Development Director: Major Gifts & Strategy

Fight For The Forgotten; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 105,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Fight for the Forgotten is seeking its first full-time Director of Development, a builder who blends strategy with hands-on fundraising to scale the organization’s philanthropy. You will manage major gifts, oversee grants, and shape the systems that support growth, donor engagement, and sustained giving.

Reporting to the CEO, you will lead fundraising efforts, build a development function from the ground up, and collaborate with leadership to expand impact across Uganda and Eastern Congo.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in major gifts.
• Skilled relationship-builder who leads with curiosity and genuine interest in donors as partners.
• Thrive in organizations where you wear many hats and your fingerprints are on the work.
• Ability to motivate and manage up, creating trust with the CEO and board.
• Clear, compelling writer comfortable with data analysis and storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a comprehensive annual development plan with clear revenue goals, strategies, and timelines across all contributed revenue streams.
• Manage a personal major gifts portfolio, typically 40–75 donors and prospects, with responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Oversee and contribute to grant prospecting, writing, and reporting for foundation and government funders.
• Lead annual fund strategy, including direct mail, digital giving, and mid-level donor programs.
• Plan and execute fundraising events and donor cultivation activities.
• Set and monitor monthly revenue targets; provide regular pipeline reporting to the CEO and board.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Storytelling/writing

Board engagement

Data analysis

Tools

Salesforce

Bloomerang

Job description

Fight for the Forgotten is seeking its first full-time Director of Development, a builder who blends strategy with hands-on fundraising to scale the organization’s philanthropy. You will manage major gifts, oversee grants, and shape the systems that support growth, donor engagement, and sustained giving.

Reporting to the CEO, you will lead fundraising efforts, build a development function from the ground up, and collaborate with leadership to expand impact across Uganda and Eastern Congo.