Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Fundraising

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Fundraising is a senior development leader responsible for designing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies that maximize philanthropic revenue, deepen donor relationships, and advance organizational goals. This role leads major gifts, annual giving, capital and campaign initiatives; manages development staff and volunteers; partners with the CEO and Board on cultivation and solicitation; and uses CRM, data analytics, and best practices in stewardship to increase donor retention and lifetime value.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Development Manager / Development Officer (3–6+ years fundraising experience)
Major Gifts Officer or Senior Major Gifts Associate
Annual Giving or Donor Relations Manager

Advancement To:

Vice President of Development / VP of Philanthropy
Chief Development Officer / Chief Advancement Officer
Executive Director / CEO (for mission-driven leaders with broad organizational experience)

Lateral Moves:

Director of Advancement
Director of Institutional Giving or Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategy that includes major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and special campaigns, aligning fundraising goals with organizational mission and strategic plan.
Lead and manage the major gifts program: identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth prospects and donors, personally managing a portfolio of principal gift prospects and ensuring a pipeline that supports multi-year revenue goals.
Design and execute successful capital campaigns and comprehensive fundraising initiatives, including feasibility studies, campaign case statements, project timetables, volunteer recruitment, and campaign performance tracking to meet or exceed targets.
Build and drive annual giving strategies to increase participation and donor retention, leveraging direct mail, digital fundraising, peer-to-peer events, and segmented donor journeys to grow both revenue and donor base.
Create and implement an effective stewarding program that includes personalized recognition plans, donor communications, stewardship reports, impact stories, and renewal strategies to improve donor lifetime value.
Lead fundraising analytics and performance measurement: define KPIs (e.g., donor acquisition cost, retention rates, average gift size, pipeline velocity), analyze trends in CRM data, prepare dashboards and monthly reports for leadership and the board, and use insights to optimize fundraising tactics.
Oversee donor cultivation events and fundraising events (from small VIP briefings to large galas), ensuring they advance donor relationships, meet revenue objectives, and reflect strong brand and mission storytelling.
Manage and mentor the development team—hiring, coaching, setting goals, conducting performance reviews, and creating professional development plans to build a high-performing, collaborative fundraising function.
Serve as the primary development lead working closely with the CEO/ED and Board of Directors to develop solicitation strategies, prepare briefing materials, accompany leadership on donor visits, and support Board fundraising engagement and training.
Oversee grant strategy and proposal process for institutional funders: identify target foundations, coordinate proposal development, ensure timely submissions, and manage reporting and renewals for foundation and government grants.
Develop major donor prospect research and moves management processes using prospect research tools and wealth screening to prioritize outreach and tailor engagement plans for high-value donors.
Maintain and optimize fundraising technology and donor CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge), ensuring data integrity, gift coding, segmentation, automated communications, and integration with finance for accurate revenue recognition.
Prepare, manage, and forecast the development budget, including revenue projections, campaign budgets, donor-restricted fund management, and effective allocation of resources to maximize ROI on fundraising activities.
Create compelling case materials, solicitation letters, proposals, and presentations tailored to donor interests and impact metrics; ensure all donor-facing communications are persuasive, accurate, and impact-focused.
Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations, gift acceptance policies, donor privacy, and charitable solicitation laws; oversee gift agreements, naming rights, restricted fund management, and legal/finance coordination for large gifts.
Lead corporate partnership and sponsorship strategies: identify opportunities for strategic corporate relationships, negotiate sponsorship agreements, and integrate employee giving and cause marketing programs.
Develop and implement planned giving and legacy programs, including donor education, targeted outreach to older donors and advisors, and stewardship of estate/planned gift commitments.
Coordinate cross-functional collaboration with marketing, programs, finance, and communications to align messaging, produce impact reports, and ensure consistent storytelling across channels that drives donor engagement.
Conduct regular pipeline reviews and development committee meetings to ensure disciplined moves management, clear next steps for each prospect, and accountability across the development team and volunteers.
Represent the organization at external events, conferences, and donor meetings; build a public-facing presence to expand networks and attract new philanthropic support.
Lead the design and implementation of donor acquisition and reactivation campaigns that leverage digital fundraising, email segmentation, social media, and peer-to-peer strategies to broaden the donor base.
Negotiate and manage vendor relationships for fundraising platforms, event production, direct mail agencies, and prospect research providers to ensure cost-effectiveness and high-quality delivery.
Set performance targets and success criteria for fundraising programs, prepare board-level reports, and present results and recommendations to executive leadership and trustees to inform strategic decisions.
Create and sustain a culture of ethical fundraising, continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, and inclusive donor engagement that aligns with organizational values and equity goals.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc donor data requests and deliver actionable reports to program staff and executive leadership for fundraising planning.
Contribute to the organization’s fundraising strategy and roadmap by synthesizing donor insights, market trends, and competitive philanthropic intelligence.
Collaborate with finance to reconcile gifts, forecast monthly revenue, and ensure timely acknowledgment and receipting of donations.
Participate in planning and execution of integrated campaigns and cross-functional project teams (events, marketing, volunteer engagement).
Assist in developing training materials and onboarding programs for new development staff, volunteers, and board members on fundraising best practices.
Maintain donor records, pledge schedules, and gift documentation in the CRM to support accurate reporting and stewardship.
Support grant reporting and compliance activities by gathering programmatic outcomes and coordinating with program leads to submit timely deliverables.
Represent the development office at community and networking events as required to build visibility and new donor relationships.
Coordinate executive and board briefings for major donor meetings, preparing talking points, briefing memos, and follow-up action plans.
Support continuous improvement initiatives by piloting new fundraising tactics, A/B testing communications, and incorporating donor feedback into program design.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expertise in major gift cultivation and solicitation techniques (moves management, discovery meetings, personalized solicitation strategies).
Proven proficiency with donor CRM systems such as Salesforce (NPSP), Raiser’s Edge, Bloomerang, or comparable platforms; ability to design reports, dashboards, and segmentation rules.
Fundraising campaign planning and management experience, including capital campaigns, comprehensive campaigns, and annual funds with documented results.
Strong financial acumen: budgeting, revenue forecasting, gift accounting, and interpretation of development KPIs for strategic planning.
Grant writing and grant management skills, including prospect research, proposal development, compliance reporting, and stewardship of institutional funders.
Experience with donor research and wealth screening tools (WealthEngine, DonorSearch, iWave) and applying research to prospect prioritization.
Knowledge of planned giving vehicles, legacy gift marketing, and legal/financial considerations for estate commitments.
Competence in digital fundraising tools and channels—email marketing platforms, peer-to-peer fundraising, social fundraising, and online donation processors.
Advanced presentation and proposal writing skills for creating compelling cases for support, solicitation materials, and executive briefings.
Data analysis and performance measurement skills—Excel modeling, KPI tracking, pipeline analysis, and use of analytics to optimize donor acquisition and retention.
Event planning and stewardship logistics for donor cultivation events, VIP briefings, and fundraising galas.
Familiarity with nonprofit governance and board-level fundraising responsibilities, including Board engagement strategies and gift compliance.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and visionary planning with the ability to translate strategy into measurable fundraising outcomes.
Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills to cultivate trust with donors, board members, volunteers, and senior leaders.
Strong communication and storytelling skills, both written and verbal, tailored to diverse donor audiences and channels.
Persuasive negotiation and closing skills for securing major and transformational gifts.
Coaching and team development skills to mentor staff and foster a collaborative, accountable fundraising culture.
High emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and discretion when working with confidential donor information and sensitive negotiations.
Results-oriented mindset with resilience, adaptability, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to adapt strategy when performance data indicates new approaches are needed.
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills, particularly for gift processing, reporting, and legal compliance.
Ethical judgment and commitment to fundraising best practices, donor-centered stewardship, and nonprofit accountability.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Business, Communications, Public Administration, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership, Business Administration (MBA), Public Administration (MPA), Philanthropy, or related advanced credential (CPL, CFRE preferred).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Nonprofit Management
Public Administration
Business / Management
Communications / Marketing
Philanthropy / Social Impact

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

7–12+ years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts, annual giving, or campaign leadership; typically includes 3–6 years managing staff or leading development teams.

Preferred:

10+ years in fundraising with a track record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts, leading successful capital or comprehensive campaigns, and managing development operations and CRM systems. Experience working closely with executive leadership and boards, and measurable evidence of growing revenue, increasing donor retention, and building sustainable fundraising pipelines.