JOB TITLE: Director of Development
JOB STATUS: Full-time, salaried
LOCATION: Bloomington Office, in-office 4 days a week
DEPARTMENT: Development, Events, and Engagement
REPORTS TO: VP of Operations
HOURS: Typically M-F, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (40 Hours/week, some evening, weekend events, and travel)
SCOPE OF POSITION:
The Director of Development will be responsible for securing funds for SAVE while promoting its mission and programs. They will lead and execute SAVE’s fundraising and development strategy during a period of rapid growth. This position is critical to ensuring sustainable revenue streams. Reporting to the VP of Operations, the Director of Development will serve as the primary staff member responsible for development operations, major gifts, donor stewardship, and fundraising initiatives.
This role will oversee existing staff (.5 FTE event and data management support and 1 FTE grant writer) who support development activities and, as the organization develops, may include recruiting, onboarding, and supervising future development staff.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Fundraising Strategy and Execution
- Develop and implement a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising plan aligned with organizational goals and the matching grant opportunity.
- Manage all aspects of individual, corporate, and foundation giving, including research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Identify and initiate connections with prospective major donors and corporate partners, coordinating and preparing meetings for the CEO and other organizational leaders to deepen relationships and secure support. Solicit and steward major gifts and leadership-level contributions personally.
- Oversee donor communications and engagement strategies to enhance retention and growth.
- Fundraising Events and Campaigns
- Lead, plan, and execute donor engagement for SAVE events, fundraising campaigns, and other fundraising initiatives alongside the SAVE team (e.g. Give to the Max Day, Giving Tuesday, and year-end giving campaign).
- Collaborate with staff and volunteers to ensure events support fundraising goals and enhance donor experience.
- Evaluate event budgets, attendance, and outcomes to assess effectiveness.
- Donor Data Management
- Manage the donor CRM/database, ensuring accurate records, reporting, and analytics.
- Develop useful reports for various audiences: internal, board leadership, staff review.
- Develop and implement donor stewardship strategies to enhance retention, upgrade giving, and provide a positive donor experience.
- Grants and Institutional Giving
- Collaborate with SAVE’s grant writer to ensure grant strategy aligns with SAVE’s overall fundraising and development goals.
- Review grant applications and reports for accuracy, consistency, and alignment with overall development strategy.
- Integrate the grant calendar with broader donor engagement efforts to enhance the overall donor experience.
- Maintain relationships with institutional funders to ensure ongoing stewardship and reporting compliance.
- Other Duties
- Collaborate with program, finance, and communications staff to align fundraising goals with organizational priorities.
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of future development team members as the department grows.
- Stay current on trends and best practices in fundraising and philanthropic giving.
- Other duties as assigned
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree or CFRE certification a plus.
Experience: Minimum of 5 years of fundraising experience, including major gifts solicitation and stewardship.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Attention to detail with exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects effectively.
- Comfortable with public speaking and cold calling.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google products, email, and databases.
- Demonstrated success in meeting fundraising goals and building donor pipelines.
- Strong understanding of philanthropic giving trends and donor behavior.
- Experience with donor CRM systems; familiarity with Salesforce is a plus.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfort with a growing and changing environment and building systems from the ground up.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners.
- Proven ability to gain the respect and support of key stakeholders quickly and effectively.
- Proven ability to ask for and close gifts of $50,000 and up.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- $115,000- $140,000 salary
- Benefits include:
- Attractive paid PTO and holiday plans
- Individual or family health insurance (90% paid by employer)
- 403(b) Retirement Plan (5% agency non-match, voluntary employee contribution)
- Group Life & Accidental Death Insurance (100% paid by SAVE)
- Dental and Vision Insurance (100%) paid by SAVE)
- Group Long & Short-Term Disability Insurance (100% paid by SAVE)
HIRING PROCESS
- Accepting applications until: 11:59 CST, January 12, 2026; Send cover letter, work samples, and resume to Margaret Fondell at lank">mfondell@save.org. 2-3 work samples of past work can include, but are not limited to, fundraising campaign collateral, examples of donor communications, fundraising budgets or campaign timelines, documented overall fundraising strategy, or other fundraising-related work products.
- First round phone screens will be conducted on a rolling basis and conclude on January 19, 2026.
- In-person interviews anticipated dates: January 26- February 4, 2026.
