Vice President of Development

Organization 

Palmer Home for Children provides superior care for children while introducing the love of God through our service to each individual child. 

Position Summary 

Reporting to the President and serving as a member of the Executive Team, the Vice President of Development provides strategic leadership for Palmer Home's philanthropic growth, donor relationships, and Development team. This leader will build upon a strong foundation of established systems, programs, and relationships while developing the fundraising capacity needed to advance Palmer Home's strategic plan. 

The Vice President will lead a comprehensive and diversified development strategy; personally cultivate and solicit significant gifts; strengthen the regional donor pipeline; and ensure continuity of key relationships through organizational leadership transitions. This leader will partner closely with the President, Board of Directors, Executive Team, and Marketing team to increase philanthropic support and connect donors meaningfully to Palmer Home's mission and impact. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Fundraising Leadership 

• Develop and execute a multiyear development strategy aligned with Palmer Home's strategic plan, annual organizational priorities, and long-term financial sustainability. 

• Lead the development strategy necessary to achieve Palmer Home's annual philanthropic goals, including the FY27 goal of $6.8 million, while building sustainable revenue capacity for future growth. 

• Build a diversified funding model across major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, churches, planned giving, grants, events, and other appropriate revenue sources. 

• Partner with organizational leaders to develop funding strategies for program growth, trauma-informed excellence, quality and accreditation, facilities, and organizational capacity. 

• Assess organizational readiness for future capital or strategic campaigns and develop the relationships, systems, case for support, and internal alignment needed for success. 

• Monitor philanthropic trends and changes in the funding environment to position Palmer Home proactively for emerging opportunities and risks. 

Major Gifts, Donor Growth & Stewardship 

• Personally manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. 

• Strengthen and expand Palmer Home's donor base and major-gift pipeline, with particular attention to Memphis, North Mississippi, and the surrounding region. 

• Build upon Palmer Home's established legacy giving program and strengthen planned-giving awareness, cultivation, and stewardship. 

• Establish consistent relationship-management and stewardship practices that deepen donor engagement, retention, and long-term investment in the mission. 

• Ensure donor relationships, history, preferences, and next steps are accurately documented so institutional knowledge and relationship ownership extend beyond any one individual. 

Team Leadership & Development Operations 

• Lead, coach, and develop the Development team through clear goals, defined ownership, regular communication, and accountability for individual and team results. 

• Build upon established team strengths and systems while identifying opportunities for continued growth, collaboration, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

• Establish clear expectations for portfolio, pipeline, activity, and revenue across the Development team, and regularly review progress toward goals. 

• Ensure effective use of Bloomerang for donor records, pipeline management, forecasting, reporting, and analysis. 

• Develop and manage the Development budget and allocate resources in alignment with fundraising priorities and expected return on investment. 

• Maintain high standards of donor confidentiality, gift administration, documentation, ethical fundraising, and compliance with applicable policies and requirements. 

Executive, Board & Cross-Functional Partnership 

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the President and Executive Team on philanthropic opportunities, donor considerations, revenue outlook, and funding implications of organizational decisions. 

• Provide accurate, timely fundraising forecasts, performance analysis, and progress reports to the President, Executive Team, and Board of Directors. 

• Partner with the President and Board of Directors to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward key relationships; equip board members with appropriate tools and opportunities to advance philanthropic support. 

• Partner closely with Marketing to align fundraising strategy, mission storytelling, donor communications, events, and efforts to grow awareness of Palmer Home. 

• Collaborate with Finance and other organizational leaders to ensure fundraising plans, revenue projections, gift restrictions, and organizational priorities remain aligned. 

• Ensure continuity of key donor, board, community, and institutional relationships during Development and executive leadership transitions. 

• Represent Palmer Home with credibility, warmth, and professionalism in the community, cultivating relationships that advance the organization's mission and reputation. 

Qualifications & Experience 

• Eight or more years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including significant leadership responsibility and demonstrated success in a development function. 
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts and expanding donor relationships over time. 
• Experience developing and implementing comprehensive, multiyear development strategies with measurable revenue and relationship goals. 
• Strong understanding of major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, donor stewardship, and campaign-readiness practices. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and hold accountable a high-performing team while working collaboratively across departments. 
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and tactical levels, including personal engagement in donor cultivation and solicitation. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate Palmer Home's mission and impact to diverse audiences. 
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with experience using fundraising data, pipeline information, and forecasts to guide decisions. 
• Experience with Bloomerang or a comparable donor-management system preferred. 
• Bachelor's degree required or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. 
• High energy and genuine passion for Palmer Home's mission. Must demonstrate a strong commitment to Christ and to living a Christian lifestyle. 

Leadership Attributes 

• Mission-centered and relational, with the ability to build trust across donors, staff, board members, and community partners. 
• Strategic, forward-thinking, and able to translate organizational priorities into a compelling philanthropic vision. 
• Confident and influential without being territorial; committed to shared organizational ownership of relationships and results. 
• A clear communicator who leads with accountability, sound judgment, humility, and integrity. 
• Adaptable and steady through change, with the ability to preserve continuity while leading thoughtful growth. 

Location & Presence 

This position will be based in the Memphis metropolitan/Hernando area and requires a consistent in-person presence on Palmer Home's Hernando campus and throughout the regional donor community. This is not a fully remote position. Regional and occasional overnight travel will be required. 

Benefits & Salary 

Benefits and salary are commensurate with experience. Vacation, paid holidays, insurance, retirement, and flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care are included and/or available. 

Palmer Home for Children is committed to maintaining a workplace and culture that reflects dignity, respect, belonging, and compassion for all people. Job descriptions and employment practices will use inclusive language and demonstrate our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, aligned with our mission, values, and Whole Child Initiative approach. We strive to ensure language is trauma-informed and sensitive to the cultural, socioeconomic, and lived experiences of the children, families, and communities we serve. Through a relationship-centered model of care, we seek to create environments where children, families, and staff feel safe, valued, and supported. To support continued alignment with best practices, organizational needs, and accreditation standards, job descriptions will be reviewed and updated regularly.