Vice President, Development (Non-Profit Fundraising)

Description JOB SUMMARY: The Vice President, Development is a senior member of the Advancement leadership team at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This role is responsible for the development and execution of results-driven fundraising strategy and donor engagement in support of the Arboretum’s mission and long-term financial sustainability. Rooted in nonprofit philanthropy and constituent engagement, the position directs a comprehensive development and membership program encompassing annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation relations, sponsorships and events, membership acquisition and retention, donor and member stewardship, gifts-in-kind, and capital campaign readiness in accordance with recognized best practices and ethical standards.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Vice President, Development works in close partnership with Board leadership, volunteers, senior staff, and other internal and external stakeholders to build meaningful philanthropic relationships, grow revenue, and strengthen a culture of philanthropy enterprise-wide. Note : This role is NOT a real estate development, commercial business development, leasing, or transactional sales position.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership & Planning Collaborate with the Chief Advancement Officer, Advancement and Senior Leadership teams, the Board, and other internal and external stakeholders to establish and implement a 3- to 5-year philanthropic and membership strategy aligned with the Arboretum’s mission, values, strategic priorities, and fundraising best practices. Lead the development and execution of annual operating and long-term plans with measurable goals for revenue (development + membership), constituent engagement, pipeline growth and retention.

Provide strategic insight into membership segmentation, upgrades (e.g., from member to donor), donor/member lifecycle management, and integration of membership and major gift strategies. Advise senior leadership and Board on trends in philanthropy and membership, benchmarking performance, and emerging opportunities (e.g., planned giving, digital giving, affinity-based engagement). Fund Development & Membership Revenue Growth Prepare and manage departmental budget to achieve annual revenue goals (development + membership), oversee expenses/invoices, monitor financials and reconcile month-end results in partnership with Finance.

Oversee all fundraising programs to achieve targets, including: Annual Fund and Membership Giving (e.g., Caroline Rose Hunt Society, Friends programs). Major Gifts — Identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-net-worth prospects and major donors/members. Corporate Relations and Event Sponsorships — Secure sponsorships, manage benefits and stewardship. Foundation/Grants — Identify prospects, write and submit proposals, steward foundation relationships.

Gifts-in-Kind — Secure in-­kind donations aligned with institutional needs. Special Events — Plan and lead major fundraising events (e.g., annual gala) with revenue and participation targets; oversee member engagement events. Oversee membership team: develop and execute membership acquisition strategy, retention/renewal programs, upgrade path to higher membership levels or donor-circles, analyze membership data/metrics (e.g., number of members, renewal rate, conversion to donors).

Serve as a visible and effective ambassador for the Arboretum’s mission by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding philanthropic relationships with donors, members, corporate partners, foundations, and other key stakeholders through personalized engagement, onsite experiences, events, and stewardship activities. Team Leadership & Volunteer Engagement Lead, supervise, evaluate, and mentor direct reports: development officers, membership staff, events/sponsorships, donor services.

Foster a high-performing, donor/member-centric culture. Collaborate with volunteer leadership, including Board standi