Executive Director of Philanthropy

About this role

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

Department: Development

PLEASE NOTE: This position is open to candidates living in any of the following areas: Lakeland, Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Naples.

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director of Philanthropy provides strategic leadership for One More Child’s major giving function, building a growing culture and program of relationship-based philanthropy that inspires significant investment in the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and collaborating with the Executive Director of Development, this role leads and develops a team of Philanthropy Officers while personally managing a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, with a concentration within their assigned region and key relationships across Florida.

The Executive Director is responsible for strengthening the philanthropic pipeline, advancing meaningful donor relationships, and securing significant individual commitments. In partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategic Development, the role plays a significant part in the Comprehensive Campaign and in securing capital, endowment, annual, and other strategic commitments. The Executive Director serves as a leader and champion of a donor-centered approach to philanthropy, collaborating with the Director of Development Communications and Director of Development Strategy in proposal development, donor communications, metrics, pipeline management, and analytics.

The Executive Director of Philanthropy is responsible for team performance, portfolio strategy, pipeline development, donor engagement, and revenue results. The Executive Director will establish priorities, portfolio standards, performance expectations, and operating practices for the philanthropy team in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer. The Executive Director will own and achieve major-gift revenue goals established in partnership with the Chief Advancement Officer, including goals for new commitments, renewals, upgrades, multi-year commitments, campaign commitments, and pipeline development.

The successful candidate will model a relational, donor-centered approach to fundraising—prioritizing meaningful engagement, discovery, and long-term relationships over transactional fundraising—and will champion a culture in which philanthropy is viewed as an opportunity to invite donors into meaningful participation in God’s work through One More Child. Representing One More Child requires the person to be comfortable articulating its Christian mission and engaging donors from a faith-based perspective.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

Philanthropy Strategy & Leadership

• The Executive Director will generally allocate approximately 55% to personal donor and prospect management, 35% of time to team leadership and philanthropic strategy, and 10% to campaign leadership, executive collaboration, and organizational priorities.

• Lead the major gift function for One More Child, with primary responsibility for the strategy, growth, and effectiveness of the major giving program in alignment with the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and long-term vision.

• Build and strengthen the major giving program, establishing the strategies, culture, systems, and practices necessary to develop lasting donor relationships and increase philanthropic investment.

• Serve as a key thought partner to the Chief Advancement Officer in shaping the organization’s approach to individual philanthropy and champion a relational, donor-centric philosophy grounded in discovery, listening, meaningful engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Maintain consistent, purposeful face-to-face and virtual engagement with assigned donors and prospects, with activity levels appropriate to relationship stage, donor capacity, affinity, and strategic priority.

• Lead, coach, and develop the team of Philanthropy Officers, establishing clear expectations for portfolio management, donor engagement, pipeline development, and fundraising performance.

• Identify and appropriately escalate potential ethical, reputational, legal, or gift-acceptance concerns associated with significant philanthropic relationships or proposed gifts.

• Develop accurate revenue forecasts based on portfolio activity, proposal stage, donor commitments, historical performance, and pipeline strength; communicate risks and opportunities to senior leadership.

Donor Relationships & Pipeline

• Maintain an appropriately sized portfolio of high-capacity, high-affinity donors and prospects, generally consisting of 75-100 active relationships, with portfolio size adjusted based on campaign responsibilities and organizational priorities.

• Personally manage a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, with a concentration within the Executive Director’s assigned region, while cultivating key relationships across Florida and partnering with the Chief Advancement Officer on top donor relationships.

• Develop and execute strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals, families, family foundations, and other philanthropic partners capable of significant investment in One More Child.

• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified prospects and lead regular portfolio and pipeline reviews to evaluate donor movement, identify opportunities, and determine strategic next steps.

• Develop strategies to deepen donor engagement, strengthen retention, and increase lifetime philanthropic value through meaningful, long-term relationships.

• Partner with the Director of Development Strategy to leverage metrics, analytics, pipeline intelligence, and reporting to inform prospecting, portfolio management, fundraising strategies, and performance.

• Identify and advance planned-giving opportunities in partnership with appropriate organizational leaders and professional advisors.

Comprehensive…