Vice President of Development

The Morton Arboretum (Morton or the Arboretum), globally recognized for its century-long commitment to tree-focused science, conservation, and education, seeks an experienced fundraising executive to serve as its Vice President of Development (VP). This is a unique leadership opportunity to partner with a committed President and CEO, lead and grow an exceptional team, and guide a comprehensive development program to achieve historic levels of philanthropy as Morton prepares for a multi-million-dollar campaign endeavor in support of its ambitious and forward-thinking strategic plan. 

For more than a century, the Arboretum has played an increasingly prominent leadership role as an organization that shares meaningful scientific research, leads global conservation work, and envisions a world where people and trees thrive together. Located just 25 miles west of Chicago, Morton offers an oasis of natural beauty and tranquility just minutes from one of the country’s greatest cities. Its 1,700 acres of beautiful tree-filled landscapes are a place of enjoyment, a vibrant hub for nature education, and a world-renowned center conducting scientific research to ensure healthy and resilient trees. More than 400 employees have chosen to advance the Arboretum’s mission and are committed to inclusion, responsible stewardship, collaboration, continuous learning, and delivering an exceptional experience to patrons. For the last four years, the Arboretum has been named a “Top Workplace” by The Chicago Tribune and this year was also named nationally as a top workplace by USA Today. As a nonprofit organization, the Arboretum’s mission is to collect, study, display, and conserve trees and other plants from around the world to inspire learning, foster enjoyment, benefit communities, encourage action, and enhance the environment. 

Reporting to President and CEO Jill Koski, the VP will direct all fundraising, donor engagement, and membership efforts across the Arboretum and successfully lead the impending comprehensive campaign, as well as secure annual operation funding. Working in close collaboration with senior staff and board leadership, the VP will expand and broaden the organization’s base of individual, foundation, and corporate philanthropic support, as well as its general membership. Additionally, the VP will direct special giving initiatives and partner with the president and board development committee to drive data-informed and donor-centric engagement approaches. Importantly, the VP is part of the Arboretum’s senior leadership team, a cohesive group committed to guiding the organization at the highest level and ensuring that Morton is among the most respected and far-reaching arboretums in the nation. As part of the senior leadership team, the VP will contribute to advancing the overall organizational strategic plan, setting priorities, and aligning philanthropic objectives across the entire enterprise.

The VP will be a skilled, decisive, and inclusive fundraising leader with awareness of and strong interest in Morton’s mission. The ideal candidate must demonstrate superb skills and success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship at major and principal gift levels; significant experience managing robust teams and programs within a sophisticated development operation across a campaign life cycle; a record of developing and implementing effective fundraising and engagement strategies; and excellent communication and listening skills. The VP will serve as a unifying force for the organization and excel at working in a consensus-driven, collaborative environment, while simultaneously establishing and adhering to clear expectations of accountability and quality. Finally, the VP must be an active community member who embraces the culture and core values of The Morton Arboretum. 

Jack Gorman is leading this search with Nicole Poe and Sandeep Kaur. 

The Morton Arboretum is a champion for diversity, supporting a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success. The Arboretum is committed to hiring and developing employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status.

The Morton Arboretum is dedicated to complying with its obligations as an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are guaranteed equal consideration for employment.