Development Director

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts; Wilbraham (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation time

Sick days

Fully paid health and disability insurance

Travel reimbursement

401(k) program

Opportunities for career growth

Job summary

A community engagement organization in Massachusetts seeks a Development Director responsible for leading fundraising strategy, building donor relations, and overseeing grants management. The ideal candidate should have experience in strategic development, a strong track record in fundraising, and proficiency in donor communications. This full-time position offers a competitive salary of $100,000 to $105,000 per year along with comprehensive benefits, including health and disability insurance, and opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic development planning and identifying revenue needs.
• Proficiency in researching funding sources to stay ahead of funding changes.
• Strong analytical skills for performance measures and program evaluation.
• Proven track record in fundraising with institutions and individual donors.
• Ability to develop strategies to cultivate long-term donor relationships.
• Experience in managing multiple projects and meeting deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Design strategies to grow funding from individuals and foundations.
• Cultivate relationships with major donors and foundation officers.
• Lead donor engagement events and campaigns to strengthen donor ties.
• Oversee grant writing and tracking to ensure compliance and deadlines.
• Support staff in grassroots fundraising and donor engagement initiatives.

Skills

Strategic development planning

Donor communications

Researching funding sources

Fundraising experience

Stewardship strategies

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's and/or Master's Degree

Tools

EveryAction

Job description

Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts (N2N) is a member‑led, community‑based, civic engagement organization dedicated to achieving racial, economic, and environmental justice. Transformative work is at the heart of our mission and cuts across all our activities. We have Chapters in Lynn, Springfield, Holyoke, and Worcester.

Job Overview

The Development Director is responsible for ensuring Neighbor to Neighbor has the resources to sustain and grow its mission. This role leads the organization’s fundraising, donor relations, and development strategy to ensure long‑term sustainability and alignment with our values.

Working closely with the Executive Director and the Finance Team, the Development Director will design and execute strategies to grow funding from individuals, foundations, and institutions. This role will supervise the Individual Giving Director. They will cultivate relationships, steward donors, and work with the Communications team to develop communication tools that connect our supporters to the impact of our work.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy & Sustainability (30%)

• Partner with the Leadership and Finance Teams to identify annual and multi‑year revenue goals and fundraising targets.
• Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies to diversify revenue streams (foundations, major donors, grassroots fundraising, unions, and events).
• Collaborate with the Director of Individual Giving to coordinate donor segmentation strategies and ensure alignment between institutional fundraising and individual donor cultivation.
• Research funding sources and trends, and position N2N ahead of major funding changes.
• Establish and monitor performance measures and evaluation tools to assess progress toward fundraising goals.
• Collaborate with staff to integrate fundraising goals into program planning and communications.
• Contribute to organizational sustainability planning, ensuring that development strategies align with long‑term financial health.

Donor Relations (25%)

• Cultivate and steward relationships with existing and prospective major donors, foundation officers, and partners.
• Oversee the Director of Individual Giving to develop a cohesive donor engagement strategy that connects institutional funders and individual supporters to N2N's overall mission and impact.
• Develop and oversee donor acknowledgment systems and stewardship plans to deepen donor commitment and retention.
• Coordinate messaging, storytelling, and fundraising materials with the communications team to ensure unified communications across donor audiences.
• Lead the planning and execution of donor engagement events, appeals, and campaigns.
• Represent N2N at public events, coalition meetings, and donor gatherings to strengthen the organization’s visibility and relationships.

Grants Management (25%)

• Identify and pursue foundation and institutional grant opportunities.
• Lead or oversee the writing, submission, and reporting of all grant proposals and materials.
• Maintain grant‑tracking systems to ensure deadlines are met and compliance is maintained.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather data, stories, and impact information for grant applications and reports.
• Share relevant information with the Director of Individual Giving to coordinate institutional and individual giving calendars and ensure consistent donor communication and stewardship.

Leadership & Administration (20%)

• Collaborate closely with the Finance Team to ensure revenue targets and reporting are aligned with budgets and forecasts.
• Collaborate with development staff, consultants, or interns as assigned.
• Support and train staff in grassroots fundraising and donor engagement, helping build a culture of shared responsibility for resource generation.
• Provide regular updates on fundraising progress, donor engagement, and grants activity to the Leadership Team and Finance Team.
• Support board engagement in fundraising and development activities as needed.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in strategic development planning, including identifying revenue needs, funding targets, and approaches to support organizational mission.
• Proficiency in researching funding sources and trends, with the ability to position the organization ahead of major funding changes.
• Bachelor's and/or Master's Degree (preferred)
• Strong analytical skills to establish performance measures, monitor results, and evaluate the effectiveness of fund development programs.
• Experience in overseeing effective donor communications strategies.
• Proven track record in fundraising, including prospecting, solicitation, and stewardship of foundation, individual, and union donors.
• Ability to develop stewardship and acknowledgement strategies to cultivate long‑term relationships and deepen donor commitment.
• Skilled in planning and executing appeal campaigns, events, and development communications to support fundraising efforts.
• Effective management skills to train and mentor staff in development, support grassroots fundraising efforts, and monitor and report on development program progress.
• Experience with Donor Management Systems (i.e., EveryAction)
• Skilled planner, able to set clear goals and measurable objectives to meet goals.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously to meet deadlines.
• Must be willing to travel 10% of the time.

Salary & Benefits

This full‑time position offers a salary range of $100,000 to $105,000 per year. Benefits include vacation time, sick days, fully paid health and disability insurance, travel reimbursement, a 401(k) program, and opportunities for career growth.

How to apply

Send your resume and cover letter to [e-mail] with the Subject Line: [First Name Last Name] Development Director Application