Summary:

The Director of Advancement is a senior leadership position responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support the mission of the Coastal Conservation League. This role oversees all development functions—including major gifts, institutional giving, annual fund, and donor engagement—while also providing input on strategic communications to elevate the organization’s visibility, influence, and impact.

The Director of Advancement partners closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and program leadership to secure critical resources, strengthen donor relationships, and align messaging with policy and advocacy priorities. This position plays a key role in advancing environmental protection, resilience, and equitable growth across South Carolina’s coastal communities. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Essential Functions:
Fundraising Strategy & Execution

Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategy to meet annual and long-term revenue goals.
Develop and manage the annual Advancement revenue budget usin data-driven analysis of the donor base, including donor capacity, giving history, and pipeline opportunities to establish realistic and strategic fundraising goals.
Lead and grow major gifts program, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-capacity donors.
Oversee institutional giving strategy, including foundation and corporate partnerships.
Direct annual fund campaigns and donor engagement initiatives to broaden and deepen the base of support.
Collaborate with the Executive Director and Board to actively engage them in fundraising efforts.
Plan and execute a range of events tailored to engage the organization’s various constituencies.

Donor Relations & Stewardship

Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key donors and stakeholders.
Ensure high-quality donor communications, recognition, and stewardship practices.
Track and analyze donor engagement metrics to inform strategy and improve retention.

Leadership & Team Management

Lead, mentor, and develop Advancement team members across development and communications functions.
Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and mission-driven team culture.
Establish clear goals, performance metrics, and accountability structures.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Communications and Program staff to align fundraising strategies with policy and conservation priorities.
Collaborate across departments to ensure consistency in messaging and donor engagement.
Support organizational planning and contribute to strategic initiatives.

Operations & Systems

Oversee fundraising systems, data integrity, and reporting (e.g., CRM management).
Develop and manage Advancement budget.
Monitor progress toward revenue goals and provide regular reporting to leadership and Board.

Other Duties

Support organizational events, campaigns, and special initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Authorities:

Authority to develop and execute fundraising, donor engagement, and communications strategies in alignment with organizational priorities
Authority to manage the Advancement team, budget, and external partners to achieve revenue and engagement goals
Authority to represent the organization with donors, partners, and stakeholders, including leading cultivation and solicitation efforts

Competencies:

Strategic thinking and ability to translate vision into actionable fundraising plans
Ability to analyze donor data and giving trends to develop strategic fundraising goals, revenue projections, performance metrics, and donor engagement strategies.
Ability to develop, manage, and execute major gift strategies including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Ability to translate complex conservation and policy topics into compelling donor messaging
Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices and donor lifecycle management
High level of initiative, professionalism, and discretion
Strong organizational and project management skills
Ability to collaborate across diverse teams and stakeholders
Experience working with or supporting boards of directors
Commitment to environmental conservation and advocacy

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, or related field
Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding fundraising goals
Experience managing donor relationships, including major gifts
Experience in environmental, conservation, or advocacy organizations
Experience in managing and developing high performing teams.

Preferred Education and Experience:

10+ years of experience in advancement, development, or related leadership roles
Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., nonprofit management, public administration, environmental studies, communications)
Familiarity with South Carolina’s policy landscape and coastal issues.
CFRE

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional office environment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, and climb stairs. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Travel

Some local travel may be required.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Other duties may be required in the job as requested by the Supervisor.

Benefits

The Coastal Conservation League offers a competitive suite of benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance; short- and long-term disability; life insurance, 403(b) retirement and generous paid time off policies.

Equal Opportunity

Cultivating a diverse and inclusive team is an essential component of the Conservation League’s commitment to advancing equity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The Coastal Conservation League is an equal opportunity employer. The Conservation League does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit, and business need.