Development leads the design and execution of a comprehensive fundraising and development strategy for Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) and Heartland Whole Health Institute (HWHI). This role is responsible for all aspects of fundraising, including strategy development, donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, while ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for donors, partners, and stakeholders. Partnering closely with senior leadership across multiple entities, the Director anticipates resource needs, builds robust donor pipelines, and drives best practices that position AWE and its affiliates as leaders in philanthropy and community impact. The role also oversees development operations, including fundraising systems, analytics, and reporting, to ensure alignment with organizational goals and strategic priorities. Success in this role requires exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and operational excellence, along with the ability to foster collaboration across multiple teams and entities in a dynamic, evolving organizational environment to deliver sustainable philanthropic growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, nonprofit management, business administration, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CFRE or equivalent certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience leading enterprise-level fundraising and development initiatives.
• Demonstrated success designing and managing large-scale, multi-entity fundraising strategies.
• Experience in startups, healthcare, medical education, museum/cultural institutions, philanthropy, or similarly complex environments is strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of fundraising strategies, donor pipelines, and stewardship methodologies.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Strong familiarity with donor management and CRM systems; prior experience with Salesforce or similar platforms is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, mentor, and collaborate across teams.
• Outstanding communication (verbal, written, presentation) and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent decision-making and critical thinking skills.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in high-pressure environments.
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• High level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with each organization’s goals and mission.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to understand current and future funding priorities, proactively identifying gaps and building donor pipelines.
• Provide fundraising strategies and implement tactical plans that increase philanthropic revenue and strengthen donor engagement.
• Implement innovative cultivation and stewardship initiatives to attract and retain diverse supporters across multiple sectors.
• Develop and execute high-level fundraising initiatives, including major gifts, capital campaigns, and institutional partnerships to achieve annual goals.
• Accountable for achieving annual fundraising revenue targets, with demonstrated success securing six- and seven- figure gifts.
• Establish and oversee systems for donor portfolios and stewardship pipelines to ensure sustainable philanthropic support.
• Personally manage a select portfolio of major donors, leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to secure transformational gifts.
• Design and implement a strategic alumni giving program that promotes ongoing engagement and sustained support.
• Lead the development and execution of scholarship fundraising initiatives.
• Develop strategies for annual giving, planned giving, and endowment growth to ensure long-term sustainability of philanthropic support.
• Serve as subject matter expert for philanthropy for AWSOM and HWHI.
• Build strong relationships with donors, board members, executives, community partners, and stakeholders.
• Partner with program leadership to ensure philanthropic support is integrated with organizational mission and strategic initiatives.
• Manage external consultants, fundraising counsel, and third-party partners.
• Drive special projects to enhance AWE’s fundraising capabilities.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for AWE and its affiliates.
• Oversee development operations, ensuring efficient utilization of donor management systems.
• Ensure a high degree of data integrity, confidentiality, and efficiency in managing donor and member records.
• Drive process improvements to streamline fundraising efforts.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local fundraising regulations.
• Oversee grant development and compliance processes.
• Develop and deliver high-level fundraising reports to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Use analytics to assess fundraising effectiveness and provide data-driven recommendations.
• Monitor and analyze development KPIs against industry benchmarks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree