Director of Development

Posted: Oct 20, 2026 | Alexandria, Virginia | Full-time | Salary: $70,000–$90,000 annually | Application deadline: Nov 30, 2026 | Reports to: President and CEO | Supervises: None

About the role

This position would be primarily responsible for development donor strategy and execution. The CEO would remain NCFA’s primary frontline fundraiser and senior donor relationship-builder. This person would create the structure, materials, preparation, and follow-through needed to make those efforts successful.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage an annual development strategy and revenue plan.
• Establish fundraising goals, forecasts, and performance measures.
• Draft grant proposals, reports, letters of inquiry, appeals, donor communications, and other fundraising materials.
• Conduct donor and prospect research and prepare the CEO for donor meetings, cultivation, and solicitations.
• Manage the development pipeline, fundraising calendar, donor records, acknowledgments, gift processing, stewardship activities, and follow-up.
• Develop relationships with selected donors and funders while supporting the CEO as the primary frontline fundraiser.
• Lead conference sponsorship and exhibitor revenue, including prospecting, recruitment, solicitation, tracking, benefit fulfillment, and ongoing stewardship.
• Prepare briefings, talking points, presentations, and other materials for important external and internal meetings.
• Collaborate internally with the President and CEO, NCFA staff, and other leadership to advance fundraising and selected organizational priorities.
• Build external relationships with donors, prospective donors, foundations and other funders, partners, and other external contacts relevant to development and CEO-led initiatives.
• Perform other duties reasonably related to the position that support NCFA’s mission and organizational needs.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressively responsible nonprofit development experience, including demonstrated success with institutional and individual fundraising, plus experience managing complex organizational initiatives.
• Demonstrated success securing and stewarding significant foundation and individual gifts.
• Excellent grant writing, donor communication, and case-development skills.
• Experience managing a fundraising pipeline and CRM.
• Strong project-management skills and the ability to move work across organizational boundaries.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to work closely with a CEO.
• Experience in a small or midsized nonprofit, where senior staff combine strategy with hands-on execution.
• Adoption, child welfare, or family-services experience preferred, but not required.

Pay

Salary range: $70,000–$90,000 annually.