Director of Development

Jewish Family Service of Colorado; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Generous paid leave program

Employee Assistance Programs

Job summary

A nonprofit human services organization in Denver seeks a Director of Development to lead fundraising efforts and manage a high-performing team. This role focuses on implementing strategic initiatives aimed at achieving $8-10 million in annual revenue while ensuring effective donor relationships and stewardship. An ideal candidate will have over 7 years of fundraising experience, strong leadership skills, and the ability to develop innovative fundraising strategies. Competitive pay and benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of fundraising experience, managing and mentoring teams.
• Experience with donor engagement strategies.
• Colorado-based fundraising experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of five development professionals.
• Oversee strategic fundraising initiatives to achieve revenue goals.
• Manage relationships with high-level donors and prospects.

Skills

Donor stewardship

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Pipeline management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in business administration or related field

Tools

Fundraising CRMs

Job description

Description

Salary Range: $95,000 - $110,000 annually

This position is primarily in the office, located at 3201 S. Tamarac Dr., Denver, 80231

Resumes will be accepted through March 31, 2026.

Position Summary

Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) seeks a Director of Development. As a key member of the Executive Management Team, the Director of Development partners strategically with the Chief Advancement Officer to design, oversee, and execute comprehensive fundraising initiatives aimed at achieving annual individual philanthropic revenue of $8 - 10 million. This leadership role manages a high-performing team of development professionals—including positions leading major gifts, planned giving specialists, and annual fund staff—with a focus on systematically renewing and scaling revenue year-over-year.

Working in close collaboration with the CAO and Director of Marketing & Communications, the Director of Development will help architect and implement ambitious fundraising strategies that directly support JFS's 2025–2028 strategic priorities. We seek a visionary leader who brings inspirational energy, strategic acumen, and proven expertise to elevate JFS's capabilities in donor research, cultivation, and stewardship.

The Director of Development will lead an intelligent, data-driven pipeline management system ensuring prospects are identified, cultivated, and solicited according to their philanthropic capacity and interests, positioning JFS as a sustainable and vital community resource for generations to come.

Essential Functions

• Team Leadership & Management: Provides day-to-day oversight and management of five development staff members, including identifying, recruiting, coaching, and mentoring team members to ensure high performance and professional growth.
• Strategic Operations: Oversees comprehensive strategic and administrative functions of the Development department, including prospect research, database management, pipeline development, and donor stewardship programs.
• Donor Relationship: Maintain a personal portfolio of high-level donors and prospects through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, involving personalized strategies, proposal writing, event outreach to drive significant fundraising for JFS.
• Pipeline Development: Provides strategic oversight of prospect management functions, implementing data-driven strategies to expand donor pipelines and systematically move prospects through qualification, cultivation, and solicitation processes.
• Mission Advocacy: Maintains deep, current knowledge of JFS programs and services to effectively communicate organizational impact to donors and provide strategic guidance to fundraising staff and relationship managers.
• Performance Management: Drives team success through regular individual and departmental meetings, professional development initiatives, rigorous pipeline reviews, wealth assessments, and accountability metrics that support both individual and collective goals.
• Revenue Leadership: Monitors and strategically manages development revenues to meet and exceed departmental goals of $7.5 million (FY27), while building capacity for long-term growth toward $8-10 million targets.
• Culture Development: Mentors and coaches direct reports to foster a collaborative, high-performance environment that maintains excellence standards and supports team motivation.
• Systems Management: Collaborates with Development and Operations teams to implement gift processing best practices, maintain database integrity, establish key performance metrics, and provide transparent progress reporting to staff and stakeholders.
• Cross-Departmental Partnership: Works strategically with the CAO and Director of Marketing & Communications to design, implement, and execute annual development plans, including optimization of monthly giving programs based on donor giving patterns.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Implements continuous analysis of fundraising data and philanthropic trends to inform strategic decisions and optimize development approaches.
• Portfolio Management: Maintains a small, focused personal portfolio of major gift prospects, actively managing the complete fundraising cycle from identification through stewardship.
• Donor Engagement: Creates compelling, relevant engagement opportunities for major and mid-level donors that align philanthropic interests with JFS's strategic objectives and sustainability goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education/Experience

• Preferred bachelor’s/master's degree in business administration, related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Preferred 7+ years of experience in fundraising, managing, mentoring, and building a team of successful fundraising professionals.
• At least three years’ prior management experience preferred.
• Colorado-based fundraising experience is a plus.
• Experience with fundraising CRMs is a plus.

Other

• Proven Fundraising Excellence: A sophisticated fundraiser with demonstrated expertise in donor stewardship and cultivation; proven track record of executing compelling solicitations and successfully closing significant major gifts.
• Strategic Pipeline Mastery: Expert-level knowledge of industry best practices in pipeline and moves management, with the ability to lead, train, and mentor development staff in these critical revenue-generating functions.
• High-Initiative Leadership: A self-motivated professional characterized by enthusiasm, positivity, tenacity, and resilience; capable of achieving ambitious revenue goals and managing complex initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Operational Excellence: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, anticipate and meet critical deadlines, optimize time management, and solve problems independently within a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional Leadership & Communication: Superior skills in team building, staff management, and cross-departmental collaboration, fostering a high-performance culture that drives results.
• Relationship Architecture: Expert interpersonal and relationship management capabilities, with proven success working effectively with high-net-worth donors, volunteer leaders, and internal stakeholders.
• Diplomatic Acumen: Displays mature judgment and superior diplomatic skills, combined with highly developed active listening abilities and excellent verbal and written communication competencies.
• Collaborative Strategic Thinking: A strategic partner who works cooperatively with leadership to establish ambitious goals, resolve complex challenges, and make data-informed decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness and sustainability.
• Cultural Competency: Familiarity with Jewish culture, values, and the local Denver/Boulder community landscape is highly preferred.

Certification/Licensing

• Professional designation as a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) is a plus.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position is responsible for supervising staff, including assigning work; providing coaching, feedback, and support; conducting performance evaluations; and supporting professional development.

Work Environment

• In-Office Position (Hybrid Possible): Work is primarily performed in our office at 3201 South Tamarac Dr., Denver 80231. Position may be eligible for a hybrid schedule with a combination of remote and in-office work. Work hours are generally during regular business hours, with some evening or weekend work as required to meet program needs.
• Essential physical requirements: Frequent sitting and typing. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate and use standard office equipment.
• Physical effort/lifting: The employee may be occasionally required to lift up to 20 pounds.

*If requested, reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, absent undue hardship.

JFS EEO Statement

JFS is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any term, condition, or privilege of employment. JFS does not discriminate against applicants or employees based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

COVID-19 considerations

Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (proof required), subject to legally required exemptions.

Agency Overview

JFS is a nonprofit human services organization that serves anyone in need, regardless of their circumstances or religious beliefs.

We believe in a shared responsibility to support impactful changes throughout our community.

Founded over 150 years ago, we offer more than 30 programs and services, including food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, and disability services. JFS takes a holistic approach, assessing the various needs of the individual or family and providing the appropriate services, all from one organization.

We continuously evaluate the evolving challenges of our community and adapt or develop programs that respond to the resulting needs. JFS offers competitive pay and benefits, including medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending account, Legal/ID Theft, supplemental insurances, agency-paid Life/LTD, Employee Assistance Programs, 401(k), 16 paid holidays, and a generous leave program.

JFS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.