Director of Development

Director of Development, Discovering Justice

Discovering Justice is a Boston-based civic education non-profit. For over two decades, Discovering Justice has reached tens of thousands of K-12 students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The organization’s goal is to educate young people about the court system. Founded in 1998 with support from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and the Boston Bar Foundation, Discovering Justice became an independent nonprofit in 2001. The organization is proud to call the Moakley Courthouse its home. Today, Discovering Justice offers a wide range of programs and resources designed to encourage learning about the court system and to support civics education in schools throughout the Commonwealth.

The Director of Development (DoD) will report to and partner with the Executive Director. The DoD will also work closely with the Board of Directors and development staff and consultants to create and execute a comprehensive annual fundraising program for Discovering Justice to raise $1.75-2.25M annually. The Director of Development will cultivate, solicit, and engage corporations, foundations, and individual donors as well as manage fundraising events, including the annual gala. The individual will support major institutional proposals and reporting, expand donor stewardship, partner on Board engagement, and create development communications. This position calls for a mission-driven, hands-on leader who is excited to build fundraising processes as well as deepen existing relationships. They will be excited to develop and mentor a team.

This is a full-time, exempt position. We are a hybrid office, and this role will have in-office expectations, as well as travel within Massachusetts and New England. Hires must reside primarily in Massachusetts. Access to a personal vehicle is highly preferred and a driver’s license is required.

To apply for this position, please fill out the application form below. The application deadline for this role is July 15th, 2025.

Application form: https://tinyurl.com/yc5e5tsb

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Executive Director, development team, consultants, and board to develop, lead, and execute on an annual and multi-year fundraising strategy to meet annual fundraising goals, including:
  • Soliciting major gifts, planned gifts and supporting Board members in their fundraising
  • Leading effort to grow our network of individual supporters, overseeing donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship action steps
  • Plan and lead execution of our annual fundraising gala with development team members and external partners
  • Work collaboratively with Discovering Justice staff to generate proposals and grant reports
• Develop and lead implementation of a strong fundraising operation and data management system, including:
  • Oversee implementation of and management of donor database, ensuring the accurate tracking of donation, pledges, and donor communications
  • Develop and oversee stewardship plans for all donors
• Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as ambassador for Discovering Justice through written outreach and events
  • Work collaboratively on donor communications and marketing efforts - including annual reports, email updates, presentations and deck - to increase visibility, supporting content development, while ensuring that all external materials align with and enhance mission and values
• Additional
  • Travel as needed and occasional work on nights/weekends to support events and prospect meetings

Results:

If successful, the individual will have achieved the following after 6 months in the role:

• Developed understanding of Discovering Justice’s mission, vision, values, and strategy, enabling participation in leadership meetings and Board meetings and can act as an independent ambassador for the organization
• Developed a strong working relationship and partnership with the Executive Director, direct reports and key team members, and identified key partners
• Collaboratively created and begun execution of an annual fundraising and communications plan that consists of activities, tracking systems, etc
• Displayed understanding of all current donors, developing and participating in stewardship plans
• Dramatically increased the cultivation of individual donor prospects and re-engagement of lapsed donors
• Assumed management of staff that supports institutional applications and grant reporting
• Assumed primary responsibility and authorship of all development and marketing communications

Required Qualifications:

• Commitment to Discovering Justice’s mission and understanding of the values and challenges of nonprofit work
• Proven fundraising experience
  • Previous experience successfully managing individual giving, major gifts, and institutional funding (foundations or corporate)
  • Proven track record of raising 2M annually, ideally within a nonprofit or mission-driven organization
  • Successful experience in growing revenue at organizations by a substantial margin and overseeing a successful annual fundraising event/gala
  • Strong donor relationship management skills, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Outcomes-oriented & effective manager of teams, consultants, and volunteers
  • Ability to manage up effectively, and prepare and partner with Executive Director in executing effective fundraising strategies
  • Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills, especially with program, communications, contractors, boards, and leadership teams
  • Experience working alongside board members and board committees to drive to outcomes
  • Data-driven with a strong ability to regularly choose and analyze pertinent metrics and use data to inform decisions, track progress, and refine tactics
• Organized, a strong communicator, and an ability to be both a “player” and a “coach”
  • Both strategic and and excellent at execution
  • A strong communicator with the ability to delegate effectively, but also take on critical work to completion
  • Excellent written communication skills, including grant writing, donor correspondence, and campaign materials
  • Comfort with CRM/fundraising databases (e.g., Salesforce, Bloomerang, DonorPerfect, or similar)
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a small team environment