Director of Development - Coastal Area

Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina; Wilmington (NC); Hybrid; USD 58,500 - 71,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental

Flexible work environment

401(k) match

Annual bonus plan

Generous PTO

Job summary

Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina is seeking a Director of Development – Coastal Area to lead fundraising for the Wilmington and surrounding coastal areas, steward major gift prospects, and advance the chapter’s philanthropic strategy. You will manage a portfolio of donors, drive gala revenue, and build community relationships while partnering with leadership to achieve revenue goals.

This role requires a Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with travel within the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of diversified fundraising experience in a non‑profit environment.
• Demonstrated success managing donor relationships, major gift prospects, sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall fundraising efforts for Wilmington and surrounding coastal areas.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors.
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, including moves management, meaningful engagement, and accurate tracking in Salesforce.
• Monitor fundraising progress, event revenue, sponsorships, and donor activity; provide regular updates and reporting to leadership.
• Serve as the primary manager for $600k of gala revenue, including sponsorship sales, individual support, in‑kind partnerships, and fundraising outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen donor experience, community presence, and long‑term revenue growth.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Development to track revenue and exceed budgeted goals.

Skills

Donor cultivation

Relationship building

Project management

Communication skills

Time management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Development – Coastal Area serves as a key fundraiser and chapter representative responsible for advancing Make-A-Wish® Eastern North Carolina’s philanthropic strategy in the Greater Wilmington area. This role leads revenue‑building efforts across the coastal region, stewards a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, builds meaningful community relationships, attends externally organized fundraising events, and serves as the primary manager for gala fundraising strategy, revenue goals, and outcomes.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Lead overall fundraising efforts for Wilmington and surrounding coastal areas
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors
• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, including moves management, meaningful engagement, and accurate tracking in Salesforce
• Monitor fundraising progress, event revenue, sponsorships, and donor activity; provide regular updates and reporting to leadership
• Serve as the primary manager for $600k of gala revenue, including sponsorship sales, individual support, in‑kind partnerships, and fundraising outcomes
• Identify opportunities to strengthen donor experience, community presence, and long‑term revenue growth
• Partner with the Senior Director of Development to track revenue and exceed budgeted goals

Major Gifts, Donor Stewardship & Community Relationships

• Build and maintain donor relationships that strengthen philanthropic support
• Grow portfolio of 150+ individual donors and oversee moves management of coastal supporters
• Provide thoughtful stewardship through timely communication engagement
• Represent Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina in meetings, community events, networking opportunities, and partner engagement
• Advise a portfolio of externally organized fundraising events in the Greater Wilmington area, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and fundraising best practices
• Serve as chapter representative during event execution and follow‑up
• Identify opportunities to grow existing community fundraising efforts and develop new partnerships that expand regional awareness and support

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• A heartfelt dedication to serving others and advancing life‑changing missions
• Passion for advancing the Make‑A‑Wish mission and serving children and families
• Experience cultivating and closing six‑figure gifts
• Strong relationship building, donor cultivation, and stewardship skills
• Exceptional project management and planning abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and events in a fast‑paced environment
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently while remaining closely aligned with team and organizational priorities

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of diversified fundraising experience in a non‑profit environment
• Demonstrated success managing donor relationships, major gift prospects, sponsorships, and fundraising events
• Strong knowledge of North Carolina’s philanthropic, corporate, and community landscape
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and comfort using digital communication and project management tools
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout Wilmington and surrounding coastal areas for donor meetings, events, and engagement

REWARDS AND BENEFITS:

• Salary - $65,000 per year (pay periods are bi‑monthly)
• Comprehensive benefit package: Medical, Vision, Dental with 100% employer‑paid options
• Optional benefits for employee: Long‑Term Disability and Life Insurance with 100% employer‑paid options
• Flexible work environment
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan: up to 3% Match
• Incentive bonus plan offered based on individual & organizational performance
• Generous PTO Package including sick, vacation, and floating holidays

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Our office is in the North Hills area of Raleigh, NC; however, we remain committed to a flexible work environment. The individual must reside within the Wilmington, NC area or be willing to relocate. This role requires occasional travel to the Raleigh office.

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work performed; it is not intended as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and required skills for the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job‑related instructions and to perform other duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State laws. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities necessary to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at‑will” basis.

Make‑A‑Wish® Eastern North Carolina is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

We are committed to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering an organization that is accessible and welcoming for all wish families, volunteers, donors, and staff. We stand against racism, violence, and intolerance and aim to be inclusive of all people and backgrounds. Our chapter is committed to creating this environment to ensure we can meet our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Make‑A‑Wish Eastern North Carolina makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. For more information, read through our EEO Policy https://wish.org/careers.