Development Officer

The Baker Center for Children and Families; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plan with employer match

Transit benefits

Job summary

The Baker Center for Children and Families is seeking a Development Officer to grow our individual giving program in the Boston area. You will cultivate donor relationships, secure gifts, and drive engagement across our fundraising portfolio, including events like the gala and Giving Tuesday, while partnering with leadership to reach ambitious revenue goals.

You will work with cross-functional teams to research prospects, prepare proposals, and develop annual work plans that align with

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of progressive nonprofit development or fundraising experience with donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and/or portfolio management.
• Direct hands-on experience personally soliciting gifts and building donor relationships (calls, meetings, in-person).
• Experience setting measurable fundraising targets and tracking progress through reporting and analysis.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or another donor CRM; MS Office proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of individual donors and prospects with cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention.
• Lead donor engagement strategies and collateral development with cross-functional teams.
• Support events (house parties, gala, golf tournament) and oversee logistics with the development team.
• Generate fundraising reports to evaluate activity, portfolio progress, and revenue against goals.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Campaign planning

Research & analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Location: Waltham, On-site with opportunity for hybrid schedule

Position Type: Full-Time

Summary of position:

The Baker Center for Children and Families (also known as Judge Baker Children's Center), promotes the best possible mental health of children and families through the integration of research, intervention, training, and policy.

The Development Officer helps build, strengthen, and grow our individual giving program by developing relationships with donors and stakeholders across the giving pipeline, including those with the potential to become major donors over time The Development Officer helps create and execute strategy, conducts donor research, supports individual giving and leadership giving engagement efforts through research and collateral development, and engages directly with donors to create opportunities for giving and share compelling stories about the organization and our work. This requires building strong partnerships with program team members and developing a deep understanding of The Baker Center's mission and impact.

The Development Officer also grows our broader individual giving programs, including the fall appeal, Giving Tuesday, and spring appeal, and plays an active role in donor-facing events such as house parties, the gala, and the golf tournament. The role contributes to event strategy, partners with the Development Associate on execution, and participates in key committees.

The Development Officer works independently, is detail-oriented and thorough, and is comfortable making asks and being accountable for results. They are flexible, take initiative, and are willing to contribute across a growing team where responsibilities and priorities may evolve. The Development Officer is an important part of the team responsible for helping the department reach this year's goal of just over $1 million in revenue, a starting point for a program we expect to grow significantly in the years ahead.

What’s in it for me?

• Make a meaningful impact: Build relationships with donors and help connect their generosity to work that improves the mental health and well-being of children and families.
• Build and shape a program: Play a meaningful role in growing The Baker Center’s individual giving program and developing its future major donor pipeline.
• Grow your fundraising career: Gain hands-on experience across donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, prospect research, annual giving, and fundraising events.
• Own your work and see results: Manage meaningful donor relationships, take initiative, and work toward clear goals with measurable impact.
• Work closely with leadership: Partner directly with the Vice President of Philanthropy and senior staff on donor strategy and major gift engagement.
• Join a growing team: Bring your ideas, take on new challenges, and contribute across a dynamic Development team as the department continues to grow.
• Contribute to a shared goal: Be part of the team working toward our current $1 million revenue goal that supports The Baker Center’s mission and programs.
• Manages and grows a portfolio of individual donors and prospects across giving levels, with responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention.
• Pursues opportunities to strengthen donor acquisition, retention, renewal, upgrades, recurring giving, and long-term donor engagement.
• Develops individualized donor strategies using moves management principles, philanthropic interests, giving history, capacity, and engagement opportunities.
• Conducts personalized outreach, including calls, emails, and meetings, to build authentic relationships and strengthen donor engagement.
• Conducts prospect research to assess individual donors' philanthropic interests and giving capacity
• Partners with the Vice President of Philanthropy and senior staff on cultivation and solicitation strategies and collateral development (briefing materials, proposals, and other cultivation resources).
• Develops annual work plans and fundraising strategies aligned with organizational priorities and revenue objectives.
• Generates and analyzes fundraising reports to evaluate individual giving activity, campaign performance, portfolio progress, and revenue against goals.
• Partners with colleagues across The Baker Center to strengthen organization wide leadership, giving engagement and foster a culture of philanthropy.
• Supports the planning and execution of donor engagement and fundraising events, including logistics coordination, vendor communication, and on-site event management.
• Works on special projects and contributes to department-wide initiatives and organizational priorities as needed.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Equivalent professional experience in fundraising, philanthropy, development, or a related field may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience:

• 3-5 years of progressive nonprofit development or fundraising experience, with demonstrated responsibility for donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and/or portfolio management.
• Direct hands-on experience personally soliciting gifts and building donor relationships (calls, meetings, in-person cultivation).
• Experience in setting measurable fundraising targets and tracking progress through reporting and analysis.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or another donor/customer relationship management (CRM) system, salesforce preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Logistics

We offer Medical (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), Dental and Vision options; 50% discount on monthly MBTA passes, immediate enrollment into retirement, with company contribution (4%) and match up to (4%) after 2 years of employment. We offer opportunities to get involved in various department/organization improvement committees and activities. For a full list of benefits please visit our website at bakercenter.org/benefits

Diverse and multilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.