Senior Director of Advancement

Description

Are you passionate about fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace? We are seeking a dedicated Senior Director of Advancement to join our growing team! At Children’s Hope Alliance, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we prioritize their well-being. 

Why Join Us?

• Family-Friendly Perks: We offer generous parental leave to support you during those special family moments.
• Compassionate Support: Our bereavement leave ensures you have the time you need to grieve and heal.
• Military Reserve Pay: We honor those who serve by providing military reserve pay to our employees.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a healthy balance with flexible working arrangements that fit your lifestyle.
• Birthday PTO: Celebrate your special day with an extra day off—on us! 

Summary

The Senior Director of Advancement is responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing a comprehensive fundraising program that advances the vision, mission and financial sustainability of Children’s Hope Alliance (CHA). Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the position provides strategic and operational leadership of all fundraising functions including major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, donor cultivation and stewardship, special campaigns, capital campaigns, and corporate and foundation partnerships (excluding grant writing or management).

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Department Leadership

• Lead the Advancement/Fundraising Department in the design and execution of a multi-channel fundraising strategy.
• Supervise advancement/fundraising staff and build a performance-based team culture centered on collaboration, accountability, and results.
• Set and monitor annual fundraising goals and key performance indicators; provide regular reports to the CEO, ELT and Board of Directors.
• Ensure all fundraising activities align with organizational priorities, vision, mission, and ethical fundraising standards.
• Actively and effectively partner with the CFO, CCO, Director of Grants and Director of Marketing for support and alignment of efforts.

Major Gifts & Donor Engagement

• Manage a portfolio of major donors and prospects; create and implement tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Support the CEO in high-level donor engagement, including meeting preparation and follow-up communications.
• Develop strong relationships with individual donors and philanthropic investors to encourage long-term giving and involvement.

Annual Giving & Stewardship

• Plan and oversee annual giving programs, including direct mail, digital campaigns, events, recurring giving, and donor appeals.
• Oversee the gift acknowledgment process, ensuring timely, accurate, and personalized communication.
• Manage donor segmentation and retention strategies using the agency’s donor database.
• Ensure data integrity and the effective use of donor management systems.

Corporate and Foundation Partnerships (non-grant-based)

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with corporate partners and private foundations focused on sponsorships, matching gifts, and event support.
• Coordinate philanthropic partnerships that support agency visibility, employee giving, or in-kind contributions (excluding grant applications).

Planned Giving & Campaigns

• Develop and manage planned giving strategies, including bequests and legacy gift opportunities.
• Collaborate with leadership on the planning and execution of capital or special campaigns, as needed.

Supervision responsibilities: Advancement/Development Department

All employees have the following expectations:

• Mission: Contribute to and enhance company mission
• Organization: Prioritize and plan work responsibilities appropriately
• Professional Development: Attend and/or successfully complete all required trainings and meetings
• Timeliness and Accuracy: Perform quality work within given deadlines and expectations with or without direct supervision
• Professionalism: Comply with all applicable policies, practices, and procedures; report all out-of-compliance and unsafe activities to supervisor; interact professionally with other employees, volunteers, families, children, and the community
• Teamwork: Serve effectively as a team contributor on all assignments
• Communication: Utilize effective communication skills both verbally and in writing; provide effective feedback and is receptive to feedback
• Leadership: Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other appropriate individuals
• Cultural Competence: Is sensitive to the cultural, ethnic and religious views of the children and families served, and in community and public contact.

Requirements

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success in individual giving, donor cultivation, and campaign execution.
• Strong team leadership, strategic planning, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency in donor database systems (e.g., Salesforce).
• Deep understanding of ethical fundraising practices and donor confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in child welfare, behavioral health, or human services organizations.
• Familiarity with North Carolina’s philanthropic landscape.
• CFRE certification or similar credential is a plus.

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The employee must occasionally travel to different locations in the course of work.
• Occasional evening, overnight and/or weekend work are required for donor meetings or events.

  Compensation

• We’ve adopted a tiered compensation structure for new hires. Starting salaries are determined based on a candidate’s relevant experience and educational background. This approach ensures fair, competitive, and transparent offers while maintaining internal equity and alignment with budgetary guidelines. 

Children’s Hope Alliance is committed to fostering, maintaining, and promoting equal employment opportunities. We recruit, hire, train, and promote employees without discrimination of race, religion, color, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, national origin, sex, or age.