Development Director

Position Summary

The Development Director provides strategic and operational leadership for all Dream Project

fundraising activities. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Board of

Directors, the Director will design and execute a comprehensive development program to

grow revenue from $1.2M to $3M over six years. This role requires strategic vision, direct

execution, attention to detail, and superior interpersonal skills

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Execution

• Implement a multi-year development plan with annual milestones toward the $3M goal.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of 50–75 major donors and prospects.
• Lead the launch and growth of a major gifts program and planned giving pipeline.
• Oversee fundraising events, including the annual signature event, with the assistance of a Development Coordinator and an event planner.

Frontline Donor Engagement & Communications

• Largely external facing role to proactively cultivate current and prospective donors.
• Develop the messaging and strategy behind compelling donor-facing materials to be written by the Communications Director, for example: case for support, impact reports, appeals, and proposals.
• Implement a moves management system to track and advance donor relationships.
• Leverage the organization's mission stories to inspire giving across donor segments.

Management of Systems & Operations

• Work constructively and proactively as an organizational leader of a team of 7 full time staff alongside the CEO and Chief Operations Officer. Serve as a thought partner and fundraising operations leader.
• Build, enhance, and manage CRM system strategy for donor tracking and reporting.
• Proactively establish, monitor and advise on key fundraising performance indicators: donor retention, average gift, prospect pipeline value.
• Manage the development budget with disciplined cost-per-dollar-raised metrics.

Grants & Institutional Funding

• Define and execute the grant fundraising and management strategy (grants are written by the Development Coordinator and/or consultants).
• Direct strategy for grants from private foundations, corporate funders, and government sources.
• Cultivate relationships with Virginia-based and national funders focused on education and immigration.
• Establish timely and accurate grant reporting and compliance.

Board & Volunteer Engagement

• Train and support Board members as fundraising ambassadors.
• Facilitate a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
• Staff Liaison to the Fundraising Committee.

Required Qualifications

• 5-8+ years of progressive nonprofit development experience, including individual major gift solicitation.
• Demonstrated track record of personally closing 5 to 6-figure gifts or larger.
• Experience building and maturing a development department from an early stage.
• Proficiency with donor management CRM systems (the Dream Project uses Salesforce).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft compelling donor narratives.
• Bachelor's degree required; CFRE or advanced degree a plus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Virginia-based philanthropic foundations and major donors.
• Grant writing experience with public and private grants.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit a resume and 2 references to executivedirector@dream-project.org. Applications will be received on a rolling basis and must be submitted by June 30, 2026.​

Core Competencies

What We're Looking For

Major Gift Fundraising: Proven ability to identify, cultivate, and close major gifts through a disciplined moves management approach.

Team Leadership: A track record of being a positive, proactive senior leader in an organization, resulting in high staff retention and fundraising success. High emotional intelligence.

Strategic Planning: Ability to build and execute a multi-year development plan with measurable milestones.

Donor Stewardship: Track record of building long-term donor loyalty and increasing retention rates year-over-year.

Grant Acquisition: Experience with foundation, corporate, and government (local, state, and federal) grant cycles — from prospecting through reporting.

Mission Storytelling: Skill at translating program impact into emotionally resonant, donor-facing communications.

Board Partnership: Ability to engage, equip, and hold Board members accountable for donor outreach.

Data & Analytics: Uses CRM data and KPIs to make decisions, forecast revenue, and report progress.

Health Benefits: Medical and dental — employer covers 100% of employee premium

Retirement: Simple IRA with employer match

PTO: Starting at 80 hours annually, plus 10–12 paid holidays

Professional Development: $2,500–$3,500/year for conferences, CFRE pursuit, or training (CASE, AFP Virginia)

Remote / Hybrid Flexibility: Hybrid schedule (3 days virtual per week), must be based in the DC, MD, VA area.

Technology Stipend: $500–$1,000/year for home office or mobile expenses

Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus.