Director of Development: Donor Relations & Foundations

The Future of Free Speech; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement match

12 paid holidays

Job summary

FoFS is seeking a Director of Development to grow and sustain support from individual donors and foundations who care deeply about free speech, civil society, and democratic values. This donor-facing role will be the organization’s frontline fundraiser, managing a personal portfolio and working closely with the Executive Director on top donor relationships.

The role involves proposal writing, reporting, travel for donor meetings, and collaboration with program staff to assemble budgets and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of fundraising experience or similar.
• Experience raising funds from high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience managing foundation proposals and reporting.
• Experience with grant writing.
• Experience in a think tank, advocacy organization, nonprofit research environment, or similar mission-driven setting.
• Familiarity with free speech, civil liberties, democracy, public policy, or related issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage a personal portfolio of individual donors, prospects, and selected foundations.
• Design and execute a strategic moves-management plan for priority donors and prospects.
• Coordinate and drive activity for the Executive Director’s portfolio of top donor relationships.
• Conduct regular donor outreach and meetings by phone, video, and in-person.
• Identify, research, and qualify prospective individual donors and foundations.
• Draft donor correspondence, grant proposals, reports, and other fundraising materials.
• Manage foundation proposal calendars, deadlines, submissions, and reporting.
• Track donor movement, proposal status, and next steps in Salesforce.
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up strategy for donor meetings involving the Executive Director.
• Coordinate with internal staff to gather programmatic information, budgets, and supporting materials.
• Support stewardship through timely acknowledgment, follow-up, and relationship maintenance.
• Assist with fundraising-related event outreach and sponsorship outreach for key organizational events.
• Help maintain accurate public-facing giving information across relevant nonprofit and donor-advised fund platforms.
• Travel regularly for donor meetings, conferences, and related fundraising activity.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Foundation relations

Grant writing

Think tank experience

Public policy

Job description

FoFS is seeking a Director of Development to grow and sustain support from individual donors and foundations who care deeply about free speech, civil society, and democratic values. This donor-facing role will be the organization’s frontline fundraiser, managing a personal portfolio and working closely with the Executive Director on top donor relationships.

The role involves proposal writing, reporting, travel for donor meetings, and collaboration with program staff to assemble budgets and