What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Development position at Lincoln Children's Zoo?
At Lincoln Children’s Zoo, our mission is to enrich lives through interaction with living things. We provide a hands-on experience for more than 250,000 guests per year and care for over 400 creatures. We are champions of STEM education through camps and programs, and help families make memories by producing special events and experiences throughout the year.
As a team, we are serious about using our Core Values to guide our actions:
1. We are there for each other.
2. We generate enthusiasm.
3. We are humble.
4. We go above and beyond.
Position Summary: The Development Director is responsible for the Zoo’s fundraising efforts. The Development Director oversees the execution of all the department’s functions and creates a strategy to enable successful support of both Zoo operations and capital campaigns. The Director of Development serves as the strategic advisor to the CEO and COO to position them best for fundraising efforts.
Essential Job Functions
- Oversee all capital campaigns by organizing and implementing donor events, coordinating annual fundraisers, and ensuring donors are recognized properly.
- Researches, develops, and implements sponsorships and adheres to all contract requirements of said sponsorships.
- Research available grants; summarizes, writes, and submits grant proposals; meets proposal deadlines.
- Develops new individual, corporate, and foundation relationships; helps the CEO and COO cultivate current Zoo donor relationships.
- Responsible for tracking and overseeing the entering all in-kind donations and communicating with finance regarding in-kind gifts.
- Manage all development invoicing for sponsorships, donor events, and due pledge installments.
- Tracks online transactions for development related income.
- Networks within the community and stays current on local, regional, and national events.
- Manage all donor requests such as coordinating behind the scenes experiences and tours.
- Work directly with the Zoo’s auditing team to provide supporting documents and necessary reports.
- All other duties as assigned.
Preferred Talents
- Demonstrated success in donor cultivation and solicitation.
- Knowledge of financial management and strategic planning – budgeting, analyzing, and planning.
- Excellent organizational and motivational skills.
- Strong knowledge of public relations principles and practices.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, and the public.
- Ability to always serve in every respect and as an ambassador for the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, with visitors, and the public.
- Ability to maintain a positive attendance record and work with a highly flexible schedule.
- Excellent ability to prioritize and delegate responsibilities when necessary; effective time management skills, able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and work under pressure.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
- Minimum three years of development experience is strongly preferred.
- Valid driver’s license.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $120,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
Salary : $120,000 - $125,000