Executive Director, Prospect Development
Listed on 2026-02-17
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Management
Program / Project Manager -
Non-Profit & Social Impact
Executive Director, Prospect Development
About University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation
Established in 2003, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF), a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, exists to raise philanthropic funds in support of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s mission and highest aspirations. Located on the Amherst campus and wholly dedicated to supporting the University’s mission, UMAF is a separately governed nonprofit organization with its own health, wellness, and retirement benefits. UMAF serves the University of Massachusetts Amherst community by serving as a best practices resource for fundraising strategy and implementation.
About the role
The Executive Director of Prospect Development leads the Prospect Research and Prospect Management teams at UMAF, reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Advancement Operations. This role oversees six staff members, ensuring high performance, professional growth, and strategic prioritization aligned with UMAF’s fundraising objectives. The Executive Director is responsible for guiding the teams through the transition to Salesforce Education Cloud CRM, promoting pipeline optimization, data driven decision making, industry best practices, and incorporating new technologies, including AI literacy and appropriate adoption, to enhance operational efficiency and innovation.
Location: This is a full-time hybrid position and is open to employees in select US states:
Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and direct supervision to the Prospect Research and Prospect Management teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous development.
- Oversee all team operations, including recruitment, training, workflow management, and prioritization; manage the team budget and operational activities; ensure department policies and procedures are up to date.
- Working closely with the AVP, Advancement Operations, collaborate with UMAF departments to align prospect development initiatives with organizational priorities.
- Assist in the successful transition of the team to Salesforce Education Cloud CRM, ensuring effective training and process optimization in line with the March 2026 implementation.
- Advocate for and drive recognition and empowerment of Prospect Development within UMAF and the broader UMass community; identify collaborative opportunities and projects across UMAF for team members
- Drive the adoption of new tools, including AI-powered tools, and promote best practices to increase team efficiency and outcomes; leverage technology and industry trends to enhance prospect development activities and share insights with relevant stakeholders.
- Develop individual staff work plans and monitor progress toward established goals; mentor and support team members’ professional growth. Conduct annual performance reviews and regular check-ins with direct reports.
Prospect Research
- Prioritize, coordinate, and oversee the successful completion of research reports and materials prepared for the UMass Amherst Chancellor and UMAF President, and fundraising teams; ensuring the delivery of timely, high-quality insights that inform strategic fundraising decisions.
- Empower a team of highly skilled prospect research professionals, leveraging their deep expertise to drive innovative strategies for identifying and evaluating prospective donors to advance the goals of UMAF.
- Lead the prospect identification priorities of the team while developing forward-looking strategies for assessing constituent potential donor capacity and continuously refine standards and protocols for giving capacity assessments, anticipating future UMAF needs.
- Champion a collaborative environment that capitalizes on the subject matter expertise of team members and encourage continuous contributions to innovations in prospect research and research methodologies.
Prospect Management
- Collaborate with fundraising teams to implement prospect assignment and portfolio management strategies and empower team members to maximize fundraising potential through data-driven planning and…
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