Development Manager

Position Title: Development Manager

Reports to: Senior Director of Development

Our Values

Integrity

• Perform at the highest standards. We strive for the best in class.
• Be honest in our interactions and develop trusting relationships.
• Take personal, and where appropriate, team responsibility for results.
• Acknowledge what we don’t know.

Openness

• Demonstrate willingness to continuously learn, grow, and change.
• Celebrate our differences.
• Be present, curious, and receptive to new and different ideas and situations.

Mindfulness

• Ask for help and reciprocate help when needed.
• Respect each other’s perspectives, experiences, and sensitivities.
• Be mindful of our individual impact on the work environment.
• Speak with thoughtfulness. We think before we speak.

Collaboration

• Show a willingness to give up personal ownership for the greater good/outcome.
• Work together to foster individual and organizational growth.
• Create an environment where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Have a holistic view of the work of the organization.
• Remain flexible to achieve optimal outcomes.

The Position

The Development Manager is responsible for growing revenue from individual donors through the planning, execution, and optimization of fundraising campaigns and donor engagement strategies. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, this position manages a portfolio of donors and prospects, leads annual giving initiatives, and supports donor cultivation and stewardship efforts that advance DBSA's mission.

The Development Manager serves as a key fundraising partner to the Senior Director of Development and plays a central role in donor acquisition, retention, upgrade strategies, campaign performance, grant prospecting and grant writing.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Individual Giving & Donor Management

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospective supporters.
• Develop and implement donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, retention, and upgrade strategies.
• Conduct donor outreach through phone, email, virtual meetings, and in-person engagement.
• Identify opportunities to increase donor retention, reactivation, and major gift pipeline growth.
• Support moves management and prospect pipeline development.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Development on major donor strategies and gift opportunities.

Fundraising Campaign Management

• Lead the execution of annual giving, year-end giving, Giving Tuesday, Mental Health Awareness Month, peer-to-peer fundraising, and other fundraising initiatives.
• Develop campaign timelines, audience segmentation strategies, donor engagement pathways, and stewardship plans.
• Partner with Communications and internal stakeholders to develop donor-facing fundraising materials and messaging.
• Monitor campaign performance and recommend data-driven improvements.
• Analyze fundraising results and report on key performance indicators that support organizational revenue goals.

Volunteer & Community Engagement

• Serve as a liaison to fundraising volunteers, ambassadors, and community supporters.
• Support volunteer-led fundraising activities and third-party fundraising initiatives.
• Coordinate resources, communications, and fundraising tools for volunteer fundraisers.
• Assist with stewardship and recognition activities that strengthen volunteer engagement and fundraising participation.

Development Planning, Analytics & Reporting

• Maintain accurate donor records, portfolio activity, and fundraising data.
• Develop and maintain fundraising reports, dashboards, forecasts, and campaign analyses.
• Track donor engagement, fundraising performance, and strategic plan metrics.
• Support annual fundraising planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes.
• Provide reporting and analysis to development leadership, executive leadership, and other stakeholders as needed.

Grant Research & Funding Support

• Conduct grant prospect research and identify foundation, corporate, and government funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
• Assist in the development and submission of grant proposals, letters of inquiry, budgets, and supporting materials.
• Support grant tracking, reporting, and compliance activities to help ensure fulfillment of funder requirements and deadlines.

Other duties

• Develops and maintains positive, collaborative working relationships with the leadership team, staff, board, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Travel (local and national) and attend evening and weekend events, as needed.

Please note: this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee of this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

QUALIFICATIONS AND RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• Three to five years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including experience managing individual donor programs and fundraising campaigns.
• Proven success cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, and retaining individual donors.
• Experience managing a donor portfolio and advancing prospects through a moves management process.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing fundraising campaigns, including annual giving, year-end appeals, Giving Tuesday, peer-to-peer fundraising, or similar initiatives.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage donors, volunteers, and stakeholders through written, virtual, and in-person communications.
• Experience utilizing CRM systems for donor management, fundraising activities, reporting, and pipeline tracking. Experience with Raiser's Edge or comparable donor databases preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting fundraising data and preparing reports, dashboards, forecasts, and performance metrics.
• Experience conducting grant prospect research and supporting grant proposal development and funder reporting.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Nonprofit Management, Marketing, Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience with Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Experience with major gift fundraising and donor stewardship strategies.
• Experience developing grant proposals and managing grant compliance and reporting.
• Experience with fundraising analytics, dashboards, and reporting tools.
• Experience working within a national nonprofit, health, mental health, advocacy, or mission-driven organization.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to perform work utilizing a computer and a telephone for extended periods of time.
• Ability to travel by air or ground transportation as required in performing the work.
• Ability to frequently interact with others and work in environments with others
• Ability to demonstrate regular and predictable attendance
• Ability to multi-task, shift priorities
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust, rapport, and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex information clearly in verbal and written formats
• High emotional intelligence with the capacity to navigate sensitive conversations, support staff, and motivate teams.
• Strategic thinking skills with the ability to develop long-term plans, anticipate challenges, and identify opportunities for growth.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound judgment and decision-making abilities that reflect a balance between analysis, experience, and organizational values.
• Ability to lead, coach, and mentor staff in a supportive and accountable manner.
• Adaptability and resilience, especially when responding to changing external conditions, funder expectations, or organizational priorities.
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration, teamwork, and fostering an inclusive, respectful workplace culture.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, exempt position with generous benefits, including health, dental, vision, disability, 401K, and life insurance. The salary range for this position is $76k-$90K

The position will primarily work standard hours of 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, with flexible start/end times possible. Periodic evening or weekend hours may be required.

This position is fully remote through 2026, with required travel to Chicago for quarterly leadership meetings and additional meetings as needed. While the role is currently remote, candidates should be open to a potential return to a hybrid or in-office model in Chicago beginning in 2028. Local Chicago candidates are preferred, and the position is open only to residents of Illinois.

DEDICATION TO AN EQUITABLE WORKPLACE

DBSA is committed to equal employment opportunity for all employees, and to providing employees with a work environment free of any form of discrimination and harassment. DBSA is committed to achieving a diverse workforce through our equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. At DBSA, we make a point to celebrate our differences and respect each other’s unique perspectives. In fact, it is core to the work we do.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, exempt position with generous benefits, including health, dental, vision, disability, 401K, and life insurance. The salary range for this position is $76k-$90K

The position will primarily work standard hours of 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, with flexible start/end times possible. Periodic evening or weekend hours may be required.

This position is fully remote through 2026, with required travel to Chicago for quarterly leadership meetings and additional meetings as needed. While the role is currently remote, candidates should be open to a potential return to a hybrid or in-office model in Chicago beginning in 2028. Local Chicago candidates are preferred, and the position is open only to residents of Illinois.