Development & Major Gifts Director

Scope and

Summary:

The Development & Major Gifts Director serves as a key leadership figure on the Development Team, responsible for designing, overseeing, and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet annual contributed revenue goals. This full-time leadership role directly manages the Development staff and is responsible for driving revenue across corporate giving, individual donors, major gifts, and foundation grants. The Director will personally cultivate and solicit a portfolio of major individual and corporate donors while providing strategic oversight to the grants calendar and application pipeline.

Additionally, this position utilizes Salesforce (or similar CRM/database systems) to manage donor pipelines, track progress, and leverage data analytics to expand Milwaukee Film’s philanthropic reach.

• Provides direct leadership, mentorship, and oversight to the Development staff, establishing clear goals, evaluation metrics, and professional growth opportunities.
• Develops and executes an annual comprehensive fundraising plan encompassing individual major giving, corporate sponsor ships, annual appeals, and foundation grants.
• Manages an active portfolio of major donors and prospects, leading initiatives to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth individuals and corporate partners.
• Oversees the grants strategy, providing team guidance so that applications are compelling, and all compliance and reporting requirements are met.
• Oversees the organization’s donor database (Salesforce), ensuring accurate gift entry, prospect tracking, record integrity, and timely donor acknowledgments.
• Partners with the Board of Directors and Executive Director to prepare briefing materials, engage board members in fundraising strategies, and facilitate major donor asks.
• Collaborates with marketing and programming teams to craft compelling donor communications, proposals, pitch decks, and stewardship materials.
• Oversees fundraising and donor stewardship events, ensuring alignment with major gift and sponsorship goals.

• 5+ years of progressive non-profit fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in securing major gifts and corporate sponsor ships.
• 2+ years of experience in direct personnel or team management.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or similar donor management databases/CRMs.
• Proven track record of overseeing grant cycles, proposal drafting, and foundation reporting.

• Leadership & Management: strong team management skills with the ability to inspire, mentor, and delegate effectively.
• Relationship Building: exceptional interpersonal skills and a high degree of emotional intelligence to build trust with donors, board members, and community leaders.
• Strategic Planning & Prioritization: ability to develop long-term fundraising plans while juggling multiple operational deadlines.
• Problem-solving & Flexibility: comfortable adapting to changing priorities in a fast-paced non-profit environment.
• Enthusiasm and passion: for the Milwaukee Film mission and vision.

Reports to the Executive Director. Direct supervisor to Development team members. Frequent collaboration with the Board of Directors, Finance department, Marketing team, and external donor stakeholders.

• Sitting 75-80% of the time
• May need to work longer hours, in the evening, or on weekends, as needed
• Able to be onsite for the Milwaukee Film Festival and Dialogues Documentary Film Festival
• Have reliable transportation with the ability to be at the main office or other locations as needed
• Can manage what may occasionally be times of stress in healthy ways
• Good verbal and written communication
• Audible speech, good hearing, and eyesight
• Read/interpret complex data, electronic and paper documents
• Able to process and understand written instructions
• Able to bend, crouch, kneel, climb/descend stairs

This job description outlines the general nature and level of work required of any employee assigned to this position. It does not intend to imply these are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to the…