Associate Director of Prospect Development

Description

The Associate Director of Prospect Development reports to the Senior Director of Development Operations and provides strategic leadership for prospect management at Washington National Cathedral (WNC). The position oversees prospect research, portfolio analysis, moves management, pipeline development, and data integrity to ensure a strong pipeline of major donor prospects. In partnership with the Senior Director of Development Operations and the Director of Major Gifts, the Associate Director translates prospect intelligence and data insights into actionable fundraising strategies, guides prospect engagement throughout the fundraising cycle, and leads the operations and continuous improvement of WNC’s prospect management function to advance the Cathedral’s fundraising priorities.

The Associate Director will provide strategic leadership in expanding WNC’s donor pipeline across both individual and foundation giving, playing a critical role in advancing the Cathedral’s fundraising priorities and long-term development goals. In partnership with the Development team, the Associate Director will help shape and drive donor engagement strategies, identify new fundraising opportunities, and guide efforts to cultivate and strengthen relationships with prospective supporters. Through proactive leadership, strategic planning, and cross-team collaboration, the Associate Director will help ensure a strong and sustainable pipeline of donors to support the Cathedral’s continued growth and fundraising success.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Management and Leadership

• Provide guidance to Cathedral leadership and the Development team on planning, development, and execution of a major gift prospect pipeline to meet current and future fundraising goals.
• Provide guidance to and partner with Development leadership, including the Director of Major gifts and Director Planned Gifts, in establishing and overseeing a system for tracking, reporting, and managing prospects based upon comprehensive research that drives cultivation and solicitation strategies for donors and prospects. 
• Develop and implement procedures to meet the information needs of development staff and other members of the Cathedral, such as the Dean, Provost and Senior Staff, in preparation for contacting, cultivating, and soliciting major gift prospects (individuals, corporations, and other organizations, such as foundations).
• Safeguard confidentiality of donor information, adhering to the ethical and confidentiality guidelines established by the Association of Fundraising Professional (AFP), Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and Cathedral standards of confidentiality.

PROSPECT DEVELOPMENT

• Manage the screening and ratings process to proactively identify, qualify and track names for major gift prospect pools across individual, corporate and foundation sources. Lead the effort and manage the process to identify and refer new prospects capable of major and principal gifts using a wide variety of biographical, organizational and financial resources.
• Prepare detailed and up-to-date research briefings on prospects and/or groups of prospects for development staff, senior faculty and administrators, in advance of calls and events in order to obtain optimal outcomes.
• Manage all prospect research work requests, prepare research profiles, provide strategic guidance on moves management, and the major gift portfolio development process for the Development department and its leadership.
• Use the CRM database and software tools employed in the Cathedral’s fundraising efforts (i.e. Raiser’s Edge) and resources (iWave, Lexis-Nexis, Foundation Directory, etc.) to successfully identify and research prospects.
• Oversee the process of adding/updating portfolio assignments within the CRM(Raiser’s Edge) in consultation with the Senior Director, Development Operations
• Create and utilize reports and dashboards, as appropriate to share pipeline progress with gift officers and leadership.
• Provide recommendations on research tools, best practices, and data informed solutions to maintain a steady flow of new prospects into fundraisers’ portfolios.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with the Directors of Major, Planned, and Annual Giving, partnering directly and proactively to support fundraising initiatives, align priorities, and advance departmental goals.
• Lead training of gift officers to manage activities and other prospect management elements within the Raiser’s Edge database.
• Monitor the prospect pipeline to ensure active engagement of managed prospects and donors for annual support, special projects and endowment initiatives.
• Work with individual major gift officers and leadership to discern interest areas and devise strategies for obtaining new prospects and deepening existing relationships in order to ensure the ongoing development, expansion, and renewal of the prospect base, to which the Cathedral will turn for current and future support
• Participate with other staff members and volunteers in the development of cultivation and solicitation strategies (including ask amount) for all major prospective donors.
• Work the Senior Director, Development Operations on forecast projections for Major Gifts on a quarterly basis
• Develop prospect/donor news tracking and dissemination processes to alert development staff and leadership about media articles related to Cathedral donors and prospects.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred. Certification or training in research methods or equivalent highly desirable. 
• Minimum of seven or more years of experience in fundraising operations, with emphasis on prospect research and management. 
• Demonstrated proficiency in relational database skills for donor database systems such as, but not limited to, Raiser’s Edge, Sales Force, Donor Perfect, required. 
• Extensive investigative and research skills with online prospect research sources including iWave (Kindsight), Lexis-Nexis, Candid, and trusted internet resources. Experience with managing a comprehensive wealth screening and rating process using Wealth Engine, ResearchPoint, or similar tool required.  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Ability to organize and manage a diverse range of assignments and projects with high efficiency, and with excellent attention to detail, follow through, and ability to meet deadlines. 
• Strong client-orientated approach to delivering business solutions efficiently and effectively 
• Ability to collaborate strategically with colleagues at a variety of levels. 
• Resourceful and independent with strong initiative, but comfortable working within the framework of an integrated development program and team-oriented environment. 
• Ability to be proactive in anticipating and seeking information related to the immediate priorities of the development office and to adjust to changing priorities and meet deadlines as required. 
• Proven ability to analyze and synthesize data from a wide variety of sources, and present the resulting information in a clear summary in standardized formats according to the research need (i.e. event bios, leadership briefings, prospect review sessions, etc.) 
• Demonstrated competence in a variety of computer applications, including database, spreadsheet, and word processing programs. Excellent computer skills with strong proficiency in Microsoft applications, especially MS Word and Excel.   
• Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information is essential 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Excellent interpersonal skills. 

Working Conditions: 

• This position requires work during regular business hours and outside of regular business hours, including evenings and weekends. 
• This position is eligible for a hybrid model of work, requiring 2-3 days/week in the office. 
• This position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, and stooping in the performance of daily activities. 
• The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine coordination in preparing reports using a computer keyboard. 
• The position also requires near and far vision for reading and preparing written reports and other required documents. 
• Acute hearing is also required when providing phone assistance. 
• The need to lift, drag, push, and pull files, reports and other materials weighing up to 25 pounds is also required. 

Washington National Cathedral is an equal opportunity employer and strives to create a more diverse and inclusive atmosphere for all. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. 

We support an inclusive workplace where associates excel based on personal merit, qualifications, experience, ability, and job performance. 

Washington National Cathedral seeks individuals who are committed to our mission. We appreciate interest from those who will contribute to an atmosphere in which diversity is valued and supported.  

Salary Range $80,000 - $90,000 commensurate to experience