Development Director

Preferred Start Date: June 2026; outgoing Development Director will be available to support onboarding for this role during this time period.

Location: This position is currently remote. Occasional in-person meetings and events in and around the Seattle area are required.

Classification: Exempt, Full-time (Monday-Friday, 40 hours/week)

Reports to: Co-Executive Director, Finance and Operations

Salary: $95,000

Benefits: Paid medical, vision, and dental insurance; 13 paid holidays plus week-long office closures in July and December; 12 vacation days and 12 Sick and Safe Time days in the first year; 100% of Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums paid by employer, 401K retirement plan and access to free personalized retirement planning advisors; monthly stipends for remote work and personal phone expenses; and paid professional development expenses.

About Communities Rise

Communities Rise’s mission is to foster movements to build power in communities impacted by systemic

oppression. To create a more equitable system, we pursue cross-sector collaborations and provide

capacity building and legal services for community organizations and small businesses.

Cross-Sector Collaborations: We team up with funders, community organizations and community leaders to co-design, implement, and elevate initiatives for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Capacity Building: We build capacity in community organizations working in communities impacted by systemic oppression through our nonprofit cohort program, grant writing, and fundraising clinics.

Legal Services and Trainings: We provide legal support to nonprofit organizations and small businesses on their business legal needs through direct representation, legal clinics, and legal trainings.

About the role: The Development Director will establish and lead fund development strategies to support organizational strategic priorities. This role reports to the Co-Executive Director, Finance and Operations, but partners closely with the Co-Executive Director, Capacity Building and the Co-Executive Director, Legal Services as all Co-Executive Directors have fundraising responsibilities. This role interfaces regularly with program staff, Board Members, institutional and individual donors, and volunteers over the phone, via email, and in-person. The outgoing Development Director will be available for onboarding support of this role to ensure a smooth and healthy transition after 9 years of dedicated service. Strong candidates for this role are relationship-centered, have a sense of humor, and are committed to personal growth.

Responsibilities

Institutional Giving (40%)

• Partner with the Co-Executive Directors to ensure new grant opportunities meet established goals and are aligned with organizational priorities
• Manage program staff in tracking and completing grant contracts and deliverables
• Compile information and data in Salesforce to create comprehensive reports for all funders within their requirements and deadlines
• Submit all grant renewals, applications, and reports, and manage grants calendar for tracking purposes
• Track and submit all invoices and payments made in partnership with external accounting firm
• Identify new prospective grant opportunities, attend webinars, and build relationships

Strategy and Relationship Building (25%)

• Create and implement an annual fundraising plan to meet Communities Rise’s annual revenue goals, raising $1.8M annually
• Partner with the Co-Executive Directors to develop short and long-term fund development strategies to support new and existing programs
• Represent Communities Rise in funder meetings, steward existing relationships and establish new partnerships in collaboration with Co-Executive Directors
• Partner with the Co-Executive Directors and Board of Directors on annual budget planning and revenue forecasting
• Present a clear narrative to engage stakeholders in Communities Rise’s mission and advocate for greater equity and increased resources for BIPOC led and serving organizations in the sector
• Serve as the staff liaison to the Board’s Fundraising Committee; work with committee to strategically engage board and/or community members in fund development and stewardship
• Attend program team meetings to strengthen communication and collaborative visioning for future projects and funding opportunities

Events and Sponsorships (20%)

• Lead events and sponsorship strategy in partnership with Co-Executive Directors
• Lead in planning and execution of annual fundraising event, “Voices”, with a goal of $100k, including program strategy, sponsorship solicitation, donor stewardship, outreach, and associated logistics in partnership with staff and volunteers
• Design 1-2 additional opportunities for relationship building and stewardship with our donors and volunteers
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward annual sponsorships from partners, local law firms, and corporate legal departments

Individual Giving (10%)

• Lead major gift cultivation and stewardship strategies which strategically utilize the Co-Executive Directors’ time and relationships
• Personally steward and solicit a portfolio of donors, including regular phone calls and meetings
• Plan and execute strategies for growing our individual and recurring donor pool, including creating content for email campaigns and social media communications
• Create and manage tracking systems for gifts, pledges, thank yous, and stewardship
• Enter, manage, and analyze donor data using Salesforce, prepare regular reports to track and evaluate progress toward goals

Other duties as assigned (5%)

• Participate in all-staff meetings, retreats, and other org-wide activities
• Coordinate with Co-Executive Director, Finance and Operations to regularly check PO Box, deposit checks, and maintain deposit records
• As applicable (based on our current contracts) provide RFP support via 1:1 technical assistance to clients on their grant applications
• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills

• Alignment with Communities Rise’s mission and experience working with communities impacted by systemic oppression
• Brings a race equity lens to funding decision-making processes
• At least 2 years of experience leading development and/or grants in a nonprofit setting
• Ability and willingness to engage in both big picture fund development strategy and administrative development tasks
• Ability to build relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and solicit gifts 1:1, including some local travel for donor meetings
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to balance meeting annual revenue goals with a vision for greater funding equity in the sector
• Positive attitude and a focus on problem-solving and proactively identifying challenges and solutions
• Ability to create and implement work plans, managing multiple short and long-term projects
• Strong writing skills, ability to condense large amounts of information into a clear and compelling narrative
• This position requires the use of Salesforce for data tracking and reporting and Soapbox for event registration
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). Our office uses Google Workspace and Slack

Preferred Skills

• Ability to use Canva or other design software
• Ability to use MailChimp or other email platforms
• Ability to coach others and meet people where they are
• Familiarity with the current nonprofit funder landscape in the Greater Seattle / Puget Sound Region
• Familiarity with Community-Centric Fundraising principles

Instructions to apply:

Please send the following in one email to jobs@communities-rise.org with the subject line “Development Director” by Monday, May 11, 2026:

• Resume
• 2-3 paragraphs describing your interest in this role at Communities Rise
• Attach a development-focused writing sample. Examples of writing samples could include an annual development or campaign plan, grant applications, impact reports, grant reports, etc. Your materials will not be shared outside of the hiring committee.

Communities Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other class protected by law. We encourage people from communities of color, people with disabilities, indigenous, refugee, immigrant, working class, and/or LGBTQIA+ communities to apply for this position. Communities Rise will provide, excepting any undue hardship, reasonable accommodations for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process. To request assistance or accommodations, please contact jobs@communities-rise.org.

Paid medical, vision, and dental insurance; 13 paid holidays plus week-long office closures in July and December; 12 vacation days and 12 Sick and Safe Time days in the first year; 100% of Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums paid by employer, 401K retirement plan and access to free personalized retirement planning advisors; monthly stipends for remote work and personal phone expenses; and paid professional development expenses.