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Director of Development


Category : Nonprofit
Location : TN - Nashville
Position : Permanent / Full Time

Palmer Home for Children seeks a Director of Development who will raise vital financial resources for the mission as well as community awareness.


Palmer Home for Children
www.palmerhome.org
Director of Development
Remote (Nashville, TN)


About Palmer Home
Founded in 1895, Palmer Home for Children provides superior care for children while introducing the love of God through service to each individual child regardless of race, gender, or background through campus care, foster care, family care, and transitional care.
  • Family Care- Based in Middle Tennessee, our Family Care ministry provides nurturing care for the infants of mothers in prison. Additionally, we provide support to mothers in prison and after release. With reunification as the ultimate goal, our certified foster families work to cultivate the bond between the mother and child in their care.
  • Campus Care- Our residential campus for children provides a Christ-centered family atmosphere where children feel safe, connected to trustworthy adults, and supported as they grow and develop in our care. Each child is placed with a caregiver couple in one of our six on-campus homes.
     
  • Foster Care- Our foster care program allows children the opportunity to experience the support and connection of a family while in the care of Palmer Home. We provide private foster care through Palmer Home-certified families.
     
  • Transitional Care- Our transitional program provides continued guidance and coaching for children between the ages of 18 – 24. Our goal is to prepare each child for independence through career and vocational development, as well as other life skills to succeed as young adults. 
In 2023, we served 286 children from 12 states. Of that number, 45% were served by our Family Care ministry outside of Nashville.


Position Summary
Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Director of Development will raise vital financial resources for Palmer Home’s mission as well as community awareness about Palmer Home. The Director of Development will meet general operating and capital revenue goals by identifying, engaging, and securing current and prospective individuals, churches, businesses, foundations, and community partners through major gift solicitation, grant requests, regular communication, and the coordination of enrichment activities and sponsorships. The Director will ensure that gifts are properly solicited, recognized, cultivated, and stewarded. 


Responsibilities 
  • Identify, solicit, and cultivate financial support by developing and maintaining relationships with prospective and new donors within market and solicitation assignments. 
  • Generate new corporate and foundation revenue with local, state, and regional partners through corporate giving, employee engagement opportunities, grants, foundation support, and endowments within market assignments.
  • Secure sponsorships for in-house fundraising special events.
  • Respond promptly and appropriately to inquiries, questions, complaints, and concerns. 
  • Enlist, as appropriate, Board members, the President, and other Palmer staff to assist in making major gift asks. 
  • Maintain a current knowledge of the tools and techniques related to major gift fund-raising. 
  • Support and assist with fundraising strategies and activities to ensure proper acknowledgment and recognition of donors. 
  • Represent Palmer Home in the community by attending and speaking to local civic groups, chamber programs, school, and church groups when appropriate. 
  • Ensure proposals and follow-up reports are submitted on a timely basis. 
  • Serve as the point of contact for any third-party fundraising efforts within market.
  • Manage external inquiries with donor appointments, follow-up, research, database management, expense reports, etc. 
  • Participate in special projects and other duties as assigned. 


Qualifications 
  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or a related field 
  • Minimum of 6 years of applicable experience in development, fundraising, marketing, sales, communications, or public relations 
  • Demonstrated successful major gift fundraising and goal-reaching experience 
  • Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills 
  • Excellent time and project management, interpersonal, decision-making, public speaking, and organizational skills 
  • Able to work collectively with all constituent groups, including staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters 
  • Self-starter, able to work independently, and collaboratively; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives 
  • A strategist who can anticipate and support the needs of both internal and external audiences 
  • Prioritizes multiple expectations based on the organization(s) strategy and goals 
  • Must agree with the Palmer Home for Children Statement of Christian Beliefs and demonstrate a strong commitment to Christ consistent with the mission of Palmer Home’s status as a non-profit religious organization 

Work Location 
This position will work remotely (from home) in the Nashville Metro Area with travel throughout the surrounding counties and occasional travel throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, and other states. 
  
Compensation
Compensation for Director of Development is commensurate with experience and includes a full package of employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401k w/match, vacation/sick time.               
  
To Apply                                                                                    
Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement of interest to Ryan Rasmussen, Recruiter, and Jonathan McIntosh, Partner with ThinkingAhead Executive Search.


Contact Information 

Jonathan McIntosh, Partner
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
615-391-2650
[email protected] 

Ryan Rasmussen, Recruiter
ThinkingAhead Executive Search
615-391-2821
[email protected]


Palmer Home is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce.

ThinkingAhead Executive Search is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals. Personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic ancestry, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. This applies to every aspect of employment including hiring, training, advancement, and termination. The firm is committed to creating a just culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by practicing, within the company and the marketplace we serve, intentional strategies that serve marginalized individuals and groups.

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