Senior Director of Development

TITLE: Senior Director of Development

DEPARTMENT: Development

REPORTS TO: Chief of Staff

COMPENSATION: $120,000 - $125,000

FLSA: Exempt

HOURS: Full Time: 40+ hours a week; available to staff during business hours; some evening or weekend work may be required

START DATE: 8/11/2025

Heart of Los Angeles (Heart of LA) provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities.

Our core values are: Respect, Responsibility, Positive Communication, Support, and Inclusion.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Heart of Los Angeles (Heart of LA) seeks a strategic, mission-driven Senior Director of Development to lead a growing fundraising program and team with an emphasis on major donor cultivation, stewardship, and capital campaign leadership. This role is ideal for a collaborative fundraiser with experience fundraising for budgets and capital campaigns of $15 million or more, engaging high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic partners, creating donor experiences that inspire transformational giving, and overseeing institutional giving asks.

The Senior Director of Development will guide and support a small but mighty Development team, helping each member accomplish their goals and increase performance while fostering a culture of trust, confidence, and collective success.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Major Donor & Capital Campaign Strategy

• Lead strategic major gift fundraising, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts of $10,000+ from individuals and foundations, with the total goal of fundraising $10 million or more annually.
• Plan and implement capital campaign strategies, from prospecting and case development to donor cultivation and campaign tracking.
• Manage a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects, focusing on annual giving, donor engagement, and increasing giving; guide the CEO and the Board of Directors in their donor engagement efforts.
• Work with the CEO to design fundraising strategies to support Heart of LA’s long-term overarching strategic direction.
• Build and strengthen relationships across Heart of LA’s donor ecosystem with a long-term, stewardship-focused lens, including through regular and creative communication strategies.
• Activate and advise stakeholders (volunteers, staff, etc.) to serve as ambassadors and fundraising partners.
• Develop long-term strategic plans for building a robust donor pipeline from grassroots donors through major giving.
• Meet or exceed annual major gift revenue and retention goals.
• In collaboration with the Associate Director of Development and Institutional Giving Manager, consistently track donors in our database and provide regular reporting on progress towards fundraising goals.
• Write, speak and communicate with authenticity and passion for Heart of LA’s mission, values, programs and goals.

Events & Donor Engagement

• Plan and execute intimate major donor cultivation events as well as large-scale fundraising events, including Heart of LA’s annual gala, ensuring each event advances donor relationships and aligns with stewardship and campaign goals.
• Oversee event follow-up and ongoing personalized donor engagement by the Development team.
• Conduct site visits with current and prospective donors to encourage giving and engagement.
• Work with the Volunteer and Corporate Engagement Manager on corporate volunteering outreach and stewardship.
• Encourage creative approaches to donor engagement with the Development team with the focus on reaching new donors and larger donor audiences, including Gen Z and second generation philanthropists.

Institutional Giving Engagement

• In collaboration with the Institutional Giving Manager, develop and support plans to grow institutional support, including consistent prospecting for new funding opportunities.
• Assist and support as needed with reviewing grant proposals, reports, and strategies with the Institutional Giving Manager with a focus on increasing asks and building capacity in the Grants team.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Directly manage the Associate Director of Development and Institutional Giving Manager, and oversee the Development team as a whole.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-functioning Development team, supporting each member in achieving their individual goals and career progression.
• Foster a supportive, collaborative team culture that promotes creativity, accountability, and excellence.
• Provide ongoing professional development, feedback, and strategic alignment within the Development department.
• Guide the Development team’s budgeting, planning, and goal-setting processes with clarity and vision.
• Support and improve systems for strong tracking on the use of both institutional and donor funds.

Board Engagement

• Monitor fundraising progress and prepare financial and narrative reports for Board and Committee meetings.
• Staff the Finance, Audit, and Investment Board Committee meetings and attend quarterly Board Meetings, guiding conversation around current fundraising and strategic goals.
• Develop strong relationships with Board Directors.

Internal Collaboration

• Finance
  • Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting.
  • Coordinate with the Finance team regarding appropriate gift allocations and financial reporting.
  • Actively participate in the Heart of LA annual budget process.
• Communications
  • Lead strategy and draft communications for digital and direct mail fundraising campaigns.
  • Collaborate closely with our Communications team for coordinating development messaging and events with Heart of LA’s overall communications plan.
  • Oversee development communications, including a bimonthly newsletter, annual report, and content for brochures, website pages, videos, and other materials.
• Programs
  • Partner, with an effective practice for communication and collaboration, with Communications and Program teams to align messaging, storytelling, and donor engagement strategies.
  • Work in partnership with all Heart of LA departments to leverage programmatic work for donor and prospect engagement opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s Degree in relevant field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive fundraising experience, including major gifts and an annual organizational budget between $10-$25 mil.
• Experience working on $15 mil + capital campaigns.
• Proven track record of cultivating and stewarding high-net-worth donors and philanthropic institutions.
• Experience hosting and coordinating both large and small-scale donor engagement events.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and support teams to achieve shared goals, with a commitment to coaching and development.
• Exceptional relationship-building, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices, donor stewardship techniques, and philanthropy trends.
• High degree of emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and commitment to Heart of LA’s mission and values.
• Has a strong ability to build meaningful relationships with donors, corporate partners, and community stakeholders
• Management experience required.
• Event experience preferred.
• Excellent attention to detail, highly organized, flexible, reliable, responsible, and a team player with initiative.
• Experience working in a fast paced deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to handle multiple concurrent assignments and meet deadlines.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems (EveryAction) required.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish or another language spoken in our community.
• Experience in youth development, education, or arts-focused nonprofit organizations.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and multitasking skills; ability to prioritize and complete projects thoroughly and on time in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a natural understanding of customer service and relationship-building.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Intermediate computer proficiency, including Google Workspace, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Canva, and internet research.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Ethical, responsible, and committed to high standards of conduct and integrity.
• Passion for the mission of the organization and sensitivity to the needs of underserved youth.
• Must pass CA DOJ background check