Director of Advancement

MLK Center

Position: Director of Advancement

Compensation: $65,000 base plus performance-based bonus and generous benefits package

Job Type: Full-time 

Location: Onsite at MLK Center in Indianapolis, IN

Schedule: Monday – Friday business hours with some evenings and weekends, as the work dictates 

Rooted in Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence, MLK Center engages neighbors to practice radical love and build Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community.

Are you a dynamic nonprofit development professional inspired by MLK Center’s mission and driven to do good work in your community?

Do you have foundational training in advancement best practices along with real world experience, successfully applying this knowledge?

You may be the person we’re seeking to serve as MLK Center’s Director of Advancement!

As the Director of Advancement, you will:

• Be the primary architect of organizational financial sustainability
• Lead the strategy and execution of all fundraising activities
• Be the chief strategist and primary frontline fundraiser
• Lead a small but high impact “shop” of three, with a Grants Coordinator and a Community Engagement Coordinator as direct reports
• Ensure MLK Center has the flexible funding it needs to thrive.

A day in the life of the Director of Advancement may include:

• Designing monthly and annual fund plans
• Identifying and qualifying major gift prospects
• Preparing the Executive Director for a high-level donor meeting
• Training the Board of Directors in effective fundraising techniques
• Representing MLK Center at a community or chamber event
• Analyzing data from our database to evaluate progress on goals and report to leadership
• Sending out personalized gift acknowledgements and thank-you notes
• Curating stories that communicate our mission and compel people to give

You will thrive as the Director of Advancement if:

• You believe wholeheartedly in Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence
• Your methods align with a donor-centric model of fund development
• You have real-world examples of building deep relationships with corporations, individuals, local businesses, and foundations
• You get antsy being in the office too much because you want to be out in the community, talking with prospects and donors
• You make friends everywhere you go because cultivating connections with people comes naturally to you
• You have gift-closing success stories you can’t wait to tell us about
• You are a stickler for using technology to maintain meticulous records
• You find joy in managing and mentoring your team