Director of Development, Major Gifts

Houston Landing is growing our team of passionate people on a mission to advance democracy in our communities and strengthen the lives of all Houstonians one story at a time. Houston Landing is an independent, nonpartisan news organization devoted to public service journalism that seeks to strengthen democracy and improve the lives of all Houstonians one story at a time. Initially supported by three of Houston’s leading philanthropies including Arnold Ventures, The Houston Endowment, and the Kinder Foundation, we are building a team to support our efforts in sustainability and revenue growth.

At Houston Landing, we are expanding our development team to include a Director of Development - Major Gifts. The Director of Development will report directly to the Chief Development Officer, as a frontline fundraiser, and will materially contribute to achieving fundraising goals across the organization, through institutional funding. The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $105,000. 

Requirements

What you’ll do

• Determine strategic moves management of major gift donors to include 10-15 visits (meetings) and 25-30 donor contacts (phone calls, emails, texts, ) per month. 
• Build and manage a mixed portfolio of 100-125 donors giving between $5,000- $99,000 to include identification, prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer to drive the strategic growth of major gift  revenue.
• Gather and record information about prospects and donors utilizing the Landing’s donor management system (Raiser’s Edge NXT).
• Conduct donor communication including phone calls, virtual as well as in-person visits monthly to secure over $500,000 in gifts annually. 
• Contribute to meeting annual revenue goals and be accountable for individual and team metrics.
• Build and maintain effective relationships cross departmentally while encouraging a culture of philanthropy amongst other team members.

Who you are

You are a philanthropist at heart with a true desire for community-centric fundraising. You have a proven track record and confidence to establish and manage meaningful relationships. You are a believer in independent media as a tool for positive change and you thread that belief through all of your work to engage prospects and donors. 

• Experience - You have four or more years of experience with a start-up development team along with familiarity and interest in fundraising with a proven track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts of $5,000 and above.
• Mission-oriented - You’re committed to our mission to advance democracy and improve the lives of all Houstonians. You are dedicated to community-centric fundraising and have shown a vested interest in the growth and development of Houston. 
• Driven - You are known for your problem-solving skills and are adept at finding practical solutions to obstacles, willing to adjust your plans or change course to achieve the best outcome. You understand the importance of collaboration and networking and are proactive in finding the right people and resources to obtain the necessary information or support to deliver outcomes. 
• Communicator - You have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with executives, cross departmental teams, donors, and potential donors. Experience with donor engagement with the strong ability to listen and respond to the concerns/ideas of others then connecting those ideas to larger opportunities. 
• Organized - You’re able to set objectives that are communicated through a well-thought out plan of action. You have a careful attention to detail when managing projects and submitting proposals with methods for following up and tracking information to a successful finish.  Ability to systematize and prioritize assigned work, analyze problems, develop appropriate work methods, and maintain records. 

Benefits

Our Values

EXCELLENCE: We wake up every day with the intent to be the best at what we do. We hustle. We have grit. When we make mistakes, we’ll learn from them.

INCLUSION: We aren’t all the same, and those differences are what make us better. We’ll respect each person’s uniqueness. Perspective, context and life experiences help us to tell the story.

AMBITION: We will be bold and creative, open to all ideas big or small. We really mean it.

FUN: We are not making widgets, although there is nothing wrong with widgets. We tell stories and stories are often fun, so we believe in having lots of fun.

‍COLLABORATION: We are all in this together. We may not always agree, but we will listen to each other and communicate candidly and respectfully.

Benefits

• Compensation commensurate with experience
• 401(k)
• Healthcare 100% premium paid for employee and 50% for dependents
• 20 vacation days
• Ten personal/sick days
• Generous paid parental leave
• Hybrid work policy (initially we all work together to build culture)
• Stipend for development / learning

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities.