Job Opportunities
Director of Development & Corporate Partnerships
THE ROLE:
WFC is seeking an innovative, strategic, and collaborative leader who brings a sophisticated understanding of fundraising and passion for our mission. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and working closely with the Board of Trustees, the Director of Development and Corporate Partnerships (DDCP) will set, implement, and manage a multi-year fundraising plan designed to achieve WFC’s fundraising goals, institutionalize best practices, and create a “culture of philanthropy” across the entire organization. The DDCP will set fundraising goals and objectives; oversee the development of fundraising strategies; track impact metrics and KPIs; and grow a fundraising effort focused on individual and major gifts, corporate and foundation giving, partnership development, and government grants. The DDCP, working in tandem with the CEO, will also develop and lead a robust corporate sponsorship program for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering as well as live and virtual programming and productions. As part of the executive leadership team, the DDCP will participate in short- and long-term strategic and operational planning for the organization during a period of anticipated growth.
The DDCP will lead a fundraising department currently consisting of a Development Manager and will partner closely with all other departments to oversee and build the stream of contributed revenue required to support sustainable high-impact programs. The DDCP will work with other staff and volunteers to plan, organize, and execute the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and all other events for the organization.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Fundraising
Lead WFC’s efforts to build its base of private support and enhance relationships with the donor community; expand this donor community to reflect WFC’s national focus.
In coordination with the CEO, develop and lead a corporate sponsorship program for events, programming, and productions.
Work directly as the staff liaison to the Board’s fundraising related committee.
Work with the Board and CEO to develop short- and long-term fundraising goals, strategies, and KPIs to expand funding from existing donors, while also building a strong pipeline of new funders.
Supervise the creation and implementation of effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for corporate, foundation, government, and individual funding sources.
Manage a portfolio of high-value and high-net worth donors and prospects, developing and implementing strategies for successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Proactively ensure that WFC develops strong, long-term relationships with major and leadership individual and institutional donors; build and maintain key relationships to ensure fund development strategy is achieved, including initiating and closing asks.
Mobilize Board members to be successful fundraisers through major donor engagement, solicitation, and stewardship; help recruit, train, coach, and motivate Board members and other volunteers to engage in effective solicitations and other coordinated cultivation/stewardship activities.
In partnership with the CEO, develop and manage fundraising budgets; be accountable for KPIs related to fundraising and revenue goals; supervise gift accounting and processing; and ensure best practice use of analytics, data, and metrics to forecast and track progress and success of fundraising goals, strategies, and tactics.
Partner with program directors and staff to ensure efficient flow of communication about key program goals and fundraising opportunities.
Collaborate with the other teams to ensure an integrated and compelling approach to communications and marketing strategies to support fundraising outcomes, including events, annual reports, presentations, press releases, newsletters, etc.
Prepare regular reports on progress and budgets related to fundraising and the management of fund development activities.
Work jointly with executive leadership and the communications team to create strategic events and thought leadership initiatives to enhance organizational standing and brand with key stakeholders.
Identify and implement technology platforms that best serve fundraising activities, including maximizing the utility of the DonorPerfect CRM, social media, research, and analytics.
Ensure that fundraising activities are carried out in keeping with the organization’s values, mission, vision and plans.
Executive Leadership
Function as an organizational leader and a collaborative member of the Executive Leadership Team.
Build, motivate, lead and retain a development team in a structure that is scalable, provides professional growth opportunities, and strategically aligns with identified philanthropic potential.
Establish annual expectations, provide regular performance reviews and recognition, and support ongoing professional development opportunities for development team members.
Oversee the development of a best-in-class management and donor relations program designed to strengthen engagement of high-value and high net-worth individuals.
Provide input on short- and long-term strategic and operational planning and positioning within the organization.
Nurture a culture of excellence, learning, and continuous improvement.
Ensure that the right tools and systems are in place to support the work of the fundraising team.
THE PERSON:
Highly qualified candidates will share WFC’s commitment to its mission and will embody the organization’s core values bringing a broad range of skills and experience including, but not limited to:
Genuine interest in and appreciation for western culture and the mission of WFC.
Outstanding development professional in the arts, culture, education, or other related fields with a successful track record of leadership in a competitive philanthropic landscape.
Demonstrated ability to create and implement successful strategies to expand a national donor base.
Extensive experience in fundraising leadership with deep knowledge of fundraising principles, strategies, techniques, and outcome metrics that span individual, corporate, and foundation giving, as well as government funding.
Proven success at managing and implementing a comprehensive fund development program and increasing financial results.
Prior success in the development and negotiation of high-level gifts and a track record of building relationships and successful solicitation of six-to-seven-figure institutional (corporations and foundation) and individual gifts.
Understanding of and experience with valuing and closing corporate sponsorships.
Strategic and creative thinker. Flexible; able to pivot to respond to unanticipated external challenges.
Excellent written and verbal communications skills, with demonstrated ability to create clear and persuasive communications in both traditional and digital formats.
Knowledge and experience in all aspects of philanthropy, including giving trends, benchmarks, and best practices; research; fundraising techniques and strategies; data analytics; and development operations such as gift processing, prospect and donor research, and fundraising reporting.
Track record of successfully establishing and nurturing effective working relationships with organization leadership, Board members, donors, prospects, and staff.
Exceptional manager with excellent people skills; proven ability to build, lead, and inspire a diverse team.
A collaborative working style.
A warm, engaging, charismatic presence.
Energy, initiative, creativity, and drive with proven capacity to work independently with limited direct oversight; ability to perform at a high level and manage/supervise multiple projects remotely to meet timelines and deadlines.
Ability and willingness to travel nationally as necessary for donor appointments, events, and other activities as required.
Goal-oriented and close attention to detail.
High comfort level with improving systems, analyzing data, and using data and metrics as management tools.
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent knowledge and experience.
A minimum of seven years of senior management experience in Development or equivalent relative experience.
PERKS & BENEFITS:
Our mission is what motivates us to come to work each day. We know that happy employees are productive employees, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
Primarily a remote working environment/occasional trips to Elko
A base annual salary range of $90,000 – $110,000 based on experience.
An environment that values work-life balance.
Health Insurance
401B retirement plan
Paid vacation, holidays, sick leave
Offices are located in Elko, Nevada. This position may be remote.
ABOUT THE WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER:
The Western Folklife Center (WFC) provides a platform for rural and urban communities to communicate and exchange new ideas and avenues of expression. We operate a year-around cultural center and gallery in a 34,000-square-foot historic building in Elko, Nevada, as well as produce the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Since the organization’s inception, our mission has been to honor and document the folk traditions of the West, and we present a wide array of Western folkways beyond cowboy culture. In addition, we have amassed an incredible archive of recordings and fieldwork for generations to come. Our media and educational programs entertain and engage, deepening the understanding of the vitality and challenges of western communities.
The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering celebrates and promotes the artistry and ingenuity of life in the American West. It remains our signature event, taking place each January in Elko with programming changing to reflect contemporary realities and issues of the American West. It is a gathering of Western poets, musicians, artisans, and storytellers, sharing their creativity, telling their stories of hard work, heartbreak, and hilarity, and what it means to make your way in the rangeland West.
The organization has a staff of 10 full- and part-time employees and is supported by over 260 volunteers. It is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of 12 individuals spread across the West to provide leadership, guidance, and accountability. There is also a National Advisory Council that helps to advance the mission and promote the activities of WFC in their communities. Chief Executive Officer Kristin Windbigler has led the organization since June 2017. The organization now seeks an experienced, committed, strategic and relational fundraising professional to continue growing its national philanthropic and corporate sponsorship efforts with its existing constituencies and individuals, institutions, organizations, corporate entities, and government agencies anywhere in the country that have an interest or investment in preserving and promoting western culture.
For more information on the Western Folklife Center, National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and our media and educational programs, visit our website at westernfolklife.org.
VISION: Explore and give voice to traditional and dynamic cultures of the American West.
MISSION: Use story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@westernfolklifecenter.org.
Western Folklife Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Questions? Email jobs@westernfolklife.org.
