Donor Development & Community Engagement Director

Organization and Position Overview Our Mission: The Food + Farm Exploration Center (Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability. The Center will be the cornerstone of innovation and exploration as it relates to food grown for human consumption and home to the state-of-the-art, multi-faceted event space in Portage County.

Position Profile: We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic Donor Development & Community Engagement Director for the recently opened Food + Farm Exploration Center located in Plover, WI. The Donor Development & Community Engagement Director will report directly to the Executive Director and is responsible for maintaining and growing the Center’s funding and growing its membership to serve the overall goals and mission of the organization.

This director position will lead the organization in developing diverse and ongoing sources of financial support while managing and developing relationships with donors, sponsors and members. The director will oversee membership services and guest services including but not limited to membership recruitment and retention strategies that are also essential to the long-term growth and success of the organization as well as front-of-the house guest services with all visitors.

The Donor Development & Community Engagement Director will work closely with the fundraising committee as well as other members on the leadership team to ensure internal program coherence and alignment with the Center’s mission. The ability to forge strong relationships and create a highly collaborative, inclusive, enthusiastic, professional approach and successfully tell the Center’s story to a broad range of internal and external audiences is required. Strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, creativity, and a passion for driving impactful work are essential for success in this role.

The desired Donor Development & Community Engagement Director is a creative, solutions-oriented, fearless leader with a team focus and go-getter spirit. This position requires keen attention to detail, exceptional communication skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Responsibilities

• Build a culture of philanthropy and donor stewardship throughout the organization. 
• Oversee organizational communications with current and prospective donors through appeals, letters, newsletters, publications, website, social media, and all other organizational communications efforts. 
• Provide leadership of the organization’s donor relations efforts through the engagement and/or leadership in related committees and work groups. 
• Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the impact of donor development and membership efforts, make data-driven decisions, and regularly evaluate and optimize based on performance data. 
• Manage all aspects of departmental staff as it grows, including training, recruiting, hiring, coaching, mentoring and career development 
• Create and implement a comprehensive development plan which defines strategies and goals for annual giving, special campaigns, major gifts, special fundraising events, corporate sponsorships, and foundations. 
• Use metrics from the customer relation management software (CRM) to evaluate data to inform wise decision making and philanthropic practices. 
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for managing the donor lifecycle including the identification, cultivation, solicitation, acknowledgement, and stewardship of donors who will support the work of the organization. 
• Integrate development efforts with all Center functions including, but not limited to, exhibit and education programming, farm and grounds, membership, marketing and communications, facility space rental, and other departments/ activities as needed. 
• In collaboration with the management team, identify grant and underwriting sources for programmatic and operational financial support from businesses, foundations, state and federal government sources. 
• Serve as a thought leader within the organization, staying abreast of trends and technologies and bringing new proactive ideas to the donor development/community engagement pillar of the organization for consideration. 
• Makes budget recommendations related to donor development, community engagement and membership efforts.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications or a related field. 
• Minimum of five years of experience in fundraising, community engagement, and/or marketing and a minimum of two years in a leadership role. 
• Demonstrated leadership of community-based and community-led approaches to stewardship, program development, strategy, and evaluation. 
• Critical thinker with strong analytical skills and ability to make data-driven recommendations. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to develop compelling content that engages audiences to increase their understanding of Center’s mission and purpose. 
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with peers, staff, community partners, and other stakeholders. 
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and under pressure. 
• Ability to manage and motivate a team to achieve departmental goals. 
• Strong commitment and understanding of the importance of agriculture innovation and sustainability is preferred.

Exploration Center Commitments:

• The annual salary range for this position starts at $70,000 
• PTO offered, and eight paid holidays. 
• Competitive healthcare and dental benefits are available after 60 days of employment. 
• A 401K plan is offered following one year of employment for the Full-time position. 
• Offers of employment are contingent upon results of thorough background, drug screen and reference checks. 
• All inquiries about and interactions with candidates are kept in strict confidence.