Director of Development

The Rome Group; Illinois; On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) contributions

Job summary

Riverbend Head Start & Family Services in Illinois seeks a Director of Development to lead fundraising and development efforts, building donor and community relationships and generating sustainable philanthropic support.

In collaboration with the Executive Director and Board, you will manage an annual development plan focused on individual giving, grants, sponsorships, and special events, while supervising a part-time PR Coordinator and coordinating with staff and partners to maximize revenue.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated nonprofit fundraising experience.
• Strong relationship-building with donors, foundations, businesses, and community partners.
• Proven grant writing and funded project reports.
• Experience with fundraising events and sponsorship development.
• Ability to supervise staff and coordinate with shared administrative support.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and annually update a comprehensive development plan with revenue goals, priorities, timelines, responsibilities, and key performance metrics.
• Establish and monitor annual fundraising goals across individual giving, corporate support, grants, sponsorships, and special events.
• Maintain a focused pipeline of donors, prospects, corporate partners, sponsors, and funding opportunities.
• Regularly report development progress, results, and key metrics to the Executive Director and Board.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen and diversify Riverbend's philanthropic revenue.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, corporate partners, and sponsors.
• Work with the Executive Director and Board to identify and develop relationships with prospective donors and community partners.
• Build strategies to retain donors and increase annual, recurring, major, and corporate gifts.
• Identify donors with potential for future planned or legacy giving.
• Engage Board members in donor introductions, stewardship, sponsorships, and other appropriate fundraising activities.
• Identify and prioritize foundation and corporate grant opportunities aligned with Riverbend’s programs and funding needs.
• Prepare and submit priority grant proposals and reports.
• Maintain a grant calendar and coordinate necessary program, financial, and outcome information with staff.
• Develop and maintain relationships with current and prospective funders.
• Provide leadership for Riverbend’s primary fundraising and donor engagement events.
• Establish event revenue goals, sponsorship strategies, budgets, and timelines.
• Secure and steward event sponsors.
• Coordinate with the PR Coordinator, administrative support, staff, volunteers, and vendors on event implementation.
• Evaluate events based on net revenue, donor engagement, and community visibility.
• Supervise and provide direction to the part-time PR Coordinator.
• Ensure communications and public relations activities support Riverbend’s development goals, organizational priorities, and brand.
• Coordinate fundraising messaging, donor communications, impact stories, event promotion, and community visibility with the PR Coordinator.
• Establish priorities and measurable goals for development-related communications.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Grant writing

Sponsorships

Events planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Donor databases

Job description

Director of Development

The Director of Development leads Riverbend Head Start & Family Services' fundraising and development efforts, with primary responsibility for building donor and community relationships and generating sustainable philanthropic support.

Working closely with the Executive Director, Board, staff, and community partners, the Director manages an annual development plan focused on individual and corporate giving, grants, sponsorships, key fundraising events, and emerging planned giving opportunities.

The Director supervises a part-time PR Coordinator and is supported by shared administrative staff, allowing the position to remain focused on fundraising strategy, relationship development, and revenue generation.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy & Accountability

• Develop, maintain, and annually update a comprehensive development plan with revenue goals, priorities, timelines, responsibilities, and key performance metrics.


• Establish and monitor annual fundraising goals across individual giving, corporate support, grants, sponsorships, and special events.


• Maintain a focused pipeline of donors, prospects, corporate partners, sponsors, and funding opportunities.


• Regularly report development progress, results, and key metrics to the Executive Director and Board.


• Identify opportunities to strengthen and diversify Riverbend's philanthropic revenue.

Donor & Corporate Development

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, corporate partners, and sponsors.


• Work with the Executive Director and Board to identify and develop relationships with prospective donors and community partners.


• Build strategies to retain donors and increase annual, recurring, major, and corporate gifts.


• Identify donors with potential for future planned or legacy giving.


• Engage Board members in donor introductions, stewardship, sponsorships, and other appropriate fundraising activities.

Grants

• Identify and prioritize foundation and corporate grant opportunities aligned with Riverbend’s programs and funding needs.


• Prepare and submit priority grant proposals and reports.


• Maintain a grant calendar and coordinate necessary program, financial, and outcome information with staff.


• Develop and maintain relationships with current and prospective funders.

Special Events & Sponsorships

• Provide leadership for Riverbend’s primary fundraising and donor engagement events.


• Establish event revenue goals, sponsorship strategies, budgets, and timelines.


• Secure and steward event sponsors.


• Coordinate with the PR Coordinator, administrative support, staff, volunteers, and vendors on event implementation.


• Evaluate events based on net revenue, donor engagement, and community visibility.

Communications & Public Relations Supervision

• Supervise and provide direction to the part-time PR Coordinator.


• Ensure communications and public relations activities support Riverbend’s development goals, organizational priorities, and brand.


• Coordinate fundraising messaging, donor communications, impact stories, event promotion, and community visibility with the PR Coordinator.


• Establish priorities and measurable goals for development-related communications.

Key Measures of Success

• Total contributed revenue compared with annual goal.


• Donor retention and growth.


• New and increased individual and corporate gifts.


• Grant dollars secured and renewed.


• Sponsorship and net special-event revenue.


• Growth and activity of the donor/prospect pipeline.


• Board participation in fundraising and relationship development.


• Progress in identifying major and planned giving prospects.


• Effective integration of fundraising, communications, and public relations activities.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, donor relations, or a related field.


• Strong relationship-building skills with donors, businesses, foundations, and community partners.


• Strong grant writing and written communication skills.


• Experience with fundraising events and sponsorship development.


• Ability to supervise staff and effectively utilize shared administrative support.


• Strong organizational and project-management skills.


• Ability to prioritize high-value fundraising activities and delegate effectively.


• Experience with donor databases or fundraising systems.


• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

Position Structure

Reports to: Executive Director

Supervises: Part-Time PR Coordinator

Support: Shared Administrative Support

Benefits

Available to full-time employees working 30 hours or more per week

• Health insurance


• Dental insurance


• Vision Insurance


• Life Insurance


• 401(k) (Eligibility is after one year of employment)


• 401(k) contributions by Agency


• Employee assistance program


• Flexible spending account


• Additional life insurance


• Health reimbursement account (deductible assistance)


• Long-term disability


• Paid time off for Full-time and Part-time employees (Vacation, Sick and Personal)


• Holidays


• Professional development assistance


• Referral program


• Tuition assistance


• Mileage reimbursement


• Group Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity


• Employee eligibility begins the first of the month following 60 days of employment

Tagged as: development