National Humanities Center, Vice President of Development

Job Description

The Opportunity

The National Humanities Center is seeking a skilled and creative development professional who will advance the philanthropic mission of the organization. A strategic partner to the President & Director and key member of the senior leadership team the Vice President of Development provides vision and direction for all aspects of fundraising and leads a two-person Development team. The Vice President of Development is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy to secure transformative major and planned gifts that support the Centers endowment fellowships programmatic needs and other strategic objectives.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic experienced leader with a deep understanding of fundraising in higher education and nonprofit sectors. This role requires a proven ability to mentor a team build lasting relationships with high-level donors and translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities. The Vice President of Development reports directly to the President & Director.

The Organization

The National Humanities Center is a private nonprofit organization and the only independent institute dedicated exclusively to advanced study in all areas of the humanities. The Center is supported by the generosity of individual donors grants from private and public foundations corporate philanthropy and institutional sponsors including universities and academic organizations whose partnership specifically supports the Centers fellowship program and public outreach efforts. The Center has a $7.5 million annual operating budget with approximately $1.5 million brought in through philanthropy and a $93 million endowment.

Through its Residential Fellowship Program the Center provides scholars with the resources necessary to generate new knowledge and to further understanding of all forms of cultural expression social interaction and human thought. Since opening for its first group of fellows in 1978 the Center has had over 1600 fellows in residence collectively producing more than 1700 books and scholarly works.

The Centers Education Programs strengthen teaching on the pre-collegiate and collegiate levels. Model programs developed at the Center provide teachers and faculty with new materials and instructional strategies to make them more effective in the classroom and rekindle their enthusiasm for the subjects they teach.

Through the division of Public Engagement the Center highlights the importance of the humanities to intellectual and civic life. Public Engagement programs aim to make high-level research critical thinking and informed dialogue accessible to a wide range of audiences by modeling and sharing best practices for humanities outreach and collaboration.

The Center fosters a collegial and inclusive work environment that values diversity and encourages professional development and growth. Its warm and inviting community comprises a dedicated staff and a vibrant cohort of scholars who share a rich history of meaningful contributions to human knowledge. The Center embraces a broad range of ideas perspectives backgrounds and abilities and collectively fosters a culture consistent with its core values of being empowering collaborative responsible intentional and curious.

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The Location

The Center is in the heart of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in Durham North Carolina. RTP is a large research and development center that acts as a hub and economic engine for the region. Since the parks inception it was always part of the vision to include organizations devoted to knowledge production and in the mid-1970s a portion of the park was set aside for the Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies Incorporated (TUCASI) campus which still houses the National Humanities Center today.

The Research Triangle region comprising Raleigh Durham and Chapel Hill is home to more than two million people and ten premier colleges and universities as well as an abundance of arts culture and recreational opportunities. Fueled by an impressive mix of education ingenuity and collaboration Durham and the surrounding Research Triangle region routinely rank among the nations best places to live work and play. The Triangle has attracted hundreds of companies to the region making it the largest research park in the United States. Perfectly positioned midway between the coast and the Appalachian Mountains the Triangle offers residents a beautiful place to call home.

The Position

In partnership with the President & Director Board of Trustees and Development team the Vice President of Development will be responsible for leading planning and implementing the Centers development programs which include individual giving (annual and major gifts) institutional and corporate sponsorships grants and foundations. The Vice President of Development will play a key role in ensuring the Center has the annual revenue to operate and grow its programs and will track and share progress toward fundraising goals regularly with the President & Director the Board of Trustees and the larger team.

The successful leader will need to be a strategic thinker as well as be able to execute the steps needed for the organizations fundraising programs and activities. The Vice President of Development will carry a portfolio of top donors and prospects and help establish a moves management system whose execution is shared among the President & Director Board volunteers staff and others. The ideal candidate will establish rapport with foundations corporations and individual donors and investors who share the vision and values of the Center and will strategically work to expand the community connected to the organization.

The Vice President of Development will supervise a team of two full-time staff members the Development Manager and Development Coordinator and will be instrumental in assessing the needs of the development operation and creating new positions to expand the program engaging a team of staff and volunteers in meaningful development opportunities to grow the base of support. Their peers on the senior leadership team include the Vice President for Knowledge Management and Digital Services the Vice President for Public Engagement the Vice President for Scholarly Programs the Vice President for Finance and Operations the Vice President for Communications and Marketing and the Vice President for Education Programs.

Core Responsibilities

The Vice President of Development will work with the President & Director senior leadership team and Development team to cultivate and implement a comprehensive development strategy to include individual foundation corporate higher education and other funding sources with a focus on:

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

Fundraising Execution & Major Gifts

Institutional Collaboration & Partnerships

Reporting & Industry Acumen

Required Attributes Skills and Qualifications

The Vice President of Development must share a passion for the humanities and for fostering a culture that is empowering responsible intentional collaborative and curious. In addition they should possess a variety of attributes including the following:

Education and Experience

Education: A bachelors degree is required. A masters degree in a relevant field (e.g. nonprofit management business administration public administration) is strongly preferred.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

A growth-oriented individual with the skills and drive to grow unrestricted giving to the Center.

Schedule and Location

• Full-time salaried position
• Hours are 8:30 am - 4:30pm Monday Friday
• In-person position with the potential to be hybrid

Compensation and Benefits

The National Humanities Center is committed to attracting an extraordinary leader for this position through a competitive compensation package that includes a salary in the range of $150000 - $200000 plus a generous employee benefits package consisting of 4.5 weeks of PTO 12 sick days federal holidays time off for birthday and additional office holiday closures; 10% salary employer contribution to 403(b) plan; employer-subsidized medical dental and vision; life insurance; flexible spending accounts; on-site daily dining; and more.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The National Humanities Center provides equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race color sex sexual orientation gender gender identity age religion disability marital status national origin status as a special disabled veteran or other protected veteran or any other protected status under applicable federal state or local law. The Center actively seeks and employs qualified persons in all job classes and administers all personnel actions affecting employees without discrimination that is unlawful under applicable federal and state laws.

To Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume by applying HERE. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

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National Humanities Center

7 T.W. Alexander Drive

Durham NC 27713