Executive Director, Fundraising Academy

Compensation Range:

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.
• Master’s degree in business, nonprofit leadership, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of twelve (12) years of senior-level experience in fundraising, advancement, business development, or strategic partnerships in education, nonprofit, or social impact sectors required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience required.
• Experience in higher education preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in advancement, fundraising, or strategic business development within the education, nonprofit, or social impact sectors.
• Deep knowledge and experience in advancement strategy, pipeline management, and public-private partnerships, with prior success in securing major gifts, institutional funding, and corporate/philanthropic revenue.
• Advanced leadership skillset to include experience with success in coaching, developing, and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Skilled communicator with the ability to influence and build exceptional relationships with senior executives, donors, and partners, and lead complex cross-sector collaborations.
• Strong strategic and financial acumen, including the ability to translate organizational priorities into multi-year funding strategies, manage complex budgets, perform forecasting/ROI analysis, and assess new market opportunities for regional growth.
• Demonstrated commitment to organizational values of belonging, innovation, and community impact

Location: Remote, USA

Travel: Some Travel Required; approximately 35% travel for national partner cultivation, advancement meetings, conferences, and cross-university collaborations.

#LI-Remote

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies.  Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.  For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 4,500 faculty and staff and serves over 45,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University.