Our Mission: 

For more than 100 years, 4-H has given kids a voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better.

National 4-H Council (Council) is committed to providing leadership and resources, so 4-H programs are available to youth across the country of all beliefs and backgrounds. Our executive leadership team and Board of Trustees are dedicated to the belief that helping kids achieve their boldest dreams empowers not only them but also our communities to thrive today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Through life-changing 4-H programs, nearly six million kids have taken on critical societal issues, such as addressing community health inequities, engaging in civil discourse, and advocating for equity and inclusion for all. 4-H is delivered by the Cooperative Extension System—a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing.

Council is the private sector, a non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture within the United States Department of Agriculture.

Position Summary: 

4-H seeks a Senior Director of Development, Major Gifts to grow a major gift program that reflects the 120 years of meaningful impact that 4-H has provided our communities. He/she will serve as the primary strategist behind our major gifts program working in partnership with the Vice President of Development, Resource Development (RD) Leadership, and Executive Team. The successful candidate will lead a new team focused on prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, and solicitation with goals of growing annual unrestricted support of National 4-H Council’s mission. He/she will manage a portfolio of 60-80 major gift donors while leading two to four major gift officers and the donor engagement manager.

This position is responsible for high-level interaction with passionate donors of significant capacity. Ensuring quality, mutually beneficial relationships is critical. He/she will strategize and contribute to all areas of RD’s team including planning, prospecting & cultivation, donor deliverables and impact reporting.

Responsibilities Development Portfolio Duties:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive major gifts fundraising plan, including goals, strategies, and timelines, to support the organization's mission and priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with individual donors and prospects, including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
• Manage a portfolio of major gift donors and prospects, ensuring proper tracking, recognition, and stewardship.
• Close multiple major gifts in FY23 and develop a pipeline to reach an individual goal of $1.5-$2 million in FY24. Strategic Duties
• Collaborate with annual giving, corporate and foundation, and cause marketing teams to ensure coordinated and strategic fundraising efforts.
• Work closely with Resource Development Operations and Annual Giving Teams to refine processes and metrics tracking related to moves management.
• Collaborate with Senior Manager, Donor Stewardship and Proposal Writing to develop a strong case for support, proposal templates, and other materials supporting major gift development.
• Utilize data and analytics to inform fundraising strategies and track progress towards goals.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of fundraising results to Resource Development and Executive Leadership.
• Lead and supervise other projects as required by Vice President, Development.

Staff Management Duties

• Build, lead, inspire, and manage a high-performing team that facilitates individual major and planned gifts of $25K-$500K and supports their individual growth.
• Cultivate creative thinking, encourage Council teams and external partners to innovate and experiment for growth and results while developing, maintaining & improving systems for cross-team communication.
• Manage engagement of Senior Leadership Team members and Trustees with the President’s Office, including identifying opportunities for involvement, development of briefings, all meeting/event follow-up and other actions as needed.

Skills and Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, sales management, or related discipline, or equivalent in work experience (master’s degree preferred.)
• 10+ years' experience in successful individual fundraising.
• 7+ years of experience working with major gift donors and volunteer Board members.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Proficiency in Stratus Live or equivalent fundraising/CRM software.
• Able to lead in a team-oriented environment.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize.

Disclaimer:

This position description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to include or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. An incumbent may be asked to perform other tasks as needed.