Development Manager

Summary:

The Development and Fundraising Manager is responsible for leading and executing a new comprehensive fundraising strategy in alignment with the organization's Strategic Plan and statewide footprint. This role will build and maintain a diverse donor pipeline that includes individuals, corporate sponsors and grant-making organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Building Development Capacity:

• Partner with the Executive Director to create and own a data-driven annual fundraising plan that advances the organization's strategic priorities and revenue targets
• Proactively identify, qualify and cultivate individual, corporate and foundation prospects, expanding the pipeline to ensure balanced, sustainable growth
• Build and execute tailored cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans for major donors, volunteers and partners
• Establish a major donor giving society with defined tiers, benefits and personalized engagement journeys that deepen commitment and driver leadership-level gifts statewide

Securing Grants and Diversifying Revenue:

• Craft and negotiate sponsorship proposals that clearly articulate return on investment; steward partners through fulfillment and renewal cycles
• Source diverse grant opportunities; coordinate cross-functional teams on proposals, budgeting, reporting and deliverable tracking to maximize awarded funds
• Prepare post-campaign analyses and facilitate debriefs with sponsors and stakeholders to secure continued and increased support
• Deliver workshops, webinars and one-on-one coaching the equip statewide affiliates with grant-writing and broader development best practices

Campaign Planning and Execution:

• Oversee all phases of the fundraising campaign and even cycle, including committee recruitment, internal coordination, communication timelines, meeting agendas, logistics, donor recognition and post-event follow up
• Oversee a calendar of constituency and cultivation events that strengthen relationships and deliver year over year revenue growth
• Lead and support volunteer committees, both executive-level and operational, ensuring alignment with campaign goals and optimizing local market strategies
• Partner with the Communications Manager to develop and executive integrated media and marketing plans tailored to each fundraising campaign
• Collaborate with the Education Conference Committee to identify and secure sponsorship and donor opportunities tied to campaign and programmatic goals

Additional Duties:

• Actively participate in Board Committees as assigned by the Executive Director, supporting broader organizational fundraising and engagement strategies
• Perform additional responsibilities as needed to support the success of development efforts and organizational priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred, equivalent experience will be considered
• Minimum two (2) years of proven experience in a nonprofit development/fundraising setting with demonstrable impact
• Confident, goal-oriented, positive self-starter able to work independently with limited supervision and collaboratively with internal and external partners
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, donor lifecycles and nonprofit fundraising strategies
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills, including donor communications and grant writing
• Ability to build and sustain strong relationships with donors, volunteers, board members and staff
• Strategic thinker with strong planning, time management and organizational skills
• Comfortable analyzing fundraising metrics and using data to inform decisions
• Ability to travel by car up to 20% within the assigned territory with willingness to work some evenings and weekends as required for committee meetings, event planning and wraparound events
• Must have a valid driver's license with access to reliable vehicle

Competencies

Collaboration and Relationship Building:

• Cultivates strong, trust-based partnerships, both inside and outside the organization, to advance shared goals while fostering an inclusive, high-performing team environment
• Builds and sustains rapport with diverse stakeholders (E.g., volunteers, NAMI leadership, affiliates, vendors and peers), exchanging information, resources and support that accelerate collective success
• Influences without formal authority by aligning interests, demonstrating credibility and championing solutions that benefit the group
• Listens actively and responds constructively to differing viewpoints; surfaces points of agreement, proposes viable alternatives and helps the team reach consensus
• Proactively assists colleagues and seeks cross-functional projects as opportunities to deepen expertise, broaden perspective and strengthen team cohesion
• Values and acknowledges the unique contributions of every role, reinforcing a culture where collaboration, mutual respect and shared accountability drive results

Organizational Focus:

• Maintains clarity of purpose and focus on high-impact outcomes, even when navigating competing priorities, setbacks or ambiguity
• Translates strategic objectives into actionable development plans that support sustainable growth and donor engagement
• Prioritizes efforts and resources that deliver long-term value to the organization, balancing short-term fundraising wins with future-focused relationship building
• Champions the mission in all external and internal interactions, serving as a credible and passionate ambassador for the organization's impact

Initiative:

• Identifies what needs to be done and does it before being asked or before the situation requires it
• Ability to manage multiple, high-profile projects, prioritize deliverables and perform under tight deadlines
• Knows when to escalate critical issues to own or others' management, if own efforts to enlist support have not succeeded
• Ensures work is complete and accurate; carefully preparing for meetings and presentations; following up with others to ensure that tasks and commitments have been fulfilled

Self-Management:

• Completes assigned work on time and meets deadlines/goals consistently, demonstrating reliability and accountability
• Takes ownership of responsibilities and contributes their fair share to team efforts, helping maintain balance and mutual trust within the team
• Upholds professional standards, ethical practices and sound business judgment in all interactions and decisions
• Remains open to feedback and uses it as a tool for growth, showing curiosity about personal development and a desire to improve
• Adapts to change and maintains composure under pressure, managing emotions in a way that supports team cohesion and effectiveness