Development Director

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Development Director based in the United States.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced fundraising leader to drive revenue growth and advance meaningful social change through strategic philanthropy and relationship building. As Development Director, you will lead fundraising strategy, diversify revenue streams, and strengthen relationships with major donors, foundations, and institutional partners. Working closely with executive leadership and the Board, you will develop compelling fundraising initiatives that connect supporters with a mission focused on criminal justice reform and community empowerment. You will oversee individual giving, grant development, donor stewardship, and fundraising operations while building scalable systems that support long-term financial sustainability. This fully remote leadership role combines strategic planning with hands-on fundraising, offering the opportunity to shape organizational growth and expand the impact of powerful storytelling. The ideal candidate is a persuasive communicator, proactive relationship builder, and mission-driven professional who thrives on turning connections into lasting support.

Accountabilities

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership: Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with organizational priorities, revenue targets, and long-term growth objectives. Collaborate with executive leadership on annual budgets, revenue projections, and quarterly forecasts while fostering a culture of philanthropy across staff and Board members.
Major Donor and Individual Giving: Manage a portfolio of major and mid-level donor prospects, overseeing identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Build lasting donor relationships, strengthen retention, and create opportunities to increase contributions through personalized engagement strategies.
Donor Communications and Engagement: Develop compelling fundraising materials, including outreach emails, proposals, impact reports, progress updates, and thank-you communications. Design fundraising events and initiatives that attract new supporters, deepen existing relationships, and demonstrate the impact of donor contributions.
Board and Executive Collaboration: Partner with the CEO and Board members to identify prospective donors, facilitate introductions, coordinate donor meetings, and lead solicitation efforts. Equip organizational leaders with the tools and strategies needed to contribute effectively to fundraising activities.
Grant Writing and Institutional Funding: Manage the full grant lifecycle, from prospect research and application calendars to proposal development, budget preparation, reporting, and compliance. Build relationships with foundations and program officers, expand the institutional funding pipeline, and produce persuasive, data-informed proposals that communicate organizational impact.
Development Operations and Systems: Oversee donor databases, CRM platforms, prospect tracking, gift processing, acknowledgments, and tax receipt workflows. Establish efficient processes that improve data accuracy, donor segmentation, relationship management, and fundraising performance.
Performance Monitoring and Financial Management: Collaborate with the Development and Operations Manager to develop dashboards and reports tracking fundraising pipelines, donor retention, giving trends, and campaign performance. Manage the development budget and use data-driven insights to optimize fundraising investments and resource allocation.
Team Development and Continuous Improvement: Strengthen fundraising systems, workflows, and internal collaboration to support sustainable growth. Where applicable, provide guidance to staff and consultants, promote accountability, and identify opportunities to improve development operations and organizational fundraising capacity.
Requirements
Fundraising Experience: 7–10 years of successful fundraising and direct solicitation experience, including fundraising leadership and a demonstrated track record of personally securing five- and six-figure individual gifts and increasing revenue year over year.
Education and Technical Proficiency: A bachelor's degree is preferred, along with proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office. Familiarity with email marketing platforms such as EveryAction and prospect research tools is an advantage.
Grant Writing and Institutional Giving: Strong grant-writing skills and experience managing a diverse portfolio of institutional funders, including prospect research, proposal development, reporting, compliance, and relationship management.
Major Gift Fundraising: Proven ability to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors, build strong relationships with prospective supporters, and develop tailored fundraising strategies that generate meaningful contributions.
CRM and Data Management: Strong experience managing donor databases and CRM systems, maintaining accurate records, segmenting donor audiences, generating reports, and developing efficient fundraising processes.
Communication and Storytelling: Exceptional writing, storytelling, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate complex program outcomes into persuasive messages that inspire donor engagement and financial support.
Strategic and Analytical Thinking: Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities, including the capacity to manage multiple deadlines, monitor performance indicators, forecast revenue, and make informed decisions.
Executive and Board Engagement: Experience collaborating with executive leadership and Board members on fundraising strategy, donor introductions, and solicitation activities. Experience supervising staff or consultants is preferred.
Mission Alignment: A strong commitment to criminal justice reform, social justice, equity, and empowering communities and individuals directly impacted by the criminal legal system.
Leadership and Collaboration: A proactive, relationship-oriented approach, sound judgment, accountability, and the ability to work effectively across teams in a collaborative, creative, and mission-driven environment.
Benefits
Competitive Compensation: Annual salary ranging from $125,000 to $135,000, depending on experience.
Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Retirement Planning: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching.
Financial Protection: Life insurance and disability insurance coverage.
Flexible Spending Options: Health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA), subject to plan eligibility.
Work-Life Balance: Paid time off, a flexible schedule, and fully remote work arrangements.
Collaborative Culture: An inclusive, creative environment that encourages employees to contribute to organizational strategy, planning, decision-making, and culture.
Professional Growth: Opportunities to strengthen fundraising leadership, build scalable development systems, and collaborate with executive leadership and Board members.
Meaningful Mission: The opportunity to mobilize philanthropic support for criminal justice reform, amplify the voices of system-impacted communities, and contribute to lasting social change.
Equal Opportunity Workplace: A commitment to diversity, inclusion, and fair employment practices. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in accordance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.