Vice President of Philanthropy

The Trust for the National Mall is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, dedicated to preserving, enhancing, and restoring the National Mall. Their mission is to raise funds and awareness to ensure that this iconic space remains a vibrant symbol of our nation’s history, democracy, and culture. Working in collaboration with the National Park Service, they preserve and restore the Mall’s historical landmarks and memorials, ensuring their longevity for future generations.

The Vice President of Philanthropy is a senior fundraising leader responsible for advancing the Trust’s philanthropic strategy and revenue goals in support of organizational priorities. Reporting to the Chief Revenue & Growth Officer, the VP manages a portfolio of major donor prospects and leads a team of frontline fundraisers to secure transformational support from individuals and foundations.

Through strong leadership, relationship management, and revenue accountability, the VP helps ensure the achievement of organizational fundraising goals. The VP also serves as an ambassador for the Trust, representing the organization at donor, community, and special events and engaging stakeholders to advance philanthropic support and deepen relationships.

Securing Major Gifts (50%):

• Personally solicit $5,000,000 or more annually. Secure gifts at a variety of levels to encourage annual giving, multi-year commitments, and estate planning.
• Manage a portfolio of 50-75 high-capacity prospects.
• Focus on targets and strategies for unrestricted giving to support annual Trust operations.
• Drive relationship-based cultivation and stewardship strategies to effectively meet annual operating revenue goals.
• Communicate effectively the Trust’s mission, programs, and impact to engage donors, partners, and stakeholders.

Frontline Fundraiser Management (40%):

• Lead by example as a high-performing fundraiser, relationship builder, and closer of transformational gifts.
• Partner with the Director of Philanthropic Operations to develop and implement a comprehensive donor stewardship strategy and continuously refine policies for major gift prospect management.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Chief Revenue & Growth Officer and President & CEO on donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• In partnership with the Director of Philanthropic Operations, develop, implement, and continuously refine policies, processes, and protocols for major gift prospect management to support accurate forecasting, transparency, efficiency, and fundraising best practices across the organization.

Strategy and Collaboration (10%)

• Supports the Chief Revenue & Growth Officer’s vision and strategy for philanthropy, participating in the planning, review and refinements.
• Collaborates in the development of special initiatives with other team members and NPS partners and stakeholders as appropriate.
• Collaborate across divisions to support the design of initiatives and activations to be attractive to funding sources.
• Participate in fundraising and strategy for events like BALL for THE MALL and other cultivation/stewardship events to maximize donor prospecting, cultivation and engagement.

Ideal Candidate

Competencies

• Strategic thinker and effective communicator with exceptional relationship-building skills.
• Innovative and growth-oriented: embraces new ideas, evolving donor expectations, and emerging fundraising practices.
• Results-driven with strong accountability for achieving ambitious fundraising goals.
• Effective coach and collaborative team leader for high-performing development staff.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent professional work or military experience.
• At least 10+ years with a successful track record in the management of a major gifts program, which includes significant philanthropy from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Management of a team of gift officers preferred.

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid)

Salary Range: $175k to $190k annually. The salary listed is one component of the total compensation package for employees.

Apply: https://driwaterstonehc.com/position/vpphilanthropytfnm/

Position Overview: https://driwaterstonehc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Trust_for_the_National_Mall_VP_Philanthropy_Final.pdf

DRiWaterstone Human Capital is proud to lead this search on behalf of the Trust for the National Mall.