EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Development Director

Blue Deer Center is seeking a Director of Development to work with the Executive Director to create a strategic, comprehensive, and diversified resource development plan that will guide Blue Deer Center to meet its goals, maximizing opportunities around individuals, foundations, and events. Creative cultivation and stewardship strategies, which will enhance the current program and expand on the tremendous potential of our donors, are also an expectation of the Development Director.

The Director of Development provides leadership to the Board of Directors to reach our annual and long-range goals. The Director will ensure that effective cultivation and training is delivered to volunteer solicitors (e.g. Board members). S/he is expected to report to the Board of Directors on development efforts.

The Director of Development reports to the Executive Director.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Annual Giving: Develop and lead an annual operating plan that includes specific fundraising targets for annual appeals, with an objective of retaining current donors, and significantly expanding our donor base.

Major Gifts: Expand our major donor pool of $5,000+ gifts. Develop and lead a comprehensive approach that focuses on major gifts and includes specific fundraising goals and targets for proposals and direct appeals. This includes identification and qualification of major donor prospects and facilitating meetings and face-to-face solicitations for the Executive Director. Build and maintain strong, positive relationships with existing and potential individual funding sources.

Foundation Grants Program: Cultivate relationships with foundations in order to identify potential funding opportunities; develop grant applications; develop tracking and reporting systems for proposal submissions and associated stewardship.

Planned Giving: Pursue strategies to develop a planned giving program. Market planned giving opportunities to targeted prospects.

Events: Oversee the planning, implementation and coordination of strategic and high-impact special events to promote the mission of Blue Deer Center.

Gift Recording & Acknowledgement: Ensure accurate and up-to-date donor database, including individual giving histories, profiles, interactions, etc. Supervise system to acknowledge donors.

Stewardship: Oversee the preparation of the high-quality reports and mailings to support ongoing stewardship activities.

Materials: Oversee the development of messages and materials that advance the development initiatives of Blue Deer Center.

Management: Prepare regular reports for the Executive Director and Blue Deer Center leadership, including analysis of gifts, trends, key donor information, projections, etc. Track development goals and work to ensure they are accomplished. S/he will oversee and manage the fundraising associate.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least five years demonstrated experience in nonprofit fundraising with emphasis on individual major gifts.
Successful track record of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual major donors and foundations.
A demonstrated leadership style is required. This should be accompanied by enthusiasm, high energy, integrity, team building, and a keen understanding of the mission of the organization.
Accepts responsibility for the direction, control or planning of all development activities.
Exceptional initiative, vision, and ambition.
Strong interpersonal skills and comfort making donor contacts; ability to communicate with a myriad of constituencies including the Board.
Superb organizational skills and flexibility; detail-oriented with strong follow-through. Ability to multi-task; capable of performing a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another with ease and composure.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience producing successful donor communication and marketing materials.
Proficient in Microsoft Office suite and fundraising database management.
Personally committed to diversity; values and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance.