The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Director of Prospect Management in the Philanthropy Department to be based at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center located in Annapolis, MD.

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

Established in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home. Through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration efforts, we work together toward our vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.

CBF has a staff of approximately 200 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.

CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION

Philanthropy

The mission of the Philanthropy team is to provide financial resources for CBF to meet its long-term vision of saving the Bay. The team establishes and implements strategies to motivate donors to contribute to the organization's programs and projects.

CONTEXT OF POSITION:

The Director of Prospect Management leads a comprehensive prospect strategy that serves all giving levels and sources, connecting base, mid-level, major giving, and planned giving, through creative, intentional approaches to prospect movement and engagement. This role works as a collaborative partner across teams, leadership, consultants, and key volunteers to advance fundraising goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Prospect Management and Donor Strategy

• Lead strategy and planning for prospect management that connects all levels of philanthropic giving.
• Advise philanthropy staff in developing customized, data-informed donor strategies.
• Translate research and data into actionable fundraising strategies tailored to the donor as well as the fundraising program or individual gift officer style.
• Collaborate with the Chief Philanthropy Officer to support volunteer committees through peer review lists and strategy planning.
• Evaluate and optimize gift officer portfolios.
• Assess the feasibility of major gift operating and campaign revenue.
• Establish, monitor, and communicate progress against prospect pipeline, portfolio, and revenue-related goals and metrics.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on best practices in prospect data collection, analysis, and use, including oversight of wealth screening, donor modeling, and related analytics.
• Oversee the creation of comprehensive prospect profiles and briefing materials. Adapting research approaches to different fundraising styles and donor types.
• Ensure adherence to prospect management policies and maintain effective moves management systems; refine and document processes as needed and train staff.
• Secure and manage resources to support prospect research, data, and campaign analytics.

Prospect Identification and Qualification

• Manage a transparent prospect assignment and qualification process that is responsive to individual gift officer styles and portfolios.
• Provide tools, guidance, and timelines that support successful qualifications.

Staff Management

• Supervise and support professional prospect research staff.
• Ensure staff have appropriate tools, training, and resources.
• Set goals, evaluate performance, and support professional growth.

• Seven or more years of progressive experience in prospect research and prospect management, including work with individual, foundation, and corporate prospects, and supporting donor strategy across programs.
• Experience conducting complex analytical prospect research with strong attention to detail, confidentiality, ethical standards, and responsible data use.
• Ability to distill complex research and data into actionable fundraising strategies.
• Proficiency with a wide range of research and data tools, including wealth screening platforms, public records, business intelligence tools, and CRM systems.
• Ability to build and maintain trusted, collaborative relationships with gift officers, program leads, and philanthropy leadership.
• Experience working in a collaborative, cross-functional environment that requires flexibility and adaptability.
• Experience developing, documenting, and maintaining research and prospect management processes, policies, and workflows.
• Proven leadership and management skills, including mentoring staff, anticipating program needs, and setting standards for quality and performance.
• Direct experience supporting capital, comprehensive, or operating campaigns, including forecasting, feasibility studies, lead prospect identification, or campaign pipeline analysis.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning, staying current with industry best practices, tools, and technologies related to prospect research, prospect management, and philanthropic campaigns.
• Includes periodic travel to CBF regional offices.