Director of Development
Employment Type
Job (Full-time)Job Categories
Development & Membership
Job Description
The Director of Development will report to the President & CEO and work collaboratively with staff and a strong, dedicated Board of Directors. The Development department is comprised of three full-time staff which include Director of Development, Membership Manager and Grants Manager.
This position will be responsible for providing leadership and development to team members including serving as the point-of-contact for any development contractor/consulting resources.
About Us
The mission of the Houston Botanic Garden is to enrich life through discovery, education, and conservation of plants and the natural environment. HBG strives to inspire all people to love plants and be good stewards of the natural world. The gardens include a global garden with arid, sub-tropical, and tropical plants; a culinary garden with permanent and seasonal displays; a family garden centered around a lagoon; a woodland event garden; wetlands; and a coastal prairie on a 132-acre site. We are currently planning for the next phase of our growth that will include a capital campaign.
Duties & Responsibilities
Main Job Responsibilities:
FUND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
-Development of a comprehensive annual fundraising plan to support the Garden’s operating budget and any special projects as directed by the CEO or Board of Directors that includes all contributed income streams.
-Development of supporting stewardship plan, development communications, and strategy for optimizing events.
INDIVIDUAL MAJOR GIFTS, CORPORATE GRANTS, AND SPONSORSHIPS
-Develop a robust Sponsorship menu for the Garden’s programmatic offerings, including special exhibitions, educational programs, special events, or time-limited space naming.
-Manage portfolio of 50+ individual and corporate donors; continue developing donor relationships.
-Research, cultivate, and initiate new prospects for operating and program support to meet program and operating support goals.
-Maintain donor pipeline and the calendar of all development activity.
-Execute, track, and manage implementation of cultivation, requests, acknowledgement, and stewardship.
-Set donor and prospect site visits and tours.
-Cultivate and develop corporate sponsorships.
STEWARDSHIP
-Aggregate and maintain annual organizational, program, and project metrics utilizing the CEO, key staff, and board members.
-Write and manage required and stewardship/impact reports for major donors.
-Further develop the Garden’s stewardship practices and maintain an organized plan for all levels of giving.
BOARD COMMITTEE(S)
-Activate and manage the Development Committee and coordinate committee activities to harness their full potential to develop and facilitate connections for Garden support.
-Prepare development updates and reports encompassing development efforts and outcomes.
GRANTS PROGRAM
-Manage the Grants Manager.
-Review annual grant calendar.
-Oversee grants process and offer support when needed to ensure meeting grant, sponsorship, and reporting deadlines.
MEMEBERSHIP & ANNUAL FUND PROGRAM
-Oversee the Membership Manager and strategize the membership program for acquisition and retention and Advise the Annual Fund Campaigns and strategy.
DONOR RECORD KEEPING
-Ensure complete donor files including source and executed final documents are being kept. Current standard is to store all executed requests – on the server and onto the donor record in Tessitura, the organization-wide integrated database.
-Manage donor and prospect records to reflect due dates, action dates, and all relevant prospect and donor interaction notes.
OTHER
-Provide oversight in producing all fundraising events, including the Annual Luncheon.
-Other duties as assigned
Additional Information
Qualifications and Experience Requirements:
-Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field required
-Minimum of five years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising, preferably in culture, arts, museums, and/or the environment
-Knowledge of and established relationships within Houston’s philanthropic market or demonstrated ability to build new relationships
-Excellent relationship management skills, with a track record of direct gift cultivation and solicitation, working closely with an active nonprofit board
-Excellent project management, with prior experience meeting multiple goals and deadlines
-Strong writing skills
-Flexibility, ability to prioritize and juggle multiple projects as part of a hard-working, committed team
-Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and accuracy
-Integrity and highest standards of ethics and professionalism
-Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Tessitura and Asana experience a plus.
Application Instructions
Application Procedure: Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to
hr@hbg.org. We will contact those candidates who most closely match our requirements.
December 26, 2025
