Development Manager

Bonafide seeks a development professional with 5-8 years of fundraising experience, including major gift work and front-line fundraising experience. Since its founding, Bonafide has relied on public and private grants as the primary source of revenue. The organization has a small but committed group of individual supporters with room to grow. The Development Manager will be the first fundraising position hired at Bonafide and will be positioned to grow their responsibilities and leadership over time. The primary duty of this role is to develop and implement strategies to grow the individual donor base that will enable Bonfide to meet the goals set out in its 2027 strategic plan.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable with the full spectrum of individual giving responsibilities - from high-level donor strategy to hands-on database management. They will have experience supporting executives in fundraising work and be skilled at preparing leadership for donor meetings and calls.

The position requires versatility and willingness to handle both strategic and administrative tasks, including donor research, record keeping, stewardship, and direct solicitations. While significant experience closing major gifts isn’t required, candidates should have worked in support positions with major donors and be comfortable taking on increasingly responsible fundraising work. This position will have external support from Bonafide’s fundraising consultancy, Collective Agency, for grant writing, fund development planning, and other services on an as-needed basis, including overall strategy and coaching.

Key Responsibilities

Individual Giving (40% time)

• Major donor prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; this position will carry a portfolio of 50 prospective and current donors.
• Support Executive Director in all aspects of major gift moves management.
• Develop a growth strategy for the mid-level donor segment.
• Produce donor communications and stewardship materials.
• Plan and execute annual giving campaigns.
• Provide strategic guidance to the Executive Director and Board on fundraising opportunities.
• Partnering with other team members on the organization’s communications strategy to optimize fundraising.

Development Operations (25% time)

• Manage organizational CRM, ensuring the accuracy of data.
• Conduct timely gift processing and donor acknowledgment.
• Maintain development calendar and timeline.

Events (20% time)

• Plan and execute small to mid-scale friend- and fund-raising events annually in partnership with the Executive Director and the Board.

Board Engagement (15% time)

• Support the Executive Director in staffing the board.
• Engage board members in donor outreach.
• Track board giving and participation.
• Provide the Executive Director and board with regular updates on fundraising progress.

Key Deliverables

1. Within the first six months, an articulated growth strategy for growing each segment of the individual giving pipeline (entry-, mid-, and high-level).
2. Activation of meaningful board engagement in fundraising and/or board fundraising committee.
3. Execution of successful online and/or direct mail/annual fund campaigns (increased revenue, increased # of donors engaged).
4. Notable system improvements and data integrity in the donor database.
5. Others, as identified by the candidate in the annual goal-planning process.

Qualifications

• 4-7 years of progressive development experience.
• Proven track record in individual fundraising, executive support, and board engagement.
• Strong skills in donor database management.
• Excellence in written and verbal communication.
• Passion for Bonafide’s mission.

Success Metrics

• Achievement of annual fundraising goals.
• Growth in individual giving.
• Increased board fundraising participation.
• Successful friend- and fund-raising events.
• Effectiveness and quality of donor communications.