Director of Development

About Safe Shores – The DC Children's Advocacy Center

For more than 30 years, Safe Shores—The DC Children’s Advocacy Center has served as the cornerstone of the District of Columbia’s response to child abuse by implementing the nationally replicated Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) model—an evidence-informed, multidisciplinary approach to child abuse investigation and response. As an accredited CAC, Safe Shores coordinates child abuse investigations by bringing together law enforcement, child welfare, prosecutors, medical and mental health providers, and victim advocates in a way that minimizes the trauma children might otherwise experience during the investigative process, while prioritizing their safety, dignity, and well-being. Through six core program areas - Forensic Services, Clinical Services, Client Advocacy Services, the Youth Advocacy Initiative, Prevention and Outreach, and MDT Advancement and Support - Safe Shores provides crucial direct services to approximately 1,400 children and their families each year across all eight wards of the District, while also reaching thousands of adults and children through engaging, impactful, evidence-informed prevention trainings designed to reduce harm before it occurs.

The Job and Your Role

We are currently searching for an experienced Director of Development. This is a regular, full-time salaried, exempt position. To uphold organizational pay equity standards, the salary for this position is $125,000 for the first year of employment, plus a robust benefits package.

The Director of Development provides strategic leadership and hands-on execution for Safe Shores’ contributed revenue strategy, with primary responsibility for individual giving and major gifts and significant, strategic oversight of institutional and government funding. Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, this role is responsible for building a sustainable, relationship-centered fundraising program that aligns with Safe Shores’ mission to protect child victims and support healing.

The Director of Development serves as the architect of Safe Shores’ individual giving program, leading major gifts strategy, portfolio management, campaigns, donor communications, and stewardship systems. The role also oversees institutional and government funding strategy, with accountability for timely proposal and report submissions, revenue targets, compliance requirements, and alignment with organizational priorities.

The Director of Development supervises the Development Manager and Development Associate, collaborates closely with program, communications, administration, and finance teams, and serves as a fundraising coach to the Executive Director and Board of Directors.

This is a hybrid position and is a mandated reporter for child abuse and neglect under District of Columbia Statute §4-1321.02. Reasonable accommodation may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Core Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Individual Giving and Major Gifts Strategy

• Lead Safe Shores’ individual giving and major gifts strategy.
• Own and manage portfolios of mid-level, major, and leadership-level donors and prospects, with a focus on building long-term relationships and securing increased and multi-year support.
• Lead disciplined pipeline management, including regular portfolio reviews, maintenance of priority prospect lists, and consistent documentation in the donor CRM (Bloomerang).
• Ensure consistent, high-quality execution of donor outreach, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship across all individual giving segments.

Campaigns and Donor Communications

• Provide strategic leadership for signature campaigns, ensuring these efforts drive both immediate revenue and long-term donor pipeline growth.
• Oversee donor communications, including appeals, updates, and stewardship messaging, in collaboration with Communications staff.
• Ensure Coffee for Kids, Safe Shores’ signature community open-house, functions as a structured cultivation pathway, with clear follow-up, qualification, and integration into the individual giving and major gifts pipeline.
• Align annual, digital, and monthly giving strategies to support donor acquisition, retention, and movement into deeper engagement.

Institutional and Government Funding Strategy

• Set overall strategy, revenue targets, and priorities for institutional and government funding in alignment with organizational goals and budget needs.
• Collaborate with the program, administrative, and finance teams to manage the full lifecycle of local and federal government grants, including submissions, ongoing management, and reporting.
• Partner with the Development Manager to oversee the private institutional grants program, including proposal development, submissions, and reporting.
• Retain accountability for grant timelines, compliance requirements, reporting quality, and coordination with administration, program and finance teams.
• Ensure institutional funders are stewarded appropriately and integrated into broader donor engagement strategies, particularly for family and private foundations.

Board and Executive Partnership

• Serve as a fundraising coach and strategic partner to the Executive Director, supporting preparation for donor meetings, solicitations, and stewardship.
• Lead board engagement in fundraising through structured expectations, annual conversations, relationship mapping, and ongoing support.
• Equip board members with tools, materials, and confidence to serve as ambassadors and door-openers for Safe Shores.

Team Leadership and Development Operations

• Supervise, coach, and support the Development Manager and Development Associate, providing clear priorities, accountability, and professional development.
• Oversee development operations and systems, including CRM integrity, pipeline tracking, acknowledgments, segmentation, and reporting.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for institutional giving, individual giving, campaigns, major gifts, and stewardship.
• Develop revenue projections and contribute to organizational budgeting in collaboration with the executive leadership and the finance team.
• Manage development vendors and consultants, ensuring alignment with strategy and deliverables.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as an active member of Safe Shores’ senior leadership team, contributing to organizational planning, collaboration, and decision-making.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy grounded in trust, accountability, and shared responsibility across staff and board.
• Represent Safe Shores in donor, funder, and community-facing settings as needed.

Experience, Skills, and Qualifications

While we understand that no single candidate can possess every qualification listed below, the following are considered priority areas:

• Minimum of 8 years of development experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Demonstrated success building and managing individual giving and major gifts programs, including securing gifts of $10,000+ and multi-year commitments.
• Experience managing donor portfolios and applying disciplined moves management and stewardship practices.
• Strong understanding of institutional and government funding strategies, including experience managing external grant-writing partners.
• Proven ability to engage and support boards of directors in fundraising and relationship-building.
• Highly relationship-oriented approach, with strong emotional intelligence and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities with clarity and follow-through.
• Experience working collaboratively across departments.
• Proficiency with donor CRM systems (Bloomerang preferred).
• Alignment with Safe Shores’ mission and commitment to trauma-responsive, values-driven work.
• Knowledge of the local philanthropic community.
• Ability to successfully pass Child Protection Registry clearance and criminal background checks.
• Availability for occasional evenings and weekends.

Computer and Technology Skills

Comfort with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Zoom. Experience with or willingness to learn nonprofit fundraising and design tools such as Bloomerang, Fundraise, Kindful, Canva, DonorSearch, and Foundation Directory Online is a plus.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to touch or feel a computer, keyboard, monitor, telephone, smartphone, and talk or hear when interacting with employees. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee may regularly lift and /or move 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. No or very limited exposure to physical risk. Hybrid work environment with a requirement to be on-site at least 3 days per week. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for events, board meetings, or donor engagements.

Application Process

Safe Shores has retained Foti Creative, a fundraising consulting firm, to conduct this search. Interested applicants should submit a résumé and cover letter or personal statement through Safe Shores’ website at https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/3882637/The-DC-Childrens-Advocacy-Center/Director-of-Development.

Confidential inquiries may be directed to SafeShores@foticreative.com.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For best consideration, please apply by February 18, 2026.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Safe Shores is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Safe Shores offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to support employees’ well-being, professional growth, and long-term sustainability.

This is a regular, full-time salaried, exempt position. To uphold organizational pay equity standards, the flat salary for this position is $125,000.

In the first year of employment, employees receive 13 days of paid vacation, 13 days of paid sick leave, and 13 paid holidays, along with paid personal and parental leave and a Birthday Comp Day. Paid time off increases with tenure. Safe Shores also offers paid sabbatical leave after five or more consecutive years of service.

Safe Shores provides 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for the 2025-2026 plan year, in addition to life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, and access to a dedicated Employee Assistance Program (EAP). In the first year, the cumulative value of the health and welfare package for this position typically equals or exceeds $30,000.

Employees are supported in their growth through an annual professional development fund and may participate in a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of service.