Development Director

Abilityfirst; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

AbilityFirst in Pasadena seeks a Development Director (Full-Time) to partner with the Chief Development Officer, owning the signature events and sponsorship program, advancing corporate partnerships, annual giving, and donor data management. This senior role leads a small team, collaborates across Marketing and Grants, and uses donor insights to shape strategy.

The position requires in-person office presence with hybrid/remote flexibility and regular travel to centers, event venues, and donor

Responsibilities

• Lead AbilityFirst's signature fundraising events, setting strategy, revenue goals, and success metrics for each, and build the annual events calendar with the CDO.
• Own sponsorship strategy and revenue across all events, personally cultivating and securing lead sponsors while guiding staff on exhibitor, corporate, and in-kind partnerships.
• Lead event steering committees, setting agendas, driving decisions, and keeping volunteers engaged and accountable.
• Manage event budgets and vendor contracts in coordination with Finance.
• Partner with the Grant Writer to build a proactive corporate engagement strategy that brings together sponsorships, grants, employee volunteering, and other partnership opportunities.
• Identify and cultivate new corporate partners and develop coordinated outreach and stewardship plans that grow multi-year relationships.
• Work with the Senior Volunteer Coordinator to create corporate volunteer opportunities that support both engagement and revenue goals.
• Partner with the CDO on major gifts: prepare donor briefings and moves‑management plans, identify and qualify prospects surfaced through data and events, and represent the department at cultivation and stewardship meetings.
• Support the CDO in building a planned giving pipeline from existing donors.
• Oversee the annual giving and direct mail program in partnership with Marketing, from segmentation and messaging through results analysis.
• Review donor‑facing communications, including e‑blasts, event promotion, and campaign materials, for accuracy, tone, and alignment with development strategy.
• Ensure timely acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship for donors at every level.
• Use Salesforce reporting and donor data to identify trends, segments, and gaps across the giving pipeline, and turn findings into recommendations for the CDO and team.
• Oversee gift processing, acknowledgments, reporting, and database

Job description

Job Title: Development Director (Full-Time)

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Schedule: Monday to Friday (8:00 am to 4:30 pm); evenings and weekends required around events

Location: Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA. Hybrid (in-office and remote); regular travel to centers, event venues, and donor/sponsor meetings required.

Status: Full-Time, 40 hrs/wk, Exempt

Driver Position: No

Salary Range: $120,000 to $135,000 Annually

About Us

At AbilityFirst, we are dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities achieve their personal best. Our mission is to look beyond disabilities, focus on capabilities, and expand possibilities. We believe that strong, clear, and authentic communication is essential to advancing our mission, strengthening community trust, and expanding our impact.

About The Role

The Development Director is a senior member of AbilityFirst's fundraising leadership, partnering with the Chief Development Officer to turn development strategy into consistent, measurable results. The Director owns the signature events and sponsorship program, leads corporate partnership strategy, oversees annual giving and donor data, and supports the CDO in growing major and planned gifts. The Director leads a team of three, with two direct reports, and manages day-to-day department operations.

We're looking for an experienced fundraising leader who can set strategy and roll up their sleeves: someone equally at home leading a volunteer committee, making a sponsorship ask, and using donor data to decide where the team should focus next.

Key Responsibilities

Events & Sponsorships

• Lead AbilityFirst's signature fundraising events, setting strategy, revenue goals, and success metrics for each, and build the annual events calendar with the CDO.
• Own sponsorship strategy and revenue across all events, personally cultivating and securing lead sponsors while guiding staff on exhibitor, corporate, and in-kind partnerships.
• Lead event steering committees, setting agendas, driving decisions, and keeping volunteers engaged and accountable.
• Manage event budgets and vendor contracts in coordination with Finance.

Corporate Partnerships

• Partner with the Grant Writer to build a proactive corporate engagement strategy that brings together sponsorships, grants, employee volunteering, and other partnership opportunities.
• Identify and cultivate new corporate partners and develop coordinated outreach and stewardship plans that grow multi-year relationships.
• Work with the Senior Volunteer Coordinator to create corporate volunteer opportunities that support both engagement and revenue goals.

Individual Giving

• Partner with the CDO on major gifts: prepare donor briefings and moves‑management plans, identify and qualify prospects surfaced through data and events, and represent the department at cultivation and stewardship meetings.
• Support the CDO in building a planned giving pipeline from existing donors.
• Oversee the annual giving and direct mail program in partnership with Marketing, from segmentation and messaging through results analysis.
• Review donor‑facing communications, including e‑blasts, event promotion, and campaign materials, for accuracy, tone, and alignment with development strategy.
• Ensure timely acknowledgment, recognition, and stewardship for donors at every level.

Donor Data & Insights

• Use Salesforce reporting and donor data to identify trends, segments, and gaps across the giving pipeline, and turn findings into recommendations for the CDO and team.
• Oversee gift processing, acknowledgments, reporting, and database