Development Director

Inside Philanthropy; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

HomeAid Orange County| Los Angeles in Irvine, CA seeks a Development Director to lead fundraising strategy across grants, contracts and major gifts. You will drive revenue growth and build strong relationships with funders to support housing initiatives.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership, donor stewardship, and collaboration with operations, program and finance teams to meet annual goals.

Qualifications

• Experience developing fundraising strategies.
• Ability to manage grants lifecycle from application to reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage grants and contracts strategy across public and private funders.
• Design and lead a comprehensive major gifts program with multi-year projections.
• Collaborate with marketing, program and finance teams to align donor messaging.
• Stay current on fundraising best practices and ethical standards.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relations

Grant management

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Position Summary

The Development Director is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and executing HomeAid OCLA’s fundraising strategies, providing strategic leadership in corporate, foundation and individual donor relationships and grant initiatives. The Development Director is accountable for achieving revenue goals, diversifying funding streams across Orange and Los Angeles Counties, strengthening major donor relationships, managing donor communications and positioning HomeAid as a trusted and visible leader in the effort to address homelessness.

The ideal candidate demonstrates strong analytical, strategic, and leadership capabilities; the ability to independently plan and implement initiatives; excellent written and verbal communication skills; and the capacity to build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

In 2027, the primary focus for the Development Director is to implement and augment an existing Grants & Contracts Strategy, and to build upon the early stages of a Major Gifts Program & Strategy across Orange County and select cities in Los Angeles County.

There is room for growth - for the Development Director and the Development Team in 2027/2028!

1. Grants & Contracts Strategy & Management

• Implement and augment existing grants and contracts strategy that matches funding sources to the organization's mission and growth goals.
• Manage the full life of each award, from application and negotiation through reporting, renewal and closeout, including California state, county and city contracts.
• In collaboration with the Operations Manager, track deadlines, deliverables and compliance requirements, and keep records audit-ready.
• Work with program and finance teams on budgets, spending, invoicing, and timely reporting to funders.
• Build strong relationships with public and private funders and report on results and funding trends to Executive Leadership and the Board of Directors.

1. Major Gifts Program Strategy & Management

• Design, implement, and manage a comprehensive major gifts program (donors capable of $10,000 - $100,000+ annually) aligned with the organization’s mission, strategic plan, and annual revenue goals.
• Develop annual /multi-year major gifts revenue projections and individualized strategies.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align donor investment opportunities with organizational needs, including current and future housing projects, capital needs, and operating priorities.
• The Development Director will be responsible for the following:
  1. Donor Identification, Qualification, Cultivation & Relationship Management
  2. Stewardship & Donor Retention
  3. Collaboration with Executive Leadership & Board of Directors

1. Cross-Functional & Team Support

• Collaborate with marketing and communications staff to align donor messaging, impact storytelling, and recognition efforts.
• Coordinate with events staff to integrate major donor engagement into fundraising events and project milestones.
• Manage input into grant proposals and sponsorship strategies where major donors overlap with institutional funders.
• Support a culture of philanthropy across the organization by sharing donor insights and impact stories with staff.

1. Professional Development & Best Practices

• Stay current on major gifts fundraising trends, particularly related to housing, homelessness, capital fundraising, and construction-related philanthropy.
• Participate in professional development opportunities, trainings, and networking relevant to major gifts and nonprofit development.
• Uphold ethical fundraising standards and best practices in donor engagement and confidentiality.

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. Management reserves the right to modify, supplement, rescind, assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time to meet the overall needs of HomeAid Orange County| Los Angeles except as to any language that the employment relationship is at the will of either the staff member or HomeAid Orange County | Los Angeles.