Director of Development

Guided Search Partners; Cockeysville (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Guided Search Partners seeks a Director of Development & Community Partnerships to lead fundraising, community engagement, and strategic partnerships. The role focuses on building donor pipelines, securing grants, and expanding partnerships with government agencies, foundations, and corporations.

The ideal candidate is relationship-driven with a track record in grants, individual giving, and corporate sponsorships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred.
• 5+ years in nonprofit development, fundraising, community relations, grant writing, public affairs, or related field.
• Demonstrated success securing funding through grants, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, or other fundraising initiatives.
• Experience with state, county, municipal, or local government grant programs strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of donor cultivation, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop persuasive grant proposals and funding requests.
• Strong networking and community relationship-building abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual fundraising and development strategy aligned with the organization’s mission and financial goals.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, major donors, foundations, corporations, and community partners.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective funding sources.
• Coordinate donor outreach, giving campaigns, sponsorship opportunities, and fundraising initiatives.
• Build long-term relationships with donors and demonstrate the impact of their contributions.
• Track fundraising activity, commitments, and results and provide regular reports to organizational leadership.
• Research and identify federal, state, county, and municipal grant opportunities that align with the organization’s programs and mission.
• Develop grant proposals, letters of inquiry, applications, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Manage the grant calendar and ensure applications and reports are submitted accurately and on time.
• Develop relationships with government agencies, foundations, and other institutional funders.
• Monitor grant compliance, reporting requirements, and funding deliverables.
• Maintain a database of grant opportunities, applications, awards, deadlines, and outcomes.
• Develop strategic relationships with businesses, civic organizations, municipalities, community leaders, foundations, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the organization at community meetings, networking events, conferences, and public functions.
• Identify opportunities for collaborative programs, sponsorships, and community initiatives.
• Increase the organization’s visibility and presence within the local community.
• Serve as a key ambassador for the organization and communicate its mission, programs, and impact to external audiences.
• Build partnerships that generate both financial support and meaningful community engagement.
• Develop personalized stewardship strategies for donors and major supporters.
• Coordinate donor communications, recognition, acknowledgments, and impact updates.
• Work closely with organizational leadership and board members to leverage their community relationships and networks.
• Prepare presentations, proposals, reports, and other materials for donors and community stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records of donor and partner interactions in the organization’s CRM or donor database.

Skills

Relationship Building

Community Engagement

Strategic Partnerships

Government & Community Relations

Business Development

Strategic Thinking

Organization & Project Management

Networking & Public Representation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management / related field

Tools

CRM / Donor Management

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Director of Development & Community Partnerships is responsible for leading the organization’s fundraising, community engagement, and strategic partnership efforts. This position will build and maintain relationships with individual donors, corporations, community organizations, foundations, and government agencies to secure financial support and expand the organization’s community impact.

The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven fundraiser who understands how to identify funding opportunities, develop compelling grant proposals, cultivate donors, and create meaningful partnerships throughout the local community. This individual will play a key role in developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that includes grants, individual giving, corporate sponsorships, community partnerships, and special events.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual fundraising and development strategy aligned with the organization’s mission and financial goals.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, major donors, foundations, corporations, and community partners.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective funding sources.
• Coordinate donor outreach, giving campaigns, sponsorship opportunities, and fundraising initiatives.
• Build long-term relationships with donors and demonstrate the impact of their contributions.
• Track fundraising activity, commitments, and results and provide regular reports to organizational leadership.
• Research and identify federal, state, county, and municipal grant opportunities that align with the organization’s programs and mission.
• Develop grant proposals, letters of inquiry, applications, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Manage the grant calendar and ensure applications and reports are submitted accurately and on time.
• Develop relationships with government agencies, foundations, and other institutional funders.
• Monitor grant compliance, reporting requirements, and funding deliverables.
• Maintain a database of grant opportunities, applications, awards, deadlines, and outcomes.

Community Partnerships & Engagement

• Develop strategic relationships with businesses, civic organizations, municipalities, community leaders, foundations, and other stakeholders.
• Represent the organization at community meetings, networking events, conferences, and public functions.
• Identify opportunities for collaborative programs, sponsorships, and community initiatives.
• Increase the organization’s visibility and presence within the local community.
• Serve as a key ambassador for the organization and communicate its mission, programs, and impact to external audiences.
• Build partnerships that generate both financial support and meaningful community engagement.

Donor & Stakeholder Relations

• Develop personalized stewardship strategies for donors and major supporters.
• Coordinate donor communications, recognition, acknowledgments, and impact updates.
• Work closely with organizational leadership and board members to leverage their community relationships and networks.
• Prepare presentations, proposals, reports, and other materials for donors and community stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records of donor and partner interactions in the organization’s CRM or donor database.

Strategic Development

• Identify new revenue streams and opportunities to diversify the organization’s funding base.
• Monitor fundraising trends, community needs, and potential funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with leadership to establish measurable development goals and performance metrics.
• Provide regular updates to senior leadership and/or the Board of Directors regarding fundraising activity, pipeline development, and community partnerships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, public administration, marketing, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, community relations, grant writing, public affairs, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success securing funding through grants, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, or other fundraising initiatives.
• Experience with state, county, municipal, or local government grant programs strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of donor cultivation, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop persuasive grant proposals and funding requests.
• Strong networking and community relationship-building abilities.
• Experience working with nonprofit boards, community leaders, businesses, foundations, and government agencies.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple funding opportunities, deadlines, and relationships simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CRM/donor management systems, Microsoft Office, and other fundraising/development tools.
• Relationship Building
• Community Engagement
• Strategic Partnerships
• Government & Community Relations
• Business Development
• Strategic Thinking
• Organization & Project Management
• Networking & Public Representation

Success in This Role

Success in this position will be measured by the ability to expand the organization’s funding base, increase grant and donor revenue, develop strong community partnerships, and establish the organization as a trusted and visible community resource.

The successful candidate will be both a fundraiser and a community connector—someone who can walk into a room, build relationships, identify opportunities, and ultimately turn those relationships into sustainable financial and organizational support.