Director of Development

Organization: Skysthelimit.org

Location: Seattle, WA (Remote hybrid with ~1 day/week in office)

Salary: Up to $100,000 base, bonus eligible

Position: Contract-to-hire

Reports to: Co-founder & CEO

About Skysthelimit.org

Founded in 2010, Skysthelimit.org is a dynamic, tech non-profit on a mission to build a global community where all young entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities have a level playing field to thrive. Our digital platform connects earliest-stage, underestimated founders with experienced business mentors, a streamlined path to small business grants, and training in entrepreneurship. We are a tech-for-good organization, creating economic opportunity and empowering the next generation of business leaders at scale across the US, UK, and beyond. Short video about us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc_mO6aH3zE

The Opportunity

This isn't your typical non-profit fundraising role. We're looking for a hustler, a builder, and a closer. This is a business development opportunity for a sales superstar who is eager to translate their skills into a role with profound social impact.

You will be a key architect of our fundraising program working closely with Co-founders Bo Ghirardelli and Nicolas Cary, responsible for building a robust pipeline and securing significant donations from HNWIs, Corporations, and (some) Foundations. Think of it as enterprise sales for social change: you’ll be identifying prospects, building authentic relationships, and closing five- and six-figure "deals" that directly fuel our mission. If you are an entrepreneurial, opportunistic, and metrics-driven professional who thrives on chasing ambitious goals and wants to grow into a leadership role, this is the position for you.

Your success will be measured by your ability to personally build a strong pipeline and close major gifts, while also supporting the leadership in closing gifts. Your calendar should be filled with getting the Co-founders – and yourself – donor meetings, not internal administrative tasks. You should be comfortable with a high-accountability environment with lots of room for growth – if you are raising money or helping raise it, you will be successful in this role.

What You'll Do

• 50% - Direct Cultivation & Outreach: Time spent on calls, in meetings (virtual or in-person), and writing personalized emails to build relationships with prospective corporate, foundation, and individual donors. Part of this time is ensuring the Co-Founders are also getting into the right funder meetings, and supporting their pipelines. You’ll work closely with Co-founders and Board of Directors to leverage their networks and support the organization’s fundraising.
• 25% - Strategic Prospecting & Proposal Development: Researching new potential funders and writing highly customized, compelling grant proposals and partnership decks – for both yourself and the Co-founders.
• 15% - Donor Stewardship: Thanking existing donors, providing them with impact reports, and keeping them engaged. This is crucial for retention and securing future gifts.
• 10% - Internal Strategy & Systems Management: Collaborating with the member experience and marketing teams, managing the donor database (CRM), and reporting on progress.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are seeking a candidate who embodies the spirit of a startup founder: self-driven, resourceful, relentless, and results-oriented.

Core Qualifications:

• A Proven Closer: You have 5+ years of experience in a quota-carrying role, preferably in philanthropic fundraising or enterprise SaaS, tech, or a related field with a complex sales cycle. You have a demonstrated track record of consistently meeting and exceeding ambitious revenue targets.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: You are a self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity and excited by the prospect of building something new. You don't wait for direction; you identify opportunities and run with them. You ask for what you need at the right times.
• Opportunistic & Strategic: You think strategically about your market. You know how to map an account, identify key decision-makers, and find creative ways to get a meeting.
• Master of the Pipeline: You live and breathe pipeline management. You are disciplined about prospecting, qualification, and moving opportunities forward. You are highly proficient with CRM tools like Salesforce.
• Exceptional Communicator: You have outstanding verbal and written communication skills. You can build rapport quickly and articulate a complex value proposition in a simple, compelling way.
• Growth Mindset: You are intensely curious, coachable, and eager to learn at an accelerated pace. You see challenges as opportunities to grow and are passionate about personal and professional development.

Bonus Points (Nice-to-haves):

• Experience working with C-suite executives and high-net-worth individuals in fundraising.
• A personal passion for entrepreneurship, mentorship, or creating economic opportunity.
• Prior experience in fundraising or a personal history of philanthropy (this is a plus, but absolutely not a requirement).

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Direct Impact: The "deals" you close directly translate into mentorship and funding for underserved entrepreneurs. You will see the tangible results of your work every day.
• Uncapped Growth: This is a career-defining opportunity. For the right candidate, this role offers a clear and rapid path to higher positions and leadership within the organization.
• Innovative Culture: We operate like the tech company we are. We are nimble, data-driven, and always innovating to better serve our community.
• Competitive Compensation: We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and a flexible, remote-first work environment.

What you have to work with to raise money

• 100k+ diverse, early-stage entrepreneurs on our proprietary digital platform. STL has launched and grown 6k businesses creating 10k jobs.
• Nearly 10k volunteers from our corporate partners have created accounts on our platform.
• Weekly virtual events with our entrepreneurs – from pitch competitions to group coaching – for donor engagement and retention.
• $1m a year in recurring contributions from top Fortune 500 corporations, based on an innovative employee engagement program matching their employees as volunteer mentors with our entrepreneurs, generating business value + impact. This is ~70% of our budget today. Your job will be to work with us to grow corporate giving while building a major gifts program – and an annual giving program, if there is a good opportunity.
• Two co-founders, Bo Ghirardelli (CEO) and Nic Cary (Chair), ready and excited to work closely with you. Nic has raised $1 billion in venture capital as co-founder of Blockchain.com, and pledged half of his equity to Skysthelimit.org’s mission. Bo has built STL from the ground up over the past 15 years and raised over $15m in donations to STL.
• Nearly 20 people on our Board of Directors, most of whom were recruited by the Co-founders to be fundraisers for the mission, with a give-get expectation of $25k / year. https://www.skysthelimit.org/our-team
• We have ambitions to expand, including in Europe. Skysthelimit.orgUK is a registered charity in the UK.
• We use Hubspot as our CRM and marketing platform. Note that we prioritize results over process.

To Apply

To apply, fill out this short form in lieu of a cover letter: https://forms.gle/59JKjqLEtR7BiqTLA

• Please note: Candidates who have actually used our platform by signing up for a free account (as either an entrepreneur or volunteer) will get priority consideration. Link here: https://app.skysthelimit.org/home/onboarding/signup

Skysthelimit.org is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

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