Individual Giving Development Officer

About Us

As Kansas City’s Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens plays a vital role in the community as a space for release, rejuvenation, and the celebration of the fleeting nature of nature itself. Visitors enjoy themed display gardens, nature trails, seasonal festivals, rotating exhibitions, and exceptional architecture. Established in 1988, Powell Gardens is a public garden, maintaining over 700 acres of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, with more than 175 acres and a large collection of plants open to the public for education, exploration, and recreation.

With the addition of our second location, Colonial Farms, we offer a new way to advance our mission of education, community engagement and spreading our love for plants.

We at Powell believe that our team members are our most important asset. By building strong relationships with each other, we can ensure that our guests have the best possible experience. We are looking for someone passionate and with a proven record to elevate our Individual Giving efforts that will take Powell Gardens into the future. If this sounds like you, we would love to speak with you!

The Individual Giving Officer is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that inspire philanthropic support from individual donors through annual giving, mid-level giving, planned giving, and donor stewardship. This position manages the organization's annual fund, direct mail and digital appeals, donor communications, stewardship initiatives, and planned giving program while cultivating meaningful relationships that encourage long-term philanthropic investment.

Working collaboratively with the Chief Development Officer and Development team, the Individual Giving Officer develops and executes fundraising strategies that strengthen donor engagement, increase annual giving participation, and build a sustainable pipeline of future major and planned giving donors.

The Individual Giving Officer serves as the organization's lead strategist for individual philanthropy, building a sustainable pipeline of engaged donors who progress from first-time gifts to recurring support, increased annual giving, planned giving, and ultimately major gifts.

This position serves as a key ambassador for Powell Gardens, communicating the organization's mission and impact while creating meaningful opportunities for donors to deepen their connection with Powell Gardens and Powell Gardens Colonial Farms.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive annual giving strategies to increase donor participation, retention, and philanthropic support.
• Plan and execute annual fundraising campaigns, including direct mail, digital appeals, year-end giving, spring appeals, Giving Tuesday, special initiatives, and other annual fundraising efforts.
• Manage a portfolio of annual and mid-level donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal.
• Develop individualized engagement strategies that encourage increased giving and long-term philanthropic investment.
• Identify opportunities to upgrade donors and transition prospects into the major gift pipeline.
• Monitor campaign performance and strategize to improve fundraising results and donor participation.
• Assist in developing annual goals and implementation plans that support organizational priorities.

• Identify, research, qualify, and cultivate prospective individual donors using internal data, community relationships, and philanthropic research tools.
• Develop strategies to increase donor acquisition, retention, and advancement through pipeline.
• Analyze donor giving history, engagement, interests, and capacity to identify opportunities.
• Collaborate with the team to transition qualified donors into the major gift portfolio.
• Work with the team to identify members and volunteers with philanthropic potential.
• Support implementation of moves management strategies for annual and mid-level donors.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive donor stewardship program that recognizes and celebrates philanthropic support at all…