Senior Director of Development

Senior Director Of Development

Art and Wellness Enterprises (AWE) supports operating non-profits founded by Alice Walton, including the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Art Bridges, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary, and Heartland Whole Health Institute.

About The Position

The Senior Director of Development leads the design and execution of a comprehensive fundraising and development strategy for Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) and Heartland Whole Health Institute (HWHI). This role is responsible for all aspects of fundraising, including strategy development, donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, while ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for donors, partners, and stakeholders.

Partnering closely with senior leadership across multiple entities, the Director anticipates resource needs, builds robust donor pipelines, and drives best practices that position AWE and its affiliates as leaders in philanthropy and community impact. The role also oversees development operations, including fundraising systems, analytics, and reporting, to ensure alignment with organizational goals and strategic priorities.

Success in this role requires exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and operational excellence, along with the ability to foster collaboration across multiple teams and entities in a dynamic, evolving organizational environment to deliver sustainable philanthropic growth.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Development Strategy and Execution

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with each organization's goals and mission.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to understand current and future funding priorities, proactively identifying gaps and building donor pipelines.
• Provide fundraising strategies and implement tactical plans that increase philanthropic revenue and strengthen donor engagement.
• Implement innovative cultivation and stewardship initiatives to attract and retain diverse supporters across multiple sectors (e.g., healthcare, arts, medical education, cultural institutions, philanthropy).
• Develop and execute high-level fundraising initiatives, including major gifts, capital campaigns, and institutional partnerships to achieve annual goals.
• Accountable for achieving annual fundraising revenue targets, with demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure gifts to advance organizational priorities.
• Establish and oversee systems for donor portfolios and stewardship pipelines to ensure sustainable, organization-wide philanthropic support and impact.
• Personally manage a select portfolio of major donors, leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship to secure transformational gifts.
• Design and implement a strategic alumni giving program that promotes ongoing engagement and sustained support.
• Lead the development and execution of scholarship fundraising initiatives.
• Develop strategies for annual giving, planned giving, and endowment growth to ensure long-term sustainability of philanthropic support.

Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives

Operations and Analytics

Qualifications And Requirements

Physical Demands And Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

Physical Demands : In the work environment described, position requires utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye / hand coordination, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work environment : Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Must be able to engage with stakeholders for extended periods. Some national and regional travel will be required, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.