Executive Director, Fundraising Academy

Compensation Range:

Annual Salary: $100,260.00 - $135,350.00

Position Summary

The Executive Director, Fundraising Academy leads the strategic growth, operational leadership, and ongoing development of the Fundraising Academy at National University (NU).  The Executive Director is charged with elevating and scaling the Fundraising Academy, while partnering closely with both the Harmony Academy at NU and the wider university as a whole.  Serving as Fundraising Academy’s principal leader, the incumbent steers the Fundraising Academy’s comprehensive revenue strategy and day-to-day operations while working collaboratively with the Fundraising Academy’s Senior Manager and Program Manager, along with contract consultants and external distribution partners.

Founded in 2014, the Fundraising Academy at NU continues to innovate and evolve. Working in a fast-paced, start-up environment, the Executive Director drives revenue diversification and optimization, in partnership with executive and academic leadership at NU, to meet a shared revenue goal for both Harmony Academy and the Fundraising Academy. This includes the direct oversight and development of innovative, scalable partnership models that link advancement goals with fee-for-service offerings, sponsored learning series, and co-branded initiatives, solidifying the Fundraising Academy as the nation's leader in fundraising education.

The Executive Director fosters a mission-driven, results-oriented environment by providing expert strategic oversight across the full fundraising lifecycle. They will focus on securing transformative, multi-year commitments and driving large revenue through major gifts, grants, and corporate partnerships; skillfully managing and implementing the entire process – from prospect research and proposal development to compliance and renewal strategy – with an emphasis on donor retention and strategic stewardship to translate program success into powerful financial campaign blueprints.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Advancement & Revenue Growth

• Leads all major gifts, grants, and strategic revenue generation for the organization. Develops and manages a major gifts portfolio with clear move-management plans and annual goals.
• Drives strategic campaigns and sponsorships by leading the development of case-for-support and comprehensive campaign planning. Creates and negotiates sponsorship packages, measuring ROI.
• Ensures data-driven discipline by owning and managing fundraising KPIs (e.g., win rate, cycle time) with monthly dashboards. Leverages CRM data (Salesforce/Advance) for accurate forecasting and tracking.
• Investigates complex fundraising challenges, analyzes trends and data, and develops strategies to advance revenue growth and donor engagement.
• Coordinates executive and board engagement for all fundraising activities, preparing leadership with briefings, talking points, and stewardship touchpoints.

Academy Operations & Oversight

• Implements the multi-year business plan with measurable outcomes for enrollment and revenue.
• Integrates Fundraising Academy and Harmony Academy offerings into scalable professional learning experiences that serve schools, nonprofits, and community organizations.
• Advances the “Belonging & Sustainability” brand platform through cross-sector engagement and professional learning innovation.
• Builds and manages strategic alliances with key stakeholders across K-12, state agencies, and mission-aligned nonprofits. Drives national market expansion strategies in priority metros by cultivating flagship and co-branded partnerships.
• Fosters internal collaboration across the university to align initiatives and design integrated pathways (fundraising education, SEL, workforce readiness).

People Leadership & Institutional Alignment

• Fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning by modeling inclusive leadership practices and setting clear performance expectations.
• Represents NU’s mission and values with integrity while providing executive-level reporting on growth performance, partnerships, and impact metrics.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Oversight and management of a team that includes leadership-level direct reports.

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit leadership, or a related field required.
• Maste