Julia Farmer
Gill,MA
Summary
Experienced senior executive leader with two decades of success in philanthropy, strategy, and organizational management. As Chief Development Officer at a national nonprofit, I lead with clarity, decisiveness, and trust—guiding multi-million-dollar initiatives and cross-functional teams to exceed goals. I specialize in building systems, aligning leadership, and fostering partnerships across complex, federated structures. With a background in high-stakes fundraising, strategic communications, and executive advising, I bring a calm, focused presence to dynamic environments. My priority is always to move mission-critical work forward—with integrity, efficiency, and a shared sense of purpose. Seasoned Vice President with a proven track record in strategic planning, financial management and team leadership. Skilled at implementing operational improvements to drive productivity and profit growth. Demonstrated abilities in fostering positive relationships with stakeholders, partners, and clients while delivering high-impact business results. Known for problem-solving acumen, innovative thinking, and strong communication skills.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Development Officer
Outward Bound USA
08.2021 - Current
- Serve as a trusted senior leader within the executive team, shaping enterprise-level strategy, organizational priorities, and long-range planning across a complex national nonprofit.
- Direct a cross-functional team overseeing major gifts, foundation partnerships, advancement operations, and alumni engagement—ensuring alignment with national growth objectives.
- Lead the organization through a transformative period of philanthropic growth, including securing a historic $15 million gift and stewarding an additional $15 million commitment anticipated in late 2025.
- Partner with the CEO and Board of Directors to establish strategic fundraising priorities, activate board leadership, and build a national campaign framework to support mission advancement.
- Oversee a dynamic portfolio of major donors and institutional funders, fostering long-term partnerships through strategic cultivation, stewardship, and tailored investment opportunities.
- Spearhead foundation reporting and communications, translating impact data into compelling narratives that support transparency, deepen trust, and reinforce funding relationships.
- Collaborate with internal research and evaluation teams to streamline the capture and communication of student outcomes and impact metrics—ensuring funder confidence and data integrity.
- Advance organizational cohesion by aligning advancement, communications, and program strategy across a federated network of nine regional schools, embedding a shared culture of philanthropy.
Interim Chief Advancement Officer
Outward Bound USA
06.2024 - 12.2024
- Providing vision and leadership for all revenue fundraising and advancement communications, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving strategic growth.
- Managing and mentoring a team of three staff members, fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance.
- Partnering with the board to define fundraising priorities and engage them in strategic philanthropic initiatives.
- Leading alumni engagement efforts for over 1 million alumni, enhancing connection and commitment to the Outward Bound mission.
- Spearheading a cohesive advancement and marketing strategy, integrating communications and branding efforts to elevate donor and alumni engagement.
- Developing and executing comprehensive donor cultivation and stewardship plans, expanding support from major donors and strengthening the donor pipeline.
Director of Development
Outward Bound USA
03.2023 - 06.2024
- Strategically planning and executing a $38,500,000 comprehensive campaign and serving as a campaign leader.
- Developing, planning and implementing a comprehensive prospect strategy along with portfolio implementation and creation of a communications campaign to attract major donors of $10,000 and above.
- Building, collaborating with, and fortifying relationships with numerous internal and external stakeholders, in addition to alumni located all across the country.
- Creating and overseeing giving engagement and event opportunities, to educate, inspire and attract major donors and prospects.
Director of Annual Giving
Outward Bound USA
08.2021 - 03.2023
- Managed and oversaw the individual giving strategy and solicitation of donations for a world-class, international nonprofit.
- Was promoted into a leadership role within 18 months of joining the organization.
- Exceeded 2022 annual fundraising goal by 22%.
- Designed and implemented both prospect management and portfolio management systems for individual donor stewardship.
- Worked closely with the marketing team to create annual giving campaign promotional materials.
Director of Parent and Alumni Engagement
Northfield Mount Hermon School
09.2019 - 08.2021
- The driving force behind the creation of the Parent Annual Giving program including conception, staffing, goal setting, strategic planning and overall stewardship management.
- Under my leadership, parent annual giving increased by 65% to almost $1 million in my first year, while unrestricted parent giving doubled by the close of FY21.
- Worked jointly with and fostered relationships with internal and external stakeholders across campus to build a donor pyramid, develop criteria for solicitations and for prospect research, support external relations and write external communications.
- Oversaw content development for all parent and alumni communications, including weekly newsletters to parents and 30,000 alumni.
- Managed the Parents’ Council and the Emergency Communications Platform, was a member of the Crisis Communications team and the Advancement Director’s team, liaised with the NMH Alumni Council, and oversaw the Council Committee.
- Developed and strategically implemented engagement activities for external audiences including reunion, donor events, and head of school events.
- Hosted and moderated zoom sessions for senior administrators for thousands of alumni and parents, including Q&A sessions for parents during the pandemic.
Director of Parent Resources
Northfield Mount Hermon School
10.2017 - 09.2019
- Developed and executed parent communications across all offices on campus including the Board of Trustees, School Head, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice, Advancement, Admissions, and College Counseling.
- Creative mind and writing behind the NMH Parent story boarding, weekly newsletter, and the annual parent communications campaign.
- Managed Parent’s Council through strategic planning, engagement in capital priorities and annual giving, and volunteer management.
- Worked closely with the Admissions Office as a partner in student and family recruitment and relations, and oversaw domestic and international parent relations.
- Cultivated and maintained relationships between Academic Programming, Enrollment, Dean’s Office, and Parent Relations, including writing a weekly e-newsletter to current NMH parents.
- Managed a staff to execute all on-campus, domestic, and international events, along with developed and executed special events of 1,500 attendees or more.
Senior Associate Director of Giving and Programs
Northfield Mount Hermon School
06.2014 - 10.2017
- Served as director of the NMH Reunion program. Worked with 15 different class committees simultaneously to plan specialized reunion events, eventually leading to the hosting of 900 alumni and guests on campus each June.
- Recruited and managed all reunion volunteer committees, oversaw all written communication with alumni, and served as liaison with various departments across campus.
- Served as Interim Director for the fundraising and events team in the absence of the department director.
Associate Director of Individual Giving
Northfield Mount Hermon School
11.2010 - 06.2014
- Managed a portfolio of over 100 donors through the entire cultivation, giving, and stewardship process.
- Solicited gifts of $1,879 to $50,000 for the NMH Annual Fund.
- Stewarded donors and created an acknowledgement process for the department.
- Prospected potential leadership and major gift donors.
- Developed appropriate cultivation strategies for donors and potential donors, including moving potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and acquisition of gifts.
Development Officer
Southern Environmental Law Center
Charlottesville, Virginia
09.2008 - 07.2010
- Responsible for soliciting gifts from major donors including leadership gifts of $50,000+.
- Worked with SELC attorneys and lobbyists to develop specialized donor strategy for a $45 million capital campaign that included solicitation of multi-year campaign gifts.
- Managed relationships with a portfolio of approximately 150 donors to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward these individual donors.
- Worked closely with the grant manager to assist in writing proposals and maintaining connection with donor maintained foundations.
- Maintained an understanding of federal programs and legislation that influences conservation work.
- Developed a strategy for each donor in my portfolio, including a three-year solicitation and cultivation plan.
- Identified potential major donors and designed a solicitation plan to cultivate these individuals to give at the major donor level ($5,000 and above).
- Planned various events to cultivate donors and prospects.
Senior Development Officer
North Carolina Outward Bound School
Asheville, North Carolina
08.2006 - 09.2008
- Carried a portfolio of both major gift donors and donors at the annual, participatory level.
- Implemented annual major donor campaigns and secured major gifts through cultivation activities, conference call meetings, and in person visits.
- Wrote grants, including being selected to receive the highly competitive Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation’s Nancy Susan Reynolds award for race relations in 2007.
- Planned an invitational in South America for an all women crew, including briefing the instructors on goals and executing a follow-up plan upon return.
- Established and actively fundraised for a diversity and social justice endowment fund.
- Contributed to and implemented long-term strategic planning for the department, including identifying and cultivating future donors and major gift strategizing.
Associate Executive Director
American Cancer Society
Birmingham, Alabama
09.2005 - 08.2006
- Managed a small team required to cultivate relationships for the purposes of fundraising and increasing awareness for research, education, advocacy, and service.
- Educated city leaders on current public health trends and cancer-related topics that would impact their constituents. These efforts resulted in an indoor smoking ban in the Birmingham metro area and surrounding cities.
- Collaborated with the Executive Director for the development and implementation of a volunteer leadership structure for utilization by the Board of Directors.
- Worked in underserved communities to educate and raise cancer awareness through grassroots programs.
Development Officer
American Cancer Society
Birmingham, Alabama
06.2004 - 09.2005
- Identified, recruited, trained, and cultivated relationships with volunteers and donors in regional areas to coordinate and implement fundraising activities.
- Followed defined fundraising methodology by developing prospects to achieve objectives and fundraising goals through the use of volunteers and donors.
- Created and maintained detailed income reports, volunteer committee structures, and an event planning guide.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Communications and Public Relations, Studio Art
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AlabamaSkills
- Communication strategy
- Campaign management
- Fundraising strategy
- Major gift cultivation
- Data analysis
- Team leadership
- Project management
- Fundraising expertise
- Nonprofit management
- Analytical skills
- Problem-solving
Websites
Professional Overview
Experienced senior executive leader with two decades of success in philanthropy, strategy, and organizational management. As Chief Development Officer at a national nonprofit, I lead with clarity, decisiveness, and trust—guiding multi-million dollar initiatives and cross-functional teams to exceed goals. I specialize in building systems, aligning leadership, and fostering partnerships across complex, federated structures. With a background in high-stakes fundraising, strategic communications, and executive advising, I bring a calm, focused presence to dynamic environments. My priority is always to move mission-critical work forward—with integrity, efficiency, and a shared sense of purpose.
Timeline
Interim Chief Advancement Officer
Outward Bound USA
06.2024 - 12.2024
Director of Development
Outward Bound USA
03.2023 - 06.2024
Chief Development Officer
Outward Bound USA
08.2021 - Current
Director of Annual Giving
Outward Bound USA
08.2021 - 03.2023
Director of Parent and Alumni Engagement
Northfield Mount Hermon School
09.2019 - 08.2021
Director of Parent Resources
Northfield Mount Hermon School
10.2017 - 09.2019
Senior Associate Director of Giving and Programs
Northfield Mount Hermon School
06.2014 - 10.2017
Associate Director of Individual Giving
Northfield Mount Hermon School
11.2010 - 06.2014
Development Officer
Southern Environmental Law Center
09.2008 - 07.2010
Senior Development Officer
North Carolina Outward Bound School
08.2006 - 09.2008
Associate Executive Director
American Cancer Society
09.2005 - 08.2006
Development Officer
American Cancer Society
06.2004 - 09.2005
Bachelor of Arts - Communications and Public Relations, Studio Art
The University of Alabama
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