Development Lead: Capital Campaign & Growth

South End Village Academy; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

South End Village Academy seeks a mission-driven Director of Development to lead a fundraising program fueling growth as a nonprofit rooted in community action. The role owns annual targets and a multi-year capital campaign, serving as the strategic engine behind SEVA's physical footprint.

Reporting to the Head of School and partnering with the Board and campaign counsel, you will build donor relationships, manage a CRM, and design stewardship for campaign donors, ensuring sustainable operations

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Direct experience soliciting and closing major gifts ($50K+), with exposure to multi-year pledge structures.
• Experience contributing to or managing phases of a comprehensive or capital campaign (feasibility, quiet phase, public phase, or pledge collection).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with and leverage a governing Board and executive leadership in high-stakes solicitations.
• Fluency with donor CRM systems, moves management, and pipeline tracking tools.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills suited for high-net-worth audiences.

Responsibilities

• Own and be held accountable to an annual fundraising target, set jointly with the Head of School and Board, spanning the annual fund, major gifts, capital gifts, and grants.
• Build and manage a high-touch donor pipeline from prospecting through cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship.
• Track progress against targets on a monthly cadence; report results, forecasts, and course corrections to the Head of School and Board.
• Run a lean, metrics-driven development operation that maximizes dollars raised per hour invested.
• Direct a multi-year, multi-million-dollar capital campaign to finance SEVA's building project, establishing gift pyramids, naming opportunities, and milestone timelines.
• Partner with the Head of School, Board Chair, and Campaign Task Force to define campaign priorities, stress-test targets, and coordinate solicitations.
• Personally build, cultivate, and solicit a portfolio of transformative 6- and 7-figure gift prospects, including philanthropists, foundations, and corporate partners invested in urban education and real estate development.
• Coordinate with the Head of Finance & Operations to align philanthropic pacing with capital expenditure requirements.
• Develop a formal Stewardship Program to recognize (via thank you notes and other touch points) all campaign donors and prospects
• Design and execute annual campaigns that sustain operational needs while running parallel to capital campaign efforts.
• Identify, cultivate, and personally solicit major gift prospects, including current families, alumni parents, and community leaders.
• Build and maintain a donor CRM to track relationships, pledges, gift agreements, and multi-year pledges across the full pipeline.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Major gifts solicitations

Campaign management

Relationship management

Donor CRM

Tools

Donor CRM software

Pledge management

Job description

South End Village Academy seeks a mission-driven Director of Development to lead a fundraising program fueling growth as a nonprofit rooted in community action. The role owns annual targets and a multi-year capital campaign, serving as the strategic engine behind SEVA's physical footprint.

Reporting to the Head of School and partnering with the Board and campaign counsel, you will build donor relationships, manage a CRM, and design stewardship for campaign donors, ensuring sustainable operations