Director of Development

Foster Success, Inc.; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Foster Success, Inc. in Indiana seeks a Director of Development to lead fundraising programs, including individual giving and corporate partnerships. The role reports to the CDCO and supervises the Assistant Director of Donor Relations, with travel statewide and some national duties.

You’ll develop fundraising strategies, build donor-centered campaigns, and drive revenue growth while partnering across teams to support Foster Success’s priorities and long-term sustainability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success in individual giving and managing donor portfolios.
• Experience cultivating corporate and foundation partnerships.
• Experience supervising staff and managing fundraising goals.
• Experience in speaking to small and large groups conveying mission and needed support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Individual Giving program and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with gift-making capacity up to $10,000 annually.
• Develop and execute donor engagement strategies with the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
• Conduct regular donor meetings to move donors through the donor cycle.
• Partner with the CDCO on major gift solicitations and leadership-level donor strategies.
• Identify opportunities to upgrade annual donors into major gift supporters.
• Support planned giving identification and relationship development.
• Develop and manage relationships with corporate partners and community organizations.
• Identify sponsorship, volunteer engagement, cause-marketing, and philanthropic opportunities.
• Create customized partnership proposals aligned with Foster Success priorities.
• Lead sponsorship strategy and revenue generation for organizational events and initiatives.
• Steward corporate relationships throughout the year through impact reporting, recognition, and engagement opportunities.
• Represent Foster Success within the business community and professional associations.
• Supervise and support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
• Establish annual fundraising goals for Individual and Corporate giving with metrics.
• Support donor retention and stewardship metrics and reporting.
• Partner with the CDCO to establish fundraising priorities, strategies, and revenue goals.
• Contribute to budget development and revenue forecasting.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, innovation, and donor-centered philanthropy.
• Embrace innovation, thoughtful risk-taking, and continuous improvement.
• Develop stewardship strategies that improve donor retention and lifetime value.
• Plan and execute donor events; ensure timely acknowledgment and impact communications.
• Collaborate with Program and Marketing teams for donor-facing content.
• Use storytelling and outcomes to demonstrate impact; maintain donor records in Salesforce/Tableau.
• Monitor fundraising performance, pipeline activity, and trends to inform strategy.
• Prepare fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and board review.
• Ensure compliance with policies and ethical fundraising standards.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Fundraising strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

CRM (Salesforce)

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Director of Development (DoD) will be based in Indiana and will require statewide and some national travel. The DoD will serve as a senior fundraising leader responsible for growing philanthropic revenue through individual giving, corporate partnerships, and strategic fundraising initiatives.

This position works closely with the Chief Development & Communications Officer (CDCO) to develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies that support Foster Success’s strategic priorities and long-term sustainability.

The ideal candidate is a highly relational fundraiser who excels at being donor-centered, identifying opportunities, building meaningful partnerships, crafting compelling cases for support, and securing transformational investments.

This role reports directly to the Chief Development & Communications Officer (CDCO). This position supervises the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.

Primary Responsibilities

Individual Giving

• Lead the Individual Giving program and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with gift-making capacity up to $10,000 annually.
• Develop and execute individualized donor engagement strategies with the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
• Conduct regular donor meetings to move donors through the donor cycle process.
• Partner with the CDCO on major gift solicitations and leadership-level donor strategies.
• Identify opportunities to upgrade annual donors into major gift supporters.
• Support planned giving identification and relationship development.

Corporate & Community Partnerships

• Develop and manage relationships with corporate partners and community organizations.
• Identify sponsorship, volunteer engagement, cause-marketing, and philanthropic opportunities.
• Create customized partnership proposals aligned with Foster Success priorities.
• Lead sponsorship strategy and revenue generation for organizational events and initiatives.
• Steward corporate relationships throughout the year through impact reporting, recognition, and engagement opportunities.
• Represent Foster Success within the business community and professional associations.

Team Leadership & Strategy

• Supervise and support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
• Establish, with support from the CDCO, annual fundraising goals for Individual and Corporate giving, performance metrics, and professional development plans.
• Support the Asst. Director of Donor Relations in establishing goals and performance metrics on donor retention, donor relations/stewardship, and volunteer engagement.
• Partner with the CDCO to establish fundraising priorities, strategies, and revenue goals.
• Contribute to annual budget development and revenue forecasting.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and donor-centered philanthropy both internally and externally.
• Embrace innovation, thoughtful risk-taking, and continuous improvement.

Stewardship & Engagement

• Support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations in developing and overseeing comprehensive stewardship strategies that improve donor retention and lifetime value.
• Support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations in the planning and execution of events.
• Ensure timely donor acknowledgment, reporting, and impact communications.
• Partner with the Program and Marketing & Communications teams to create compelling donor-facing content.
• Utilize storytelling, program outcomes, and participant experiences to demonstrate impact.
• Maintain accurate donor records and prospect activity within Salesforce and Tableau.
• Monitor fundraising performance and pipeline activity.
• Analyze donor trends and giving patterns to inform strategy, and pivot when needed.
• Support the Asst. Director of Donor Relations in preparing fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and board review.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and ethical fundraising standards.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated success in individual giving and managing donor portfolios.
• Experience cultivating corporate and foundation partnerships.
• Experience supervising staff and managing fundraising goals.
• Experience in speaking to small and large groups conveying mission and needed support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across departments.

Preferred

• CFRE or CFRM credential or pursuit of certification.
• Experience working with youth-serving organizations.
• Knowledge of planned giving and donor-advised funds.
• Experience in sponsorship development and grant management.

All Foster Success employees are required to:

• Display a strong commitment to the inclusion of all individuals in the workplace.
• Adhere to all policies and procedures outlined in the Foster Success employment agreements and the organizational Handbook, including all confidentiality requirements for all client information.
• Proficiency in computer skills and experience with and knowledge of relevant software, particularly Salesforce, Zoom, Google, and Microsoft Products.
• Have access to a secure and reliable internet connection.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes some weekends and/or evenings in order to meet responsibilities of this position and organizational goals.
• Must have reliable transportation for work-related travel.
• All team members are required to pass a background check and undergo fingerprint screening.

Candidates will be evaluated on the following competencies during the selection process, reflecting our values of Equity & Inclusion, Innovation, Impact, and Collaboration:

Relationship-Based Fundraising

Builds authentic relationships with donors, corporate partners, foundations, volunteers, and community leaders. Creates meaningful opportunities for supporters to connect with Foster Success’s mission and impact.

Develops and executes strategies to grow individual giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, foundation support, and other philanthropic revenue. Identifies opportunities, manages donor pipelines, and helps advance long-term sustainability. Successfully manages multiple priorities, donor portfolios, and special projects while meeting deadlines and maintaining a high level of organization and attention to detail.

Equity & Inclusion

Approaches fundraising with a commitment to equity. Ensures donor engagement and fundraising practices honor the dignity, strengths, and lived experiences of young people with foster care experience.

Provides clear direction, coaching, and accountability to development staff. Works closely with program, finance, marketing and communications, and executive leadership to align fundraising efforts with organizational priorities.

Data, Strategy & Problem-Solving

Uses donor data, giving trends, and revenue projections to inform fundraising strategy. Maintains strong systems, accurate records, and ethical fundraising practices while bringing creativity and a solutions-focused approach to new opportunities.