Director of Development

Director of Development

Pritzker Military Museum & Library

The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is seeking an experienced Director of Development at an important point in the institution’s growth.

The PMML is developing a transformation plan that will expand programming, improve the visitor experience, and create new ways for people to engage with its collections and stories. The Director of Development will help build the philanthropic support needed to move that work from plan to reality.

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Director will serve as the PMML’s lead fundraiser. The position will strengthen annual giving, build a pipeline of major and principal gifts, and play a central role in a capital campaign expected to be in the $25 million to $50 million range.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a fundraiser who wants to help shape what the PMML becomes next. The Director will build donor relationships and work closely with the President & CEO, Board members, and institutional leaders to connect philanthropy with the Museum & Library’s future.

About the PMML

Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library preserves and shares the stories of military service and the Citizen Soldier, helping people better understand our nation’s history and the world we live in today. Its collections include more than 40,000 museum objects and more than 70,000 library titles, with exhibitions and public programs that bring those resources to a wider audience.

The Director will work across the PMML to develop strong fundraising opportunities around exhibitions, programs, events, and other priorities. Working in partnership with department heads, the Director serves as the lead fundraiser in shaping those opportunities and securing support.

What You’ll Lead

- Grow annual giving and unrestricted support while building a strong major-gift pipeline.
- Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects and personally lead significant cultivation and solicitation.
- Help lead preparation and fundraising for a $25 million to $50 million capital campaign.
- Build corporate philanthropic support through sponsorships and the PMML’s Corporate Membership program.
- Lead fundraising for exhibitions, programs, and other institutional priorities.
- Direct foundation and grant fundraising and strengthen support from existing donors.
- Lead fundraising and donor engagement for the annual Liberty Gala and work closely with the President & CEO and Board members on major and principal gift opportunities.

What We’re Looking For

- At least five years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in a nonprofit, cultural, educational, or related institution.
- Demonstrated success cultivating and soliciting major donors and managing a substantial portfolio of prospects.
- Experience building a fundraising pipeline and generating significant contributed revenue.
- Demonstrated success stewarding existing donors and increasing their support.
- Experience with major or capital campaigns and developing compelling cases for support.
- Experience working effectively with senior leadership and Board members in cultivation and solicitation.
- Strong judgment, communication skills, follow-through, with working knowledge of donor databases and fundraising systems. Tessitura experience is preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. Interest in military history, public history, museums, libraries, or related fields is also preferred.

The Director will have the opportunity to shape the PMML’s fundraising program as the institution grows. Working closely with the President & CEO and supported by colleagues across the organization, the Director will bring greater focus to donor development, strengthen the fundraising pipeline, and help build the philanthropic base for the PMML’s future.

The position is based at the PMML in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Some hybrid flexibility may be available based on the needs of the role and the organization. Occasional travel and evening or weekend work are required for donor engagement, programs, and events.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Development leads the Pritzker Military Museum & Library’s fundraising strategy and is responsible for growing contributed revenue to support current operations and long-term institutional priorities. [SR1]

The Director builds relationships with donors and prospects, develops the fundraising pipeline, and identifies new sources of philanthropic support. The position leads the PMML’s contributed revenue efforts, including unrestricted annual giving, major gifts, institutional support, and campaign fundraising.

Working closely with the President & CEO, the Director develops fundraising priorities and prospect strategies and coordinates leadership involvement in cultivation and solicitation. Major solicitations and institutional commitments follow established approval processes.

The Director works across the PMML to develop strong fundraising opportunities around exhibitions, programs, events, and other priorities. Working in partnership with department heads, the Director serves as the lead fundraiser in shaping those opportunities and securing support.

The Director is responsible for maintaining an effective fundraising operation, timely follow-up, accurate reporting, and consistent movement through the pipeline. The CRM & Constituent Operations Manager, within Audience Engagement, supports this work through CRM administration and related development operations.

The Director works with Audience Engagement to identify members with greater philanthropic interest or capacity and develop those relationships. Leads the Corporate Membership program as part of the PMML’s corporate philanthropic outreach.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in a nonprofit, cultural, educational, or related institution.
- Demonstrated success cultivating and soliciting donors and managing a substantial portfolio of prospects.
- Experience developing contributed revenue through major gifts, institutional support, or campaign fundraising.
- Ability to identify new prospects, build a fundraising pipeline, establish revenue goals, and adjust strategy based on performance.
- Demonstrated success stewarding donors and increasing support from existing relationships.
- Experience working with senior leadership and Board members in donor cultivation and solicitation.
- Experience managing grant writers, consultants, or other external fundraising support preferred.
- Working knowledge of donor databases and fundraising systems; Tessitura experience preferred.
- Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed and travel occasionally.
- Interest in military history, public history, museums, libraries, or related fields preferred.

ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth

- Develop and lead the PMML’s fundraising strategy and establish annual and longer-term contributed revenue goals.
- Identify and develop new sources of philanthropic support while building a pipeline capable of sustaining future revenue growth.
- Lead fundraising across the PMML’s primary contributed revenue channels.
- Monitor performance against goals and adjust strategy as opportunities or risks emerge.

Donor and Prospect Development

- Build and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, with responsibility for moving relationships toward philanthropic support.
- Identify and qualify new prospects and develop appropriate cultivation and solicitation strategies.
- Develop and strengthen annual giving as a source of donor acquisition, retention, and increased philanthropic support.
- Partner with the President & CEO on major and principal gift strategy and help institutional leaders use their relationships effectively.
- Work with Audience Engagement to identify members with philanthropic potential and deepen those relationships.

Institutional Fundraising and Sponsorships

- Work with departments to identify institutional priorities that may attract philanthropic or sponsorship support.
- Advise staff on how those priorities can be developed into fundable opportunities.
- Lead sponsorship strategy and solicitation.
- Coordinate with Marketing on sponsorship recognition and donor-facing fundraising materials.

Grants and Foundation Support

- Lead grant and foundation strategy and maintain relationships with funders.
- Manage external grant-writing support and provide direction on priorities and proposals.
- Work with departments to develop competitive applications and meet grant requirements.
- Maintain accountability for the performance of the PMML’s grant program.

Campaign and Major Initiative Fundraising

- Develop cases for support and fundraising materials for major institutional priorities.
- Prepare the PMML for future campaigns through prospect development, case development, and appropriate planning.
- Connect long-term institutional priorities with major and principal gift opportunities.
- Manage fundraising consultants and external campaign support as needed.

Stewardship and Donor Engagement

- Lead donor stewardship and relationship-building efforts.
- Set standards for timely acknowledgment and follow-up while personally managing significant donor relationships.
- Oversee the Founders Club and other donor recognition programs.
- Ensure donor commitments receive appropriate stewardship and recognition.

Liberty Gala and Fundraising Events

- Lead the fundraising and donor engagement components of the Liberty Gala and other assigned fundraising events.
- Develop the Gala’s fundraising strategy, donor messaging, and solicitation approach including “night of” fundraising
- Use the Gala to strengthen donor relationships and develop new prospects.
- Work with the Director of Audience Engagement, who serves as the PMML’s internal project manager, and third-party event support to align fundraising priorities with event execution.
- Lead donor follow-up after fundraising events.

Development Leadership and Performance

- Ensure fundraising activity receives appropriate follow-up and is documented consistently.
- Maintain accurate development records and reporting, with support from CRM & Constituent Operations Manager.
- Evaluate fundraising performance and pipeline strength and report results to the President & CEO and Board.
- Develop and manage the approved annual Development budget.
- Work with Director of Finance to ensure fundraising revenue and related financial reporting are accurate and reconciled.
- Build strong working relationships across the PMML so Development can help departments identify and pursue philanthropic opportunities.
- Perform other duties as assigned.

Short term fundraising goals including annual fund, unrestricted general operating gifts and program and event sponsorships should be included.

Is this an update to Gabby's position? Will it include administrative support for the Director? Wouldn't this role report to the Director since it is heavily prospect and donor-centric?

Yes, this is an evolution of Gabby’s position. I see it supporting CRM and constituent work across the organization, including membership data, Finance, audience data, and communications, rather than serving as administrative support to the Director of Development.

All of those functions are important, and several were not well prioritized in the previous iteration of the role. For that reason, I think the position should remain within Audience Engagement while providing strong support to Development for donor data, reporting, acknowledgments, and campaign work.

The Director has responsibility for securing Corporate Memberships.

Should have demonstrated expertise in donor stewardship and cultivating increased asks from existing donors.

#ZR