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Nonprofit Development Director — Key Responsibilities and Required Skills

💰 $75,000 - $120,000

NonprofitDevelopmentFundraisingLeadershipAdvancement

🎯 Role Definition

The Nonprofit Development Director leads organizational fundraising and donor engagement efforts by building sustainable revenue streams, stewarding relationships with individual and institutional donors, and creating integrated campaigns that advance mission impact. This role manages a small team, partners closely with the CEO/ED and Board, oversees donor data and CRM systems, and translates strategy into measurable fundraising outcomes. Ideal candidates combine strategic vision, proven major gifts and grant experience, and operational excellence to scale philanthropic support.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Development Manager / Development Coordinator with 3–5 years fundraising experience
  • Major Gifts Officer or Grants Manager with demonstrated portfolio success
  • Programs Manager or Communications Manager transitioning into advancement

Advancement To:

  • Chief Development Officer / VP of Development or Advancement
  • Executive Director (in smaller organizations)
  • Director of Philanthropy / Head of Institutional Giving at larger organizations

Lateral Moves:

  • Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations
  • Director of Annual Giving and Donor Engagement
  • Director of Stewardship & Donor Experience

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement, and continually refine a multi-year fundraising strategy that integrates major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, grants, events, and online giving to meet revenue and growth targets.
  • Build and manage a high-performing development portfolio, personally qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects and donors to secure six- and seven-figure commitments where appropriate.
  • Lead all aspects of grant strategy and execution including prospect research, proposal development, budgeting, submission, reporting, and compliance for foundation, corporate, and government funders.
  • Create and execute comprehensive annual giving plans that increase donor retention, upgrade mid-level donors, grow recurring giving, and expand new donor acquisition channels.
  • Manage the donor pipeline with disciplined prospect identification, moves management, personalized cultivation plans, and timely solicitation strategies to convert prospects into committed supporters.
  • Oversee donor stewardship and recognition programs to ensure timely thank-you communications, impact reporting, Donor Bill of Rights adherence, and meaningful engagement that increases lifetime value.
  • Serve as the principal liaison to the Board of Directors’ Development Committee, preparing briefs, fundraising dashboards, prospect lists, and training for board-led solicitations and ambassadorship.
  • Supervise, mentor, and evaluate development staff and contractors (e.g., grant writers, gift officers, events staff), set performance goals, and foster continuous professional development.
  • Own the annual development budget, forecasting, and financial reconciliation; track fundraising ROI by campaign, channel, and donor segment to inform strategy and resource allocation.
  • Implement and optimize CRM and constituent management systems (e.g., Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Raiser’s Edge, Bloomerang) to ensure data integrity, comprehensive gift accounting, and targeted cultivation workflows.
  • Design and manage integrated fundraising campaigns (capital campaigns, anniversary campaigns, emergency appeals) including case development, leadership solicitation plans, campaign communications, and metrics for success.
  • Lead major donor and planned giving strategies including estate/planned giving materials, legacy society stewardship, and stewardship events that motivate long-term commitments.
  • Collaborate with marketing and communications to craft donor-centric messaging, impact stories, digital fundraising pages, email appeals, social media campaigns, and solicitation materials that drive conversion and retention.
  • Plan and execute fundraising events (virtual and in-person) that align with development goals, including sponsorship solicitation, ticketing strategy, donor recognition, and post-event stewardship.
  • Conduct proactive prospect research and wealth screening to identify giving capacity, affinity, giving history, and networks to prioritize outreach and solicitation strategies.
  • Establish and monitor performance metrics and dashboards (monthly/quarterly KPIs) for gift revenue, donor acquisition and retention, average gift size, pipeline progression, and campaign milestones; report progress to leadership and key stakeholders.
  • Ensure compliance with nonprofit fundraising regulations, data privacy laws, gift acceptance policies, and audited gift reporting; maintain accurate gift agreements, restricted fund accounting, and donor intent documentation.
  • Represent the organization externally to cultivate corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and strategic collaborations that expand visibility and funding opportunities.
  • Provide strategic counsel to senior leadership and program teams on funding priorities, impact measurement, grant-readiness, and funder relations to align development with programmatic strategy.
  • Design, test, and iterate donor journeys and stewardship touchpoints based on segmentation, lifecycle stage, and performance data to maximize donor lifetime value.
  • Lead cross-functional fundraising initiatives that integrate volunteer engagement, community outreach, advocacy, and programmatic pilots to deepen donor involvement and mission alignment.
  • Negotiate and manage donor agreements, sponsorship contracts, and memoranda of understanding to protect organizational interests while honoring donor expectations.
  • Create training materials, playbooks, and standard operating procedures for moves management, gift processing, and stewardship to professionalize development operations across the organization.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc senior leadership requests related to fundraising strategy, donor briefings, and funding opportunity analysis.
  • Maintain and update donor-facing collateral, gift acknowledgement templates, and stewardship reporting formats to ensure consistent, brand-aligned communication.
  • Coordinate with finance and grants teams to reconcile gifts, ensure accurate restricted fund accounting, and support annual audit processes and grant close-outs.
  • Facilitate donor visits, site tours, and program briefings to showcase impact and build relationships between donors, staff, and beneficiaries.
  • Coach board members and volunteers on effective fundraising conversations, solicitation best practices, and appropriate follow-up activities.
  • Conduct ongoing market and peer benchmarking to identify new revenue opportunities, emerging philanthropic trends, and competitive fundraising practices.
  • Manage vendor relationships for fundraising platforms, direct mail services, event production, and donor analytics tools to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
  • Oversee stewardship events and recognition programs (e.g., donor circles, annual reports, impact breakfasts) to reinforce donor engagement and retention.
  • Participate in community and networking events to broaden donor pipelines, build corporate sponsorship prospects, and represent the organization at civic forums.
  • Contribute to organizational strategy by advising the executive team on funding diversification, risk mitigation, and sustainable revenue modeling.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Major gifts strategy and moves management (prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship).
  • Grant writing, proposal development, budgets, narrative and outcomes-focused reporting for foundations and government funders.
  • CRM proficiency (Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Raiser’s Edge, Bloomerang, DonorPerfect) and data hygiene best practices.
  • Donor analytics and segmentation (using Excel, Tableau, or donor analytics tools) to build predictive pipelines and measure ROI.
  • Budget development, fundraising forecasting, and basic financial literacy for gift accounting and restricted fund management.
  • Campaign planning and execution (capital campaigns, annual campaigns, emergency appeals) with timeline and pledge tracking.
  • Digital fundraising and peer-to-peer campaign management (email fundraising, crowdfunding, social media appeals).
  • Event planning and sponsorship solicitation for fundraising and cultivation events.
  • Prospect research tools and methodologies (WealthEngine, iWave, Foundation Directory, Guidestar) to qualify major donors and institutional funders.
  • Knowledge of nonprofit governance, gift acceptance policies, charitable giving vehicles, and tax implications (including planned giving instruments).
  • Contract negotiation and donor agreement drafting to secure partnerships and sponsorships.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic leadership: ability to craft multi-channel fundraising strategies and translate them into operational plans.
  • Relationship-building: warmth, authenticity, and persistence in cultivating long-term donor partnerships.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication, including compelling storytelling and proposal writing.
  • Influencing and persuasion: comfortable making asks and guiding donors and board members through solicitation.
  • Emotional intelligence and empathy to work with diverse constituencies and steward sensitive conversations.
  • Project management and organizational skills to manage simultaneous campaigns, events, and reporting deadlines.
  • Collaboration and team development: coach and motivate staff, align cross-functional partners, and leverage board engagement.
  • Problem-solving and adaptability to pivot strategies based on performance data and changing funding landscapes.
  • Attention to detail and integrity in gift recording, donor intent, and compliance matters.
  • Public speaking and presentation skills for donor briefings, stewardship events, and external representation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, communications, business, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership, Public Administration (MPA), Business Administration (MBA), Fundraising Management, or equivalent professional certifications (e.g., ACFRE, CFRE).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Nonprofit Management
  • Public Administration
  • Business/Finance
  • Communications/Marketing
  • Philanthropy/Development Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10+ years in fundraising and development with progressive responsibility; at least 3 years managing staff and fundraising teams.

Preferred: 7–10+ years with proven major gifts portfolio success, demonstrated grant portfolio management, campaign leadership (annual or capital), experience working with boards, and proficiency with fundraising CRMs and donor analytics.

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