Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving (Full-Time)

Job Type Full-time Description

With its intact and picturesque vistas, Cheekwood is distinguished as one of the leading Country Place Era estates in the nation. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, the 1930s estate, with its 30,000-square-foot Mansion and 55-acres of gardens, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum with furnished period rooms and galleries devoted to American art from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. The property includes 13 distinct gardens including the Blevins Japanese Garden and the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring outdoor monumental sculpture. Each year, Cheekwood hosts seasonal festivals including Cheekwood in Bloom, Summertime at Cheekwood, Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS. Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a three-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden, in 2024 and 2025 received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, and in 2021 was named by Fodors as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South. Cheekwood has a $17M budget and more than 200 full and part-time staff, presenting four seasons of family-oriented festivals, world-class exhibitions, and educational programs for over 380,000 visitors and 17,000 member families annually.

Position Description

Reporting to the Director of Development, Major and Leadership Gifts, the Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundations Giving manages the institution’s corporate and foundation giving program. They are detailed-oriented, highly organized, results-driven development professional with excellent writing skills, adept at managing, prioritizing multiple projects on time with flawless execution and possess demonstrated expertise in fundraising. 

The Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving is responsible for identifying, cultivating and securing revenue from trusts, foundations, and corporate grants. The Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving will maintain a portfolio of existing and new relationships and provide grant management for key existing funders, as well as lead efforts to create a robust pipeline of new strategic partners to grow and diversify Cheekwood’s revenue streams. The Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving will provide leadership through engaging new partners, increasing both restricted and unrestricted funding as well as provide strategic input to leverage both local and national grant opportunities. This role requires extensive collaboration with the Chief Development Officer (CDO), the Director of Development, Major and Leadership Giving, the President / CEO, Senior Staff, and Board Members to achieve these goals. 

Essential Responsibilities 

Revenue Growth & Relationship Management 

• Serves as a critical member of development team in collaboration with the Chief Development and Officer, the President /CEO, and the Director of Development Major Gifts.
• In collaboration with Cheekwood program staff, establishes strategic goals and objectives for Cheekwood’s Foundation’s program in accordance with Cheekwood operations and campaign revenue targets.
• Must be a “hands on” and visionary lead fundraiser by driving new and existing grants revenue and foundation relationships by researching, creating and managing a portfolio of strategic foundation partnerships.
• Ensures targeted and timely stewardship to all funders. Provides oversight for on-site visits, tours and presentations by program staff and President / CEO.
• Serves as the lead on foundation relationship building and pipeline activity, undertaking prospecting activities and research to deliver a thoroughly researched pipeline of annual and campaign prospects, designing cultivation strategies for each prospect in collaboration with the Chief Development Officer, and facilitating accurate monthly prioritization and financial reforecasting exercises to ensure all systems are up to date.
• Working closely with the grant’s manager, writes, edits, and ensures the oversight of submission of grants to both new and existing foundation and corporate sources.
• Works to achieve financial and performance goals that have been set with the Chief Development Officer, including developing and tracking revenue projections and new funders.
• With program staff, ensures that appropriate program evaluation metrics and reporting processes are in place to be carried out by program staff for grants reporting.

Communications and Grant Coordination

• Ensures team’s maximum awareness of Cheekwood’s programs and fundraising opportunities, including developing an