Development Director

About the role

A Wider Circle, a social service nonprofit serving the DMV region, seeks a Director of Development to partner with the CEO and organizational leadership. This role leads critical fundraising strategies to advance and operationalize the strategic plan, mission, and community role, with a focus on visioning future growth, particularly in monthly giving and digital fundraising programs, coordinating key events, and connecting volunteers, consultants, and others to support these efforts.

This is a full-time, exempt position with supervisory responsibilities, offering a hybrid work arrangement (up to 40% remote) based in Silver Spring, MD.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting and collaborative relationships throughout the organization.
• Provide strategic thought partnership to the CEO.
• Develop, set, and monitor organizational fundraising goals with the CEO.
• Serve as an external ambassador of A Wider Circle—explaining its mission, programs, and case for support.
• Provide strategic direction and create long-term and annual plans for multiple giving audiences, including individual donors, corporate investors, foundations, and more.
• Collaborate with the Development and Communications teams on all fundraising appeal and campaign processes and administrative implementation (including all print and digital channels).
• Set and monitor annual giving goals across a portfolio of corporate and individual major donors and prospects with the capacity to engage in a meaningful way.
• Manage the identification, research, and moves management of a pipeline of corporate partners, including sponsor prospects and donors.
• Develop short- and long-term cultivation strategies for prospects and donors through the giving cycle via in-person meetings, events, and written communications.
• Develop and manage stewardship plans for major corporate sponsors.
• Work closely with the Director of Grants and Contracts to ensure consistency in message and approach to drive engagement within the corporate donor portfolio.
• Serve as team lead for fundraising events, including logistics, sponsorship, advertising, and programming.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate records within the donor database.
• Oversee staff responsible for back-end development operations, including gift processing and acknowledgments.
• Oversee staff administering the organization's database of records and online CRM platform.
• Supervise select team members and interns.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of fundraising/development practices, including growing and maintaining direct marketing programs (direct mail and digital).
• Knowledge and experience in establishing new revenue streams, development databases, and process improvement.
• Data analytics skills to identify strategic KPIs for direct response and track progress.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous self-learning and growth.
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours for meetings and special events.
• Sincere commitment to working collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters.
• Self-starter, able to work independently and entrepreneurially; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives.
• Ability to identify and coordinate organization-wide resources to achieve appropriate outcomes.
• Ability to handle a variety of key initiatives concurrently.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully engage and manage prospective and current donors, resulting in increased giving.
• Ability to understand the interests of corporate and individual prospects and donors and connect them to A Wider Circle’s priorities while developing deep and long-lasting relationships.
• Familiarity with Google Organization & Productivity Tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar).

Qualifications

• BA/BS and at least 7–10 years of relevant experience, or MA/MS and 5 years of relevant experience, and/or sufficient relevant work experience.
• Subject matter expert in the field.
• 5+ years of nonprofit experience required, with proven experience growing either a fundraising or direct marketing program.
• Minimum of two years of experience managing a team to accomplish specific goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Experience with successful event planning and execution.
• Effective project management skills with the ability to manage multiple, competing priorities with tight deadlines.
• Exceptional written, spoken, virtual, and interpersonal communication skills with donors, key stakeholders, leadership, and colleagues.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous self-learning and growth, especially related to equity competencies and managing diverse teams, and modeling this approach with others.
• Ability to work with volunteers in a professional and collaborative manner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with philanthropic communities and interests in the greater DMV.
• Experience working with database and donor management software (LiveImpact, Bonterra Suite, Little Green Light, or similar).

Pay

Salary range: $100,000–$120,000 with an option for a performance bonus.

Schedule

Full-time, exempt position. Hybrid work arrangement (up to 40% remote). Occasional evening and weekend hours required for meetings and special events.

Location

Hybrid (up to 40% remote), with the office located in Silver Spring, MD. Travel within the DMV area is required.

Work Environment

The Director will work in an office setting with prolonged periods of sitting and talking on the phone.