Director of Development

Job Summary GRACE is seeking a strategic, forward-thinking, and data-driven Development Director to lead our fundraising, friend-raising, and community outreach efforts. As we transition into our second decade and a […]

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Job Summary

GRACE is seeking a strategic, forward-thinking, and data-driven Development Director to lead our fundraising, friend-raising, and community outreach efforts. As we transition into our second decade and a sustainable operational model, the Development Director will design and execute our revenue strategy, optimize our data infrastructure and reporting, and most meaningfully, build deep, lasting relationships with individual donors, corporate partners, foundations, and our local civic community to ensure we can continue to support our community.

Key Responsibilities

1. Development Strategy

● Strategic Planning: Design, implement, and evolve a comprehensive annual and mid-year development plan to generate, secure, and maintain the organization’s financial support.

● Financial Forecasting: Lead annual and quarterly revenue forecasting to ensure organizational stability and predictability.

● Major & Planned Gifts: Identify, cultivate, and solicit major gifts and planned/legacy giving opportunities from individuals and family foundations.

● Grant Preparedness: Audit upcoming programmatic readiness to ensure alignment with grant requirements before application cycles open, creating a reliable and strategic grant pipeline.

● Campaign Execution: Oversee seasonal, annual, and situational/reactive campaigns from concept to stewardship.

● Stewardship: Implement a sophisticated donor stewardship and retention framework specifically designed to track and improve donor retention metrics.

● Acknowledgment: Oversee timely and meaningful donor acknowledgement and volunteer appreciation initiatives.

2. Community Engagement

● Brand Advocacy: Create and respond to strategic opportunities to promote the GRACE brand.

● Strategic Partnerships: Establish relationships with community organizations, civic groups, and local stakeholders to reinforce associations and expand networking.

● Presence: Attend events of strategic importance to the local community to position GRACE as a primary partner.

3. Event Planning

● Friend Generation: Plan and execute relationship-building gatherings and awareness events to expand the organization’s network.

● Signature Events: Serve as the strategic lead for the annual spring fundraiser.

4. Strategic Infrastructure, Analytics & Finance

● CRM & Database Optimization: Oversee the data health, migration, cleanup, and optimization of the donor database (possibly transitioning data workflow from Charityproud).

● Operational Workflow Mapping: Formalize internal development workflows, including intake processes and compliance tracking (such as Certificates of Insurance and partner agreements) to ensure scalability.

● Financial Collaboration: Partner closely with the Finance team to track donations, reconcile income from Charityproud to QuickBooks, and ensure accurate tracking of all direct and soft-credit income.

5. Board Collaboration & Governance

● Board Engagement: Partner with and equip the Board of Directors with the tools, training, and materials necessary to actively participate in fundraising and friend-raising activities.

● Reporting & ROI Analysis: Create and present a monthly “Development Dashboard” for the Board.

Job Qualifications & Skills

● Experience: 5+ years of progressive fundraising or development experience in the nonprofit sector, with a proven track record of success.

● Systems Thinker: Proficient in data-driven decision-making and nonprofit CRM architecture; ability to turn raw data into actionable strategies and board reports.

● Communication: Exceptional interpersonal and storytelling skills, with the ability to confidently pitch to corporate match partners, family foundations, and major donors.

● Leadership: Strong collaborative skills to work effectively across staff, executive leadership, the Board of Directors, and a passionate volunteer base.

Creator

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Job Summary

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Key Responsibilities