Director of Development

Position Summary

The Director of Development is a key leader of the development team responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individuals, organizations, private foundations and businesses/corporations in Austin and greater Central Texas as part of a strategic fund development program for the organization. The Director of Development is accountable for cycling those relationships inside a moves management system toward new sponsorships, partnerships, grants, and individual philanthropic gifts to the organization. The Director of Development manages the Senior Development Manager with a combined revenue goal of $2.25 million+ annually with $1 million from this role’s portfolio.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years experience with nonprofit fundraising, supervision experience for both staff and volunteers, good communication skills, is a strategic thinker, enjoys cross-team collaboration, cares deeply about building long-term relationships, and has strong project management skills. This position will play a critical role in meeting the organization’s overall fundraising goals in order to deliver on our important mission.

Position Responsibilities

• In conjunction with the Chief Development Officer, set and meet revenue goals while personally taking prospective donors through the entire fundraising journey including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Manage and support Senior Development Manager in prospect development, solicitation, strategy development, implementation, and evaluation of annual internal events and external fundraisers.
• Actively manage and maintain a portfolio of at least 150 individual, corporate and foundation donors, including lead prospecting and donor research, setting and meeting benchmarks toward long-term, sustainable growth and gift solicitation.
• Responsible for donor/prospect visits or other meaningful contacts each month; creating donor engagement reports outlining the potential and realized outcomes of each visit within the donor’s cultivation plan.
• Implement and operationalize the “moves management” system within the Salesforce platform to inform the annual and major gifts development process.
• Strategize and implement cultivation techniques to inspire prospective supporters to become donors.
• Work with Chief Development Officer to build a pipeline of volunteer leadership and involvement in annual and campaign related fundraising.
• Responsible for writing, reporting and stewardship of grants to private and family foundations in South Texas territory.
• Work in collaboration with the Make-A-Wish America team to fully engage, manage, and steward local relationships of national corporate partners and administer other nationally administered programs.
• Collaborate with Mission Department to enhance relationships with corporate and individual donors through wish impact communication strategies.
• Maintain accurate record keeping for all contacts and related interactions in Salesforce and take the lead on report generation to track the market progress on goals.
• Champion the MAW CSTX mission at meetings, community events, conferences, and fundraising events to effectively engage participants in conversations about our mission and inspire involvement.
• Adhere to all Make-A-Wish America performance standards and Chapter internal controls, policies, and procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years professional fundraising experience in nonprofit development.
• A passion for the mission of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas.
• Experience creating and managing major and corporate fundraising activities.
• Experience operationalizing moves management activities involved in major donor identification, cultivation, acquisition, and stewardship.
• Experience implementing and managing a year-round high-touch donor stewardship program.
• Experience creating clear and compelling communications in both traditional and digital formats.
• Knowledge of effective fundraising techniques and practices, including major gift moves management, annual fund, solicitation techniques and planned giving programs.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and organizational abilities.
• Displays professionalism and effective and responsive service to donors, volunteers, and community contacts.
• Ability to work independently, demonstrate resourcefulness, and problem solve when necessary.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate when appropriate.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced environment and respond to/be flexible in rapidly changing situations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across the organization.
• Experience working and managing a donor database platform - Salesforce or comparable CRM.
• Required attendance at events in the early morning, evening, and/or weekends in support of the Chapter’s mission.
• Must have reliable mode of transportation to travel across chapter territory when needed. Position requires travel throughout the chapter territory and flexible hours.
• Proficiency in all Microsoft computer programs, including Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Full individual insurance premium coverage for Medical, Dental and Vision care. Optional employee-paid family coverage.
• Health Savings Account options with monthly employer contributions.
• Employer-paid life insurance policy and STD/LTD policies.
• Simple IRA Retirement Savings Plan with 3% employer matching.
• 2 personal days off (PD), birthday day off, 15 accrued paid time off days (PTO), Quarterly Wellness days off, 13 additional paid holidays annually; PTO increases with tenure.
• Monthly business mileage reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Annual Spanish bilingual stipend available upon successful completion of language proficiency skills test.
• Discounts and special offers with entertainment and travel vendors.