Senior Director - Development, Washington Nationals Dream Foundation

Since 2007, the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation (Foundation) has served as the philanthropic arm of the Major League Baseball franchise, distributing more than $8 million in grants to local organizations. With the opening of its Youth Baseball Academy (“Academy”) in 2013, the team’s philanthropic impact extended to on-the-ground programming.

Building off the success of these two entities and an expanded vision for maximizing impact, the Washington Nationals are developing an enterprise philanthropic organization, using the team’s brand as a platform to activate citizen-fans, businesses, foundations, and civic leaders collectively to bring about positive change. In the spirit of One Pursuit for a better Washington, this new enterprise will catalyze mass citizen participation. In so doing, we aim to become the best philanthropic organization in professional sports.

To achieve this goal, we are seeking to add energetic and passionate individuals dedicated to building a re-imagined philanthropic entity under the banner of the Washington Nationals. A key member of this team will be the Senior Director, Development (”Sr. Director”). Reporting to the Chief Marketing/Development Officer (“CMDO”), the Sr. Director will be responsible for overseeing a team of front-line fundraisers. The role exclusively focuses on securing traditional philanthropic revenue defined as: major gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations; event sponsorships, including the annual Washington Nationals Homecoming Gala and an existing suite of events supporting the Academy; corporate, foundation, and government grants; and other fundraising and cultivation events. The Sr. Director also will have overarching responsibility for growing, and managing, the donor pipeline. The role is within the Marketing and Development department, working alongside colleagues dedicated to citizen-fan (grassroots) fundraising and marketing.

The ideal candidate will have a successful record of securing major gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and event sponsors. S/He will have experience managing a team and a proven ability to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. S/He must be a diligent and detail-oriented cultivator and steward of relationships – with prospects, donors, and other stakeholders, including department colleagues and other Washington Nationals front office employee. S/He must also demonstrate a solution-oriented mindset at all times.

The Nationals are a military-friendly organization actively recruiting veterans and spouses.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising

• Working with the CMDO, assist in the development and lead execution of the major gift and corporate development strategy
• Grow the organization’s pipeline by identifying and cultivating relationships with new donors
• Manage the moves management process of organizational funding pipelines, including the deployment of work and accountability across a team of front-line fundraisers
• Drive strategy for top prospects and uses a donor-centered fundraising approach while assuming ownership over a portfolio of major donors
• Manage and grow revenue from corporate entities by creating and implementing a robust corporate partnerships program, including activation of corporate donors in citizen-fan (grassroots) campaigns
• Oversee and partner with the Grants Manager to identify and cultivate foundation donor prospects and oversee the processes of grant writing, LOI preparation and submission, and grant reporting
• Develop and implement a stewardship program aimed at creating deeper ties with donors to ensure a rewarding donor experience and increased annual giving
  • Lead pipeline meetings with the development team, helpings individual fundraisers stay accountable to their activity and revenue goals while providing guidance and thought partnership, where needed
• Oversee the monitoring of all donor data to ensure effective moves management, including the transition of grass-roots donors into a traditional/major gifts pipeline
• Create and present revenue analysis to senior leadership and the Boards on a regular basis
• Play leading role in developing Case(s) for Support and other materials relevant for donor communication including but not limited to sponsorship decks, tailored proposals, and annual reports
• Oversee and monitor effective use and implementation of Salesforce platform by the development team (including the CEO, COO, and CMDO); oversight inclusive of data entry, task generation, and reporting
  • Serve as development team liaison to the Academy Board and other key high capacity fundraising volunteers, such as event host committees
• Contribute to the success of the organization by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Leadership

• Communicate proactively and effectively with the executive team, Academy Board, staff, advisors, key volunteers, and WNBC staff to create a culture of creativity and philanthropy that fosters and encourages transformative gifts
  • Support and manage the CEO, CMDO, and COO in using their time effectively on fundraising. Prepare them for participating in donor meetings, presentations, and stewardship activities, as appropriate
  • Support the Major Gifts Officer in his/her stewardship of Board Members who are also major gift donors
  • Support the Executive Director of the Academy and CEO in managing a pipeline of prospective new board members and support recruitment efforts

Staff management

• Manage and oversee the development department, providing coaching, training, and professional development to team members with a focus on optimization of time and resources
• Consistently assess the development department resources to ensure fundraisers have the best tools available to drive revenue generation

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• 10-15 years of experience in frontline major gifts fundraising, with 5+ years’ experience managing a development team
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent military experience
• Master’s Degree a plus
• Excellent computer skills, with a strong familiarity in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) and Salesforce.com or analogous CRM platform

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities necessary to perform essential functions

• Ability to manage development professionals and provide strategic direction across the department and organization
• Exceptional writing skills, including the capability of being “final read” on externally-facing fundraising materials
• Demonstrated success in soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts from a variety of audiences
• Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate internally and represent the Washington Nationals externally
• Ability to make a persuasive verbal and written case for supporting key programs and projects, effectively matching the interests of prospective donors to specific needs
• Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively in a multicultural environment and with people from diverse backgrounds
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills

• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

Physical/Environmental Requirements

• Office: Working conditions are normal for an office environment
• Position will require occasional weekend and/or evening work

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