Director of Development

About the Alliance

Through research, education, and advocacy, The Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice advocates for human rights as the cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. Founded in 2025, the Alliance has secured significant major gift support as it launched and is now ready to deepen and expand its development program. The Alliance has a full-time staff of five spread across the United States and its current budget is $1.75M.

Position Overview

The Alliance seeks a strategic, proactive, and relationship-centered Director of Development to lead and grow its fundraising efforts. The Director will develop and implement a comprehensive development program that focuses on major gifts in the first year, leading into building donor support at all levels—from $100-$10,000 annual gifts to $2 million+. This position would report to the Co-Presidents of the Alliance.

The Director will lead the full fundraising cycle—identification, qualification (research), cultivation, solicitation, and appreciation—ensuring that donors feel valued, informed, and connected. The role will also design a sustainable fundraising infrastructure and build an organizational culture of philanthropy that nurtures long-term donor loyalty.

This role requires a strategist who can also execute: build systems, lead donor strategy, develop compelling messaging, and steward relationships with care. The Director will work closely with the organization’s founders and co-presidents and will serve as the senior staff fundraising strategist and external ambassador for the mission.

This is a fully remote position with preference for someone located in Washington, DC, New York, or San Francisco. Some travel will be required for donor meetings and convenings.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gifts and Donor Portfolio Management

• Develop and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, with focus on gifts of $100,000+.
• Conduct donor identification, prospect research, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Prepare and lead high-quality donor engagements, including personal visits, briefings, and follow-ups with prospects at all levels.
• Partner closely with the founders on donor strategy and major solicitations.

Development Strategy & Systems

• Design and execute a comprehensive development plan that supports revenue growth and diversification.
• Develop and maintain management systems, gift tracking, stewardship workflows, and donor files.
• Lead annual fundraising projections and report regularly on progress to organizational leadership.
• Implement ongoing evaluation and improvement of fundraising strategies and donor engagement approaches.

Fundraising Collateral & Donor Communications

• Develop and maintain persuasive case statements, giving materials, and donor-facing collateral.
• Draft donor communications including letters, proposals, stewardship reports, campaign updates, and event content.
• Work in partnership with co-presidents/consultants to ensure alignment between public messaging and donor engagement.
• Ensure donor materials reflect The Alliance’s voice, mission, and values.

Foundation and Institutional Giving

• Identify foundation opportunities aligned with mission priorities.
• Lead the development and submission of grant proposals and reports.
• Build and steward relationships with program officers and other institutional funders.

Culture of Philanthropy and Donor Engagement

• Build and promote a culture of philanthropy across the organization that recognizes donors as essential mission partners.
• Design and manage donor cultivation and stewardship opportunities, including a broad range of events including convenings, briefings, and small gatherings such as house parties.
• Represent The Alliance externally with clarity, discretion, and professionalism.

Reporting and Evaluation

• Track, analyze, and report fundraising performance against goals with clarity and transparency.
• Use data to evaluate donor engagement outcomes and refine strategies.
• Present monthly, quarterly, and annual fundraising progress reports to leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of increasingly responsible fundraising experience, including proven success securing gifts of $100,000+.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage a comprehensive development program and donor pipeline.
• Strong writing and oral communication skills with ability to develop compelling donor-focused materials.
• Skilled relationship builder and strategist, with ability to work collaboratively and independently.
• Entrepreneurial, adaptable, and comfortable in a fast-growing organizational environment.
• Commitment to the mission; familiarity or experience with diplomacy, international affairs, human rights, or related fields strongly preferred.

Compensation

Salary $120k-$150k, commensurate with experience, with a generous benefits package.

To Apply

By May 1, 2026, please submit a resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience to: connect@thealliancefordiplomacyandjustice.org. Please include the job title in the subject line of your email.