Director of Development

Love146; New Haven (CT); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Love146 is seeking a Director of Development to drive major gifts and strategy, reporting directly to the CEO. This senior role leads a small development team and manages a portfolio of significant donors and prospects, including DAFs and trust-based philanthropy aligned with Love146's mission to end child trafficking and exploitation.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in nonprofit development, a strong network among high-net-worth individuals, and experience with multi-year gifts and events.

Qualifications

• The nonprofit development experience requirement is minimum 7 years with direct major gift solicitation.
• Proven success cultivating, soliciting, and closing five- to seven-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience with donor-advised funds (DAFs), sponsors, and family foundations.
• Knowledge of trust-based philanthropy and securing unrestricted, multi-year support.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFRE is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage a portfolio of 65–85 high-net-worth donors and prospects across five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts.
• Develop strategies for donor cultivation, solicitations, and stewardship in collaboration with the CEO.
• Lead the development team, set goals, and supervise staff and vendors.
• Oversee revenue forecasts, budgeting, and Salesforce pipeline management for reporting to leadership.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor relations

Fundraising strategy

Salesforce CRM

Leadership

Donor advised funds

Education

BA/BS/Undergraduate

Tools

Salesforce

Excel/Sheets

G-Suite

Job description

(hybrid)

Spotlight

Posted2 days ago

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Duration

Indefinite

$115,000.00 - $125,000.00

Nonprofit Subsector

Human/Social Services

Min Experience

7-10 Years

Min Education

BA/BS/Undergraduate

Description

VISION:

The end of child trafficking and exploitation. Nothing less.

MISSION:

Love146 journeys alongside children impacted by trafficking today and prevents the trafficking of children tomorrow.

REPORTS TO:

Chief Executive Officer

STATUS:

Full-time, exempt

SALARY RANGE:

$115,000 - $125,000

LOCATION:

Hybrid. Candidates must reside in Connecticut or the greater Northeast area (NY, CT, MA, RI, NJ). Staff within driving distance of New Haven, CT are expected in the office 1-2 days per week.

TRAVEL:

40% of time is regular local/regional travel for donor meetings. Additionally, 4-6 domestic trips annually.

OVERVIEW

Love146 is seeking a Director of Development who is equal parts strategist and relationship-driven fundraiser - someone who can build the plan and also go get the money. This is a senior, high-visibility role reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for leading a small, capable development team and personally managing a portfolio of the organization's most significant individual donors and prospects.

We are looking for a fundraiser with genuine relationships among high-net-worth individuals and their advisors, fluency in donor-advised fund giving, and real grounding in trust-based philanthropy. The right person understands that transformational relationships leading to meaningful revenue growth are built through genuine connection, thoughtful cultivation, and consistent follow-through - and is someone who is energized by the hustle that requires.

This role carries significant growth potential. Love146 is intentionally investing in a development leader whose scope and organizational leadership can expand as the fundraising program matures and revenue grows. We are hiring for trajectory as much as for track record.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Gifts and High-Net-Worth Donor Development (50%)

• Own and personally manage a portfolio of 65-85 high-net-worth donors and prospects, with primary accountability for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship at the five-, six-, and seven-figure levels.
• Aggressively source new high-net-worth prospects through personal networks, donor referrals, Board connections, wealth advisors, family offices, and regional philanthropic circles.
• In collaboration with the CEO, design and execute donor-specific cultivation strategies grounded in each donor's values and philanthropic goals.
• Develop and grow donor-advised fund revenue: identify DAF-holding donors and prospects, build relationships with DAF sponsors and community and family foundations, navigate grant recommendation cycles and advisor dynamics, and convert giving into multi-year commitments.
• Cultivate and steward relationships within trust-based philanthropy networks and funder collaboratives, positioning Love146 as a credible partner for unrestricted, multi-year, and capacity-building support.
  Partner with the CEO to deploy their time strategically - joint cultivation visits, bespoke asks, and high-touch stewardship of the organization's most significant relationships.
• Equip and support Board members and the organization’s Fundraising Committee to open doors, make introductions, and participate meaningfully in donor engagement.
• Recruit, equip, and steward donors who host house parties and third-party fundraisers on Love146's behalf - providing the materials, messaging, and staff support that make hosting easy, and converting attendees into cultivated prospects.
  Identify and secure transformational gifts, including multi-year commitments, legacy and planned gifts, and capacity-building investments.
• Meet and exceed personal and departmental fundraising targets on or ahead of schedule.

Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth (30%)

• In partnership with the CEO and Finance Leadership, develop and execute Love146's annual and multi-year fundraising strategy, balancing near-term revenue with long-term sustainability.
• Individual and major gifts, including DAF and planned giving
• Institutional and foundation philanthropy, with emphasis on multi-year and general operating support
• Corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and employee giving
• A monthly sustainer and mid-level donor base, with measurable retention and upgrade goals
• Donor acquisition through digital campaigns, events, partnerships, and peer networks
• Build and maintain accurate revenue forecasts; monitor pipeline health, conversion rates, donor retention, and fundraising costs; and act on what the data shows.
• In coordination with the CEO and Finance Leadership, develop and oversee the donor development department's annual budget.
• Optimize Salesforce as the operational backbone of the development program, ensuring effective donor segmentation, moves management, and pipeline tracking, and translating fundraising data into actionable insights for leadership and the Board.
  Partner with the Communications team on fundraising campaigns, appeals, donor communications, and events, ensuring message discipline and brand consistency.
• Own strategy, budget, and execution oversight for Love146's signature fundraising events - an annual gala and an annual golf tournament - setting revenue and attendance targets, driving sponsorship sales, directing event planning support and volunteer host committees, and ensuring each event delivers measurable return and a strong donor cultivation experience.
• Provide the CEO, Finance Leadership, the Executive Team, and Board with clear revenue reporting that surfaces both risk and opportunity, with recommendations attached.

Team Leadership and Organizational Partnership (20%)

• Lead, coach, and develop the development team, setting clear roles, measurable goals, and a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Evaluate performance, address performance issues directly, and invest in the growth and career development of direct reports.
• Hire and manage staff and vendors in accordance with Love146 HR and Operations policies.
• Foster a team culture marked by creativity, candor, collaboration, and shared commitment to the mission.
• Contribute to organizational strategy and cross-departmental planning as a senior leader, partnering closely with Finance, Programs, and Communications.
• Represent Love146 externally in philanthropic networks, funder collaboratives, and sector forums.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Minimum 7 years of nonprofit development experience, including direct major gift solicitation and at least 3 years supervising staff.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and consistent closing of multiple five- and six-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals, with a track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Established relationships and credibility within high-net-worth philanthropic circles, with the ability to activate those networks on Love146's behalf.
• Working knowledge of donor-advised funds - sponsor organizations, advisor relationships, grant recommendation cycles - and demonstrated success generating DAF revenue.
• Familiarity with trust-based philanthropy principles and experience engaging funders who practice them, including securing unrestricted and multi-year support.
• Experience building and managing a major gift pipeline with disciplined moves management in a CRM (Salesforce strongly preferred).
• Comfort operating as both strategist and executor in a lean organization - building the plan and doing the work.
• A Bachelor's degree is required; relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Preferred

• Graduate degree in a related field, or CFRE certification.
• Experience with planned and legacy giving programs.
• Experience with corporate partnerships and cause-marketing.
• Experience with fundraising technology platforms (Classy preferred) and marketing automation tools.

COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES

• Hustle. Self-directed, persistent, and comfortable with the ask.
• Relational intelligence. Builds authentic trust with donors, colleagues, and Board members, and reads a room accurately.
• Strategic and operational range. Moves credibly between a three-year revenue model and a thank-you call in the same afternoon.
• Data literacy and fluency. Uses numbers to make decisions, not to decorate reports. Comfortable in Salesforce, Excel/Sheets, and G-Suite.
• Exceptional communication. Compelling storyteller who can make a powerful case for support without sensationalizing the children Love146 serves.
• Trauma-informed judgment. Understands the ethical weight of fundraising on behalf of children who have experienced trafficking and exploitation.
• Resilience. Thrives in a fast-moving, resource-conscious environment and responds to setbacks with creativity rather than retreat.

Please refer to the company's website or job descriptions to learn more about them.