Development Manager, Strategic Philanthropy

Foundation Fighting Blindness; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive bonus up to 5%

Technology stipend

Laptop provided

Job summary

Foundation Fighting Blindness seeks a Development Manager, Strategic Philanthropy, to advance a robust philanthropic pipeline across domestic and international markets. You will partner with senior philanthropy leadership on donor intelligence, CRM oversight, and engagement strategy, coordinating with internal teams to deliver donor-centric experiences and meaningful, long-term partnerships.

Responsibilities include research, qualification, dashboards, and event coordination to cultivate

Qualifications

• 4-7 years in fundraising or donor relations.
• Experience with prospect research and donor intelligence.
• CRM experience (Salesforce or similar).

Responsibilities

• Donor Intelligence, Qualification & Pipeline Development: identify high-potential prospects and assess fit.
• Strategic Philanthropy Execution: support fundraising priorities and maintain the pipeline.
• Donor Engagement & Stewardship: prepare communications and donor materials; document interactions in CRM.
• Cultivation Events & Special Engagements: coordinate donor events in the U.S. and internationally.
• Track activity and prepare briefing materials for leadership.

Skills

Fundraising

Prospect research

Donor relations

CRM management

Project management

Executive communication

Donor stewardship

Event coordination

Tools

Salesforce

Raiser's Edge

Virtuous

Blackbaud

Job description

The Development Manager, Strategic Philanthropy serves as a key partner to senior philanthropy leadership, supporting the development and advancement of a robust philanthropic pipeline. This role combines prospect research, donor intelligence, relationship management, CRM oversight, and donor engagement strategy to help identify, cultivate, and advance transformational giving opportunities. Working across domestic and international markets, the Development Manager helps deliver exceptional donor experiences and strengthens the organization's ability to build meaningful, long-term philanthropic partnerships.

Core Responsibilities include:

Donor Intelligence, Qualification & Pipeline Development

• Conduct research and due diligence to identify, assess, and qualify high-potential individual, foundation, and institutional philanthropic prospects
• Analyze philanthropic interests, giving history, capacity, and alignment with organizational priorities
• Develop prospect profiles, donor intelligence briefs, and engagement recommendations to support cultivation strategies
• Draft introductory and follow-up communications to support relationship-building and donor engagement efforts
• Prepare briefing materials, background research, and meeting preparation documents for philanthropy leadership
• Track prospect activity, engagement plans, and next steps within the CRM to maintain a healthy and actionable pipeline

Strategic Philanthropy Execution

• Support the advancement of strategic fundraising priorities through coordinated planning, execution, and follow-through
• Maintain an accurate philanthropic pipeline, ensuring opportunities are appropriately staged, documented, and progressed
• Develop dashboards, reports, and pipeline analyses to support fundraising strategy and leadership decision-making
• Prepare agendas, briefing materials, presentations, and meeting summaries; monitor progress on key action items
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to support philanthropic initiatives and donor engagement activities
• Partner with Marketing and Communications to develop donor-facing materials, presentations, and stewardship collateral

Donor Engagement & Stewardship

• Support cultivation and stewardship strategies for current and prospective donors
• Prepare donor intelligence and briefing materials for philanthropy leadership and frontline fundraisers
• Draft donor communications, acknowledgments, and stewardship touchpoints
• Ensure accurate documentation of donor interactions, commitments, and engagement activities within the CRM
• Support the delivery of personalized, high-quality experiences that strengthen donor relationships and long-term engagement

Cultivation Events & Special Engagements

• Coordinate high-touch donor cultivation and stewardship experiences in the U.S. and internationally
• Manage event logistics, guest strategy, invitation and RSVP tracking, vendor coordination, briefing packets, run-of-show planning, and post-event follow-up
• Support intimate donor gatherings and engagement opportunities designed to strengthen relationships with high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic partners
• Ensure excellence, consistency, and attention to detail across all donor-facing experiences

Required Qualifications:

• 4-7 years of experience in fundraising, philanthropy, donor relations, prospect development, advancement services, relationship management, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience conducting prospect research, due diligence, and donor intelligence gathering
• Experience maintaining and managing donor or prospect information within a CRM platform (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, Virtuous, Blackbaud, or similar systems)
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and stakeholder relationships simultaneously
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive briefings, donor communications, presentations, or reports
• Experience coordinating meetings, events, or engagement activities for senior leaders, donors, clients, or other external stakeholders
• High level of discretion and professionalism when handling confidential donor and organizational information
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in reporting, documentation, and follow-through

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with international fundraising or global philanthropic engagement
• Familiarity with ultra-high-net-worth donor strategy and venture philanthropy models
• Comfort operating in executive-facing, high-visibility settings
• Experience building dashboards, KPIs, or campaign reporting tools

Position Specifics:

• Location: This position is work from home-office: candidates must reside in MD, D.C., or VA.
• Compensation: Budgeted starting salary range: $80,000- 90,000/yr, commensurate with experience and aligned with geographic market considerations and internal equity
• Additional Compensation: Eligible for an annual incentive bonus of up to 5%
• Tools & support: HP or Mac laptop, monitor, printer, and $120 monthly technology stipend
• Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, with flexibility; occasional evenings and weekends as required for planned events
• Reporting relationship: Reports to the Chief of Philanthropy
• People management: No direct reports