DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

JOB SUMMARY

Founded in 1967 as the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy is a community educational center, archive, land trust, and advocate for the preservation, conservation, and history of neighborhoods in the lower Wissahickon watershed in and around Philadelphia. The Conservancy is dedicated to preserving the historical, architectural, and cultural resources and the open spaces that define the character of Chestnut Hill and surrounding communities.

In 2025, the Conservancy established a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan that expanded the geographic scope of the organization to encompass the entire lower Wissahickon watershed. Although the Conservancy traditionally focuses on fundraising via private donors, in alignment with the new Strategic Plan, the organization has broadened its development focus to include funding from the public sector and foundation grants.

The Conservancy seeks a dynamic, strategic, and relationship-focused development professional to lead and expand the Chestnut Hill Conservancy's fundraising program. Working in partnership with and reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Development serves as a key member of the leadership team and is responsible for leading, planning, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive fundraising strategies that support the Conservancy's mission and long-term sustainability.

The Development Director oversees annual and major gift fundraising, donor stewardship, grant writing and reporting, fundraising events, membership growth, and development operations. The position works closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Development Committee, Finance Committee, and staff to strengthen philanthropic support and achieve annual fundraising goals. The Director of Development also supervises a part-time Development Associate, and part-time support from a grants consultant and the Conservancy’s Office Manager, and ensures effective coordination of all development activities.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy and Leadership

• Develop, implement, and regularly evaluate comprehensive annual fundraising strategies to meet organizational revenue goals.
• Establish and monitor fundraising benchmarks, donor targets, and key performance indicators (KPIs), making recommendations for adjustments as needed.
• Create strategies for donor acquisition, retention, upgrading, and stewardship across all giving levels.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board to cultivate a strong culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
• Lead the Board's Development Committee in partnership with the Chair of the Development Committee by creating monthly agendas and deliverables for each meeting.

Major Gifts and Donor Relations

• Manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation donors and prospects.
• Lead major gifts development efforts, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Facilitate informed donor outreach by the Executive Director, Board members, and volunteers through prospect research, briefing materials, and relationship management strategies.
• Identify potential donors and build meaningful relationships with individuals, businesses, foundations, and community partners.
• Recommend and forge partnerships with local businesses, government agencies, and other organizations that can support the Conservancy's mission.

Membership and Annual Giving

• Grow and retain all levels of membership and annual support.
• Plan and execute an annual fundraising campaign at the end of the calendar year and a membership campaign at the end of the fiscal year.
• Develop and implement donor stewardship and recognition programs that encourage long-term engagement and giving.
• Work in partnership with the Director of Programs and Communications on the development of members-only programs.

Fundraising Events

• Lead the planning and the execution of the Conservancy's annual fundraising event and related cultivation activities, including two Leadership Circle programs each year.
• Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, committees, sponsors, and vendors to maximize fundraising outcomes and attendee engagement.
• For the annual fundraiser, oversee vendor coordination, host location, printed and digital collateral design (including invitations), event budgets, sponsorship solicitation, donor engagement, and post-event stewardship.
• Lead the planning and execution of smaller fundraising or cultivation events.

Grants, Institutional Giving and Corporate Sponsorships

• Supervise a grants consultant and support strategy and approach for grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government sources.
• Support grant proposal development, submission, and reporting in partnership with relevant staff members.
• Oversee grant calendars and ensure compliance with grant requirements and deadlines.
• Lead corporate sponsorship solicitation for annual and program and event sponsorships, including prospect cultivation and the creation of brochures and related collateral.

Development Operations, Finance Coordination, and Administration

• Oversee all development operations, including supporting the Development Associate with donor database management in Neon CRM, gift processing, reporting, and record maintenance.
• Work closely with the Finance Committee and bookkeeper to reconcile and verify donations, memberships, pledges, receivables, and other development-related revenue.
• Ensure accurate tracking, acknowledgment, and reporting of all gifts and fundraising activities.
• Assist with development budget preparation, revenue forecasting, and ongoing budget monitoring.
• Maintain a monthly updated Development Income Budget versus Actual tracker.
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit fundraising regulations, reporting requirements, donor privacy standards, and applicable tax laws.

Communications and Community Engagement

• Produce development-related materials and fundraising and cultivation event collateral including the design of invitations.
• Collaborate with the Director of Programs and Communications and staff to communicate the Conservancy's mission, programs, and fundraising priorities effectively.
• Recognize and support volunteers and community advocates who contribute to the organization's success.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise and mentor a part-time Development Associate.
• Supervise a grants consultant and part-time support from Office Manager.
• Delegate and oversee development-related administrative functions.
• Foster a collaborative, goal-oriented, and professional development team environment.

Skills / abilities required:

• Proficiency with Neon CRM or similar donor database and constituent relationship management systems, including reporting, segmentation, gift tracking, and donor stewardship workflows.
• Demonstrated success in nonprofit fundraising, including annual giving, major gifts, membership programs, corporate sponsorships, public sector funding, grant funding, and donor cultivation.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling fundraising appeals, grant proposals, donor correspondence, sponsorship materials, stewardship communications, and remarks for fundraising programs.
• Excellent editing, proofreading, and presentation skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong event planning and project management skills, including budgeting, vendor management, sponsorship coordination, volunteer engagement, and logistics oversight.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize competing deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Acrobat) or similar design software for creating fundraising and event materials.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills with the ability to maintain accurate records and development reports.
• Financial acumen, including experience with fundraising budgets, revenue forecasting, reconciliation processes, and budget-versus-actual reporting.
• A self-starter with the ability to work independently while fostering collaboration across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Strong networking and relationship-building skills with donors, community leaders, businesses, foundations, and public-sector partners.
• Commitment to the mission of historic preservation, conservation, community engagement, and nonprofit excellence.
• Willingness to work during Conservancy events/programs on evenings and weekends.

This is a full-time, in-person position with an annual salary of $60,000 to $65,000 (commensurate with experience), including health insurance, 13 paid holidays, and three weeks of vacation time. Flex time is available, if approved in advance by the Executive Director, to accommodate evening and weekend work related to meetings or events.

To apply, send an email to Conservancy Executive Director David Gest at david@chconservancy.org with the subject line “Application to Director of Development Position,” and attach a cover letter and resume. This position has a desired start date of mid-July to mid-August 2026.

This is a full-time, in-person position with an annual salary of $60,000 to $65,000 (commensurate with experience), including health insurance, 13 paid holidays, and three weeks of vacation time. Flex time is available, if approved in advance by the Executive Director, to accommodate evening and weekend work related to meetings or events.