Senior Lead, Advancement

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation•Lincoln, NE

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Lead works in close partnership with the Senior Vice President of Advancement and colleagues across the Advancement team to foster a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, and donor-centered engagement. This role is responsible for strengthening and sustaining meaningful donor relationships, ensuring effective and timely donor communications, and advancing the organization's long-term financial sustainability. The Senior Lead will excel in relationship building, results, inclusive leadership and management, setting and managing priorities and commitment to NCFF’s mission and strategy. This position supports the Senior VP in executing Advancement’s vision, oversight, and direction for key fundraising initiatives and donor engagement strategies.

Requirements

Minimum of 7-10 years of professional fundraising and grantwriting experience with a proven track record of fundraising and demonstrated communications/professional writing experience.
Specifically, demonstrated success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts and grants, with the ability to develop individualized strategies that align donor interests with organizational priorities and funding needs.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain long-term relationships with a diverse portfolio of donors, funders, and community partners across corporate, foundation, public, and individual giving sectors.
Ability to think creatively, identify new funding opportunities, and work effectively in a growing or evolving advancement function with limited infrastructure.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across teams — including program, communications, and leadership staff — to build cases for support, align messaging, and ensure that fundraising strategy is grounded in organizational mission and impact.
Personal drive to support the growth of an advancement function and high performing team — including the capacity to onboard and manage direct reports as the team grows over time.
Experience with donor management or CRM systems with the ability to navigate the system to pull reports, review donor history, and inform portfolio strategy and donor engagement decisions.
Ability to use Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Sharepoint, and Outlook).

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of planned giving: Familiarity with planned giving vehicles and experience in planned giving conversations, preferred.
Master’s degree in a field relevant to the position (such as Communications, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management)

Responsibilities

In partnership with the Senior VP, develop and monitor fundraising goals and moves management strategies across the donor portfolio to ensure accountability and progress towards targets.
Working closely with Advancement team members across development, marketing, and communications roles, to ensure brand, messaging and communications continuity, while helping to manage day-to-day operations that drive organizational priorities forward.
Representing NCFF with funders, advocates, policymakers, community leaders, and strategic partners, with the ability to effectively follow up with leads created by members of the Executive Team.
Building and strengthening relationships with corporate, private, public, and individual donors, sponsors, and state partners to support philanthropic growth and stewardship.
At the onset, coordinating private, corporate, and individual philanthropic prospecting, engagement, and stewardship, including activities related to grant research, proposal development, submission, compliance, and ensuring timely reporting.
Serve as support for securing public funding in collaboration with the Principal Grant Strategist.
Partner with the Senior VP to develop and implement strategies for donor acquisition, cultivation, stewardship, and retention.
In close collaboration with the VP of Marketing and communications team, design and launch an updated donor engagement strategy that ensures meaningful touchpoints across the lifecycle – including initial outreach, cultivation pieces, meaningful stewardship communications, and retention/upgrading materials.
Developing strategic communications, fundraising materials, and stewardship resources that support a cross-organization investable plan, major gift cultivation and fundraising campaigns.
Navigating complex organizational and community dynamics with sound judgment, strategic thinking, and effective communication to build support, strengthen partnerships, and achieve organizational goals.
Through collaborative leadership and relationship-building, the Senior Lead, Advancement plays a critical role in advancing NCFF's mission, increasing philanthropic support, and ensuring the organization's long-term impact and sustainability.
Over time, direct reports could include a Major Gifts Officer, Corporate/Community Relations Lead, and Grant Writer.