Development Officer

Association of Fundraising Professionals - NYC Chapter; Remote; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization is seeking a strategic and operationally excellent Development Officer to drive an ambitious fundraising strategy of $1.5M in 2026. You will manage various revenue channels including institutional grants, major donors, and a charity race. The ideal candidate has 5-7 years of fundraising experience, excels in institutional grant writing, campaign management, and is CRM proficient. The position offers a salary of $80,000–$90,000, with a remote work option and regular NYC presence for key events.

Benefits

Health coverage

Retirement plan contribution

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Proven track record of securing foundation funding.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams concurrently.

Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of proposal development for institutional grants.
• Assist in operations for the 10th Anniversary Gala.
• Manage the Running of the Noses charity campaign.

Skills

Institutional grant writing

Campaign management

Systems thinking

CRM proficiency

Excellent writing

Tools

Bloomerang

Job description

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Healthy Humor seeks a strategic and operationally excellent Development Officer to help drive the execution of an ambitious $1.3-1.5 M fundraising strategy in 2026. This role is critical to the organization’s 10th anniversary year, requiring a professional who can manage multiple revenue channels and scale the organization’s development capacity. The Development Officer is responsible for leading the operational execution of Healthy Humor’s $1.5M fundraising strategy across seven revenue workstreams: 10th Anniversary Gala, Institutional Grants, Major Donors & Corporate Giving, Running of the Noses peer‑to‑peer charity race, Annual Fund & Digital, plus Infrastructure and Asset Creation.

This role reports to the CEO and works in close partnership through non‑negotiable weekly development meetings. By Day 60, the DO owns 90% of fundraising operations, with the CEO focusing on major donor cultivation and strategic leadership.

Start Date: March 30, 2026 | Reports to: CEO | Location: Remote with NYC presence

Primary Responsibilities

INSTITUTIONAL GRANT WRITING (35‑40% of time)

• Manage all aspects of proposal development: research, writing, budget narratives, evaluation frameworks, CEO input and evaluation coordination
• Maintain and grow a master prospect list of 100+ foundations (national and regional)
• Manage grants calendar with all deadlines, reporting requirements, and renewal dates
• Steward foundation relationships through timely reports, updates, and acknowledgements

CAMPAIGN MANAGMENT (25‑30% of time)

10th Anniversary Gala (October 2026)

• Assist in all gala operations: sponsor outreach, materials creation, logistics coordination, vendor management
• Support CEO in closing top 10‑15 sponsors; own remaining 20+ sponsor relationships
• Execute invitation mailing, RSVP tracking, seating, program book production

Running of the Noses (March‑July 2026)

• Assist campaign launch, execution, and follow‑up
• Manage City Captains across 10 cities, track runner recruitment (target: 100+ runners)
• Execute Match Week in May, and provide support to runners and committee

Annual Fund & Digital (ongoing)

• Manage Monthly donor program and email campaigns (April‑December), Giving Tuesday, year‑end campaign

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS (15‑20% of time)

• CRM management (Bloomerang): donor database, pipeline tracking, reporting dashboards
• Weekly Development Meetings with CEO: pipeline review, strategic planning, decision‑making
• Donor stewardship: e.g. acknowledgment letters, impact reports
• Board and committee support: materials preparation, meeting facilitation when needed

CEO PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT (10‑15% of time)

• Prepare CEO for key donor meetings: briefings, materials, talking points, follow‑up coordination
• Assist CEO's major donor pipeline
• Coordinate cultivation dinners, thank‑you calls, and stewardship touches

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Org Revenue Targets (2026)

• Total revenue: $1.3M‑$1.5M across all workstreams (Institutional grants, Gala, Running of the Noses, Annual Fund)

Operational Metrics

• Take full ownership by Day 90 (90% of fundraising operations)
• Write and submit 25‑40 grant proposals annually (target: 2‑3 per month)
• Target: 50+ monthly donors by year‑end, 2,000+ email subscribers
• Post‑ROTN: convert 20‑40 runners to monthly donors, identify 10‑20 major donor prospects
• CRM data accuracy and pipeline visibility maintained weekly
• Donor acknowledgments within 72 hours of gift receipt
• Compensation

Compensation

Salary: $80,000‑$90,000 depending on experience, plus access to health coverage and ability to contribute to retirement plan

Location: Remote with regular NYC presence for meetings and events

Start Date: March 30, 2026

IDEAL NON‑PROFIT CANDIDATE

Experience Level: 5‑7 Years

We're looking for a mid‑level professional who has moved beyond entry‑level fundraising and is ready to own a complex, multi‑workstream development operation. This person has 5‑7 years of progressive fundraising experience, ideally including roles where they've taken increasing ownership of revenue generation and donor management.

Desired Qualities

• Mission‑Aligned: Genuinely connects with HH’s work
• Systems Thinker: Will use CRM religiously, not build workarounds
• Action‑Oriented: Doesn't wait for perfect info, executes quickly
• Storyteller: Can write compelling emails and proposals
• Relationship Builder: Cultivates donors, not just transactions
• Organized & Detail‑Oriented: Tracks every interaction, follows through
• Comfortable Asking; Can make asks (with training)
• Coachable: Takes feedback, improves quickly

Specific Core Competencies

Institutional Grant Writing

• Track record of securing $500K+ in foundation funding annually
• Experience writing significant grant proposals per year (12+ per year)
• Strong proposal writing, budget narrative, and evaluation framework skills
• Understanding of foundation research, cultivation, and stewardship

Campaign Management & Execution

• Experience managing peer‑to‑peer campaigns or grassroots fundraising
• Track record of hitting revenue targets across multiple channels simultaneously
• Strong project management skills with ability to juggle 5‑7 active workstreams

Systems Thinking & Infrastructure Building

• CRM proficiency (Bloomerang, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, or similar)
• Experience building donor pipelines, tracking systems, and reporting dashboards
• Strategic mindset: can translate big‑picture strategy into operational tactics

Communication & Storytelling

• Excellent writer who can translate clinical impact into compelling narratives
• Experience developing donor‑facing materials (decks, one‑pagers, impact reports)
• Strong interpersonal skills for working with volunteers, committees, and others

Personal Attributes

• Mission Alignment: Passion for healthcare, pediatrics, or therapeutic arts.
• Ownership Mentality: This role requires someone who takes initiative, problem‑solves independently, and thrives with autonomy. By Day 60, you own 90% of fundraising operations.
• High Standards: Attention to detail, commitment to excellence in every donor touchpoint.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Comfortable with intensity, able to handle rejection, willing to iterate and improve based on results.
• Collaboration: Strong partnership with CEO through weekly development meetings. Ability to prep CEO for donor meetings, provide strategic counsel, and manage up effectively.

What We're NOT Looking For

Entry‑level professionals (0‑3 years) – This role requires proven fundraising results and operational experience

Major gifts specialists only – We need grants + campaigns + systems, not just relationship fundraising

Event planners – While gala execution is part of this role, we need a fundraiser who manages events, not an event manager who does fundraising

'9‑to‑5' mindset Q3 (July‑September) is peak season requiring higher intensity. We need someone who understands and embraces fundraising cycles and can flex accordingly.