Director of Development

Organizational Overview

Boston Harbor Now focuses on the whole Harbor, connecting communities, the waterfront, and islands around a shared vision: a Harbor that is safer from rising seas, more welcoming to everyone, and a driver of our region’s health, economy, and quality of life.

BHN works to increase access to and engagement with Boston Harbor's parks, waterfront, and islands through programming, planning, advocacy, and partnerships. The organization serves as the legislated nonprofit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park and the City's partner for the Boston Harborwalk and Moakley Park.

Over the next decade, Boston Harbor Now will bring government, business, philanthropy, communities, and civic leaders together around a shared agenda:

PROTECT.

Accelerate the resilience investments needed to protect communities, businesses, and critical infrastructure while ensuring that every project also creates public and environmental benefits.

CONNECT.

Complete and strengthen the Harborwalk, expand access to the Harbor Islands, and build a modern water transportation system connecting communities throughout the region.

PROSPER.

Harness the Harbor as an economic engine, supporting the working port, blue technology, tourism, maritime businesses, and good jobs while ensuring prosperity is broadly shared.

BELONG.

Create a Harbor where people from every neighborhood, background, and income level can get to the water, experience it, and feel that it is theirs.

For more information about Boston Harbor Now, please visit: www.bostonharbornow.org.

About the Position

Boston Harbor Now is seeking an entrepreneurial, relationship-driven Director of Development to manage the development team and lead the next chapter of its philanthropic growth. The Director will play a pivotal role in strengthening and diversifying revenue, expanding relationships with individual and institutional donors, and building a sustainable fundraising program that advances BHN's ambitious vision for Boston Harbor.

Reporting to the President & CEO and serving as a member of the management team, the Director will lead the organization's overall development strategy and operations. Working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and colleagues across the organization, the Director will translate BHN's strategic priorities into compelling funding opportunities, cultivate and secure philanthropic investments, and build the relationships, systems, and team capabilities needed for long-term success.

Success will require both strategic leadership and hands-on fundraising, including the ability to build new relationships, make compelling cases for support, solicit and secure significant gifts, and mobilize Board members and other partners in advancing philanthropic opportunities.

This opportunity is particularly well suited to a collaborative, resourceful leader who enjoys building and strengthening organizations, brings an entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, and is energized by the opportunity to build a high-performing development program that advances Boston Harbor Now's mission and long-term sustainability.

About Philanthropy at Boston Harbor Now

Since BHN’s founding in 2016, the organization has doubled its fundraising revenue from $1.5M to over $3.5M annually. BHN has established a foundation of philanthropic support through individual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, Board contributions, and its signature fundraising event, Spectacle on Boston Harbor. The focus is on growing and diversifying our donor base and scaling the investments.

BHN’s Board of Trustees and Board or Advisors are highly engaged and very generous in sharing their networks and individual financial support; 100% of the Trustees give to BHN annually and Board Giving has more than doubled since FY19. Advisors bring a range of skills and expertise and serve as a pipeline for future Board leadership. The Director will partner closely with this engaged network to deepen relationships with existing supporters and identify new philanthropic opportunities.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth

• Partner with organizational leadership and program teams to translate strategic priorities into compelling cases for support, fundable projects, and new philanthropic opportunities.
• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive annual and multiyear fundraising strategy aligned with BHN's organizational priorities and financial goals.
• Grow and diversify philanthropic revenue across individual giving, major gifts, foundations, corporate partnerships, events, and other strategic funding opportunities, with particular emphasis on expanding sustainable, unrestricted support.
• Establish clear fundraising goals, revenue forecasts, and performance measures, regularly assessing progress and adapting strategies to achieve results and ensuring accountability for agreed-upon fundraising targets.

Major Gifts and Donor Relationships

• Partner with the President & CEO, Development Committee, and Board of Trustees to facilitate strategic introductions and support donor cultivation and stewardship through the management of major gift portfilios.
• Strengthen donor engagement and stewardship strategies that deepen relationships, increase giving over time, and build long-term investment in BHN's mission.
• Oversee the philanthropic strategy for BHN's signature fundraising event and other engagement and stewardship opportunities, ensuring they contribute to broader relationship-building and revenue goals.

Leadership, Collaboration, and Board Engagement

• Lead, mentor, and develop the development team of 4, establishing clear goals, accountability, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Serve as a collaborative member of BHN's management team, contributing to organizational strategy, financial sustainability, and cross-departmental decision-making.
• Work closely with the communications, program, and policy and planning teams to develop compelling fundraising narratives, proposals, campaigns, and donor communications.
• Represent Boston Harbor Now externally, building trusted relationships across Boston's philanthropic, civic, corporate, and community networks.

Development Operations and Performance

• Oversee donor stewardship, prospect research, grant development, reporting, and fundraising operations to ensure a coordinated and effective development program.
• Strengthen the use of BHN's donor management systems, including Salesforce or other CRM platforms, to track donor relationships, manage prospect pipelines, forecast revenue, and assess fundraising performance.
• Provide regular, actionable fundraising reports and strategic recommendations to the President & CEO, Development Committee, and Board of Trustees.
• Build sustainable systems, processes, and a culture of philanthropy at Boston Harbor Now that supports both immediate fundraising results and long-term organizational growth.

Qualifications and Experience

We recognize that strong candidates bring diverse professional and lived experiences. We encourage applicants who demonstrate many of the following qualifications, even if they do not meet every criterion.

• An entrepreneurial, results-oriented approach to building donor relationships, identifying new opportunities, and strengthening fundraising programs
• Donor relationships must be proactively identified and developed rather than drawn from an established constituency.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing fundraising strategies that increase philanthropic revenue and diversify funding sources.
• Proven experience identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual major gifts, including gifts in the five- and six-figure range.
• Experience developing, leading and managing teams, establishing clear goals, and fostering a collaborative and accountable work environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the confidence to engage donors, corporate leaders, trustees, and other influential stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a CEO, Board of Trustees, and organizational leadership to advance fundraising priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex ideas into compelling cases for philanthropic support.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including experience with fundraising forecasts, donor pipelines, budgets, and CRM systems.
• Sound judgment, resourcefulness, adaptability, and the ability to balance strategic priorities with hands-on execution.
• Demonstrated curiosity and openness to exploring emerging technologies, including AI and automation
• Commitment to Boston Harbor Now's mission and values of equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Additional Valued Experience

• Experience in environmental, climate resilience, conservation, civic engagement, public space, advocacy and or public pos organizations.
• Familiarity with Greater Boston's philanthropic, corporate, and civic communities is preferable.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar donor management platforms.
• Using AI to work more efficiently and effectively.
• Working with program, policy & planning and marketing staff to translate complex ideas into compelling asks.

Some evening and weekend work and local travel will be required for donor engagement, organizational events, and other activities.

Research shows that people of color and women are less likely to apply if they don’t believe they meet every qualification listed. At Boston Harbor Now, we recognize that experience can be gained in many ways—lived, professional, volunteer, and others. We encourage BIPOC candidates, people with disabilities, women, and people with non-dominant gender identities to apply.

Benefits and Salary

The salary is $140,000 to $160,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Boston Harbor Now offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life, and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, vacation, sick and personal time, and the option to participate in our 403(b) retirement plan.

How to Apply

Please upload your resume/CV and cover letter and complete the online application form here.

Please start your file names with "Last Name, First Name Director of Development..." for all uploaded files.

Applications must be submitted via Boston Harbor Now's official application form to be considered.

Boston Harbor Now is committed to ensuring an accessible and inclusive hiring process. We encourage candidates to share any access needs or accommodation requests when applying so they can fully participate in the interview process. We encourage applicants to respond in their own voice. Clear, thoughtful responses that reflect your experience and perspective are most valuable to our review process.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Boston Harbor Now is an intentionally diverse workplace. We are intentional about hiring, developing, and retaining diverse individuals at all levels. We don’t just accept differences - we celebrate them, we value them, we promote them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, volunteers, supporters, partners, and community. We recognize that people bring their personal histories to work and that we make better decisions when we include a wide range of experiences and opinions. Diversity refers not only to race and gender, but also to an array of human differences including: culture, ethnicity, geography, socio-economic position, ability, sexual orientation, background, perspective and more that exist in the community and are reflected in the workforce. We value using an equity lens to manage the organization and create spaces for conversations on equity and ongoing staff and board engagement and empowerment to redesign policies, practices, services and programs. Boston Harbor Now strongly believes that diversity plays an essential role in our mission, fostering innovation and creativity, attracting the best candidates to our team, and enhancing our ability to serve. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Benefits include medical, dental, life, and disability insurance; flexible spending accounts; vacation, sick and personal time; and the option to participate in a 403(b) retirement plan.