National Director of Development

NALEO Educational Fund; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Vacation and sick leave

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan

Job summary

NALEO Educational Fund seeks a National Director of Development to lead all fundraising activities from major gifts to corporate sponsorships. Based in Washington, DC with a hybrid/remote schedule, you will oversee strategy, operations, and staff, driving a $10M revenue goal.

Senior leader reporting to the Chief Development Officer, with a focus on building scalable donor programs and partnerships. The role requires a track record in nonprofit fundraising, excellent writing and project

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, public policy, communications, business, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience with 3+ years in leadership.
• Strong writing, editing, research, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with foundation and corporate fundraising, donor stewardship, and major gifts.

Responsibilities

• Lead development strategy and supervise the Development staff to meet revenue goals.
• Oversee institutional giving, grants, and donor stewardship across a $10M revenue horizon.
• Develop major donor program, moves management, and donor engagement plans.
• Oversee corporate sponsorship program overhaul and event-related fundraising.
• Prepare board materials and coordinate cross-department fundraising activities.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Major donor cultivation

Proposal writing

Grants reporting

Sponsorships & events

Relationship building

Project management

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, public policy, communications, business, or related field

Tools

Donor database

Grant calendars

fundraising reports

Development operations systems

Job description

National Director of Development

Full-Time | Exempt| Washington, D.C. | Hybrid / Remote Schedule

Salary Range: $130,000 - $150,000, commensurate with experience

THE ORGANIZATION

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund was established in 1981 to promote the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. NALEO Educational Fund achieves its mission through integrated strategies that include increasing the effectiveness of Latino policymakers, mobilizing the Latino community to engage in civic life, and promoting policies that advance Latino political engagement.

NALEO Educational Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan organization governed by a 15-member Board of Directors and a 36-member Board of Advisors. Headquartered in Monterey Park, CA, NALEO Educational Fund maintains offices in Houston, New York City, and Washington, D.C., with staff and program presence in other areas of the United States. It employs about 40 full‑time staff with an annual budget of $8 million, and offers a competitive benefits package that includes generous vacation, sick leave, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement coverage.

POSITION SUMMARY

For five decades, NALEO has been the nation’s cornerstone institution serving Latino policymakers — and NALEO Educational Fund is carrying that legacy into its next chapter. As NALEO marks its 50th anniversary, NALEO Educational Fund is seizing the moment to build toward a new era of expanded impact, and the National Director of Development will play a central role in making that possible.

This is a rare opportunity for a fundraiser who thrives on rolling up their sleeves: redesigning what isn’t working, strengthening what has potential, and building new infrastructure from the ground up. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and based in Washington, D.C. (this is a home‑based position requiring residency in the Washington, D.C. metro area, with regular in‑person collaboration at NALEO Educational Fund's D.C. office), the National Director of Development will help lead two high‑priority initiatives: a comprehensive overhaul of the organization’s corporate sponsor program and the formalization and growth of a nascent major donor program, alongside continued growth of the organization’s foundation and institutional giving portfolio. Both represent meaningful opportunities to leave a lasting mark on a storied institution.

Beyond these signature priorities, the National Director of Development manages day‑to‑day development operations in support of the organization’s $10 million total annual revenue goal — coordinating institutional giving, individual donor stewardship, grant management, and fundraising efforts connected to the Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, annual conference, and special events.

The ideal candidate brings not just fundraising experience, but a builder’s mindset — someone energized by creating systems, thinking strategically, and turning potential into results for a mission that matters. This position requires excellent writing, project management, relationship‑building, and organizational skills, as well as a strong commitment to NALEO Educational Fund’s mission and values. Regular travel — including to attend donor, funder, and partner events — is required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Development Strategy and Department Support

• Support the Chief Development Officer in implementing the organization’s comprehensive development strategy.
• Provides overall leadership and direction to the Development Department and directly supervises Development staff, providing guidance, coaching, workload management, and performance development.
• Support the Chief Development Officer in developing and implementing annual fundraising strategies to meet or exceed the organization’s $10 million total annual revenue goal.
• Lead the development of annual fundraising plans, revenue goals, timelines, and performance tracking systems.
• Help identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward foundation, corporate, individual, and event‑related donors.
• Maintain a strong understanding of NALEO Educational Fund's programs, priorities, and funding needs.
• Coordinate with program, finance, communications, and executive staff to support integrated fundraising efforts.
• Prepare development updates, briefing materials, donor profiles, and other materials for the Chief Development Officer, CEO, senior leadership, Board of Directors, and Board of Advisors.
• Support the Development Department's internal systems, calendars, workflows, and accountability structures.

Institutional Giving and Grant Management

• Manage a portfolio of foundation and corporate grant opportunities as assigned by the Chief Development Officer.
• Establish new foundation, corporate, and institutional funding relationships aligned with NALEO Educational Fund's mission and priorities.
• In partnership with the Deputy Director, Foundations, develop and coordinate grant proposals, renewal requests, reports, budgets, and related materials across the full grants lifecycle.
• In partnership with the Deputy Director, Foundations, track grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, and award terms; maintain accurate records and ensure timely internal communication on funding commitments and restrictions.
• Work closely with program and finance teams to gather information needed for proposals, reports, budgets, and revenue projections.

Donor Relations and Stewardship

• Support cultivation and stewardship strategies for individual donors, major investors, corporate partners, and foundation contacts.
• Prepare donor correspondence, acknowledgments, stewardship reports, meeting notes, and follow‑up materials.
• Help develop strategies to deepen donor engagement and increase donor retention.
• Support online fundraising and donor engagement campaigns in coordination with communications and development staff.
• Maintain accurate donor records, contact information, giving histories, and relationship notes in the organization’s donor database.
• Help ensure that donor communications are timely, accurate, professional, and aligned with organizational messaging.

Major Donor Program Growth and Management

• Oversee, in partnership with the Chief Development Officer, the growth and formalization of NALEO Educational Fund's nascent major donor program.
• Develop a clear major donor strategy that includes prospect identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, renewal, and upgrade pathways.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of current and prospective major donors, with attention to donors whose interests align with NALEO Educational Fund's mission, programs, civic engagement priorities, and national impact.
• Create systems, timelines, briefing materials, donor profiles, talking points, and follow‑up processes to support major donor engagement by the Chief Development Officer, CEO, Board members, and senior leadership.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer to establish annual goals, performance metrics, and reporting tools for major donor revenue, retention, moves management, and portfolio growth.
• Support individualized cultivation and stewardship plans for major donors, including personal outreach, meetings, event engagement, impact updates, recognition, and renewal strategies.
• Analyze giving patterns, donor interests, and engagement data to recommend strategies that increase individual giving and deepen long‑term donor relationships.
• Ensure the major donor program contributes meaningfully to the organization’s $10 million total annual revenue goal and strengthens the organization’s overall culture of philanthropy.

Corporate Partner Program Strategy and Overhaul

• Lead, in partnership with the Chief Development Officer, a comprehensive assessment and overhaul of NALEO Educational Fund's corporate partner program.
• Evaluate current sponsorship structures, benefits, pricing, recognition opportunities, sponsor communications, fulfillment processes, and renewal strategies.
• Develop a refreshed corporate sponsorship framework that better aligns sponsor interests with NALEO Educational Fund's mission, programs, annual conference, special events, and year‑round civic engagement priorities.
• Create clear sponsorship levels, benefits packages, solicitation materials, timelines, and internal procedures to support consistent sponsor cultivation and stewardship.
• Identify opportunities to grow corporate sponsorship revenue as part of the organization’s $10 million total annual revenue goal.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective corporate sponsors, with attention to companies and partners aligned with NALEO Educational Fund's mission, values, and national reach.
• Coordinate with communications, programs, finance, and events staff to ensure sponsor benefits are delivered accurately, professionally, and on time.
• Track sponsor commitments, deliverables, renewals, recognition, payments, and post‑event follow‑up.
• Analyze sponsor engagement and revenue performance and recommend improvements to strengthen retention, increase investment levels, and expand long‑term corporate partnerships.

Board and Leadership Support

• Prepare materials for Board and Board committee meetings related to fundraising progress, donor engagement, campaign updates, and revenue projections.
• Help track Board and Board of Advisors fundraising participation, commitments, outreach, and follow‑up.
• Support Board members with donor outreach materials, event invitations, sponsorship information, and talking points.
• Provide administrative and strategic support for donor meetings involving the CEO, Chief Development Officer, Board members, and senior leadership.

Conference and Special Events

• Support fundraising efforts connected to the NALEO Annual Conference, Edward R. Roybal Legacy Celebration, and other special events.
• Assist in developing sponsorship materials, prospect lists, solicitation strategies, and donor recognition plans.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to support event planning, sponsor fulfillment, guest management, and post‑event stewardship.
• Regularly attend NALEO and external partner events — including conferences, receptions, and briefings — to build relationships with new and existing funders, and assist with on‑site donor, sponsor, and partner engagement.

Development Operations and Data Management

• Help maintain accurate, complete, and timely development records, including donor contacts, gift entries, pledges, grant agreements, reports, and correspondence.
• Support gift processing, acknowledgment letters, donor lists, and reconciliation with finance staff.
• Develop and maintain reports to track fundraising progress, donor engagement, grants, sponsorships, and campaign performance.
• Support improvements to development systems, database usage, filing structures, and department procedures.
• Ensure confidentiality and accuracy in handling donor, financial, and organizational information.

QUALIFICATIONS - KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The National Director of Development is a senior member of NALEO Educational Fund’s development leadership team, working in close partnership with the Chief Development Officer, CEO, and Board of Directors. The ideal candidate brings not only the technical skills listed below, but a strategic mindset, strong executive presence, and the drive to build and grow programs from the ground up.

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, public policy, communications, business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of twelve to fifteen years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including at least three years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience with foundation and corporate fundraising, including proposal writing, grant reporting, and donor stewardship.
• Demonstrated experience with individual giving and major donor cultivation required; experience with sponsorships and special events preferred.
• Experience developing or scaling major donor programs, including moves management and individualized donor stewardship, strongly preferred.
• Experience developing, restructuring, or managing corporate sponsorship programs strongly preferred.
• Strong writing, editing, research, and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines, relationships, and deliverables simultaneously.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Experience working with donor databases, grant calendars, fundraising reports, and development operations systems.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with senior leadership, Board members, donors, volunteers, and community partners.
• Ability to translate program priorities and organizational impact into compelling fundraising materials.
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and donor relations related to civic engagement, advocacy, public policy, or community‑based nonprofit work preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to build trust, exercise diplomacy, and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to work respectfully with people from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, political, and geographic backgrounds.
• High level of initiative, professionalism, judgment, and follow‑through.
• Supportive of the mission and philosophy of NALEO Educational Fund.
• Ability to travel locally and nationally as required.
• Humility and a low‑ego orientation, with a genuine willingness to roll up your sleeves and do the work, not just direct it.
• Ability to seek out and provide support for other team members in a collaborative, lean environment.
• Proactive, solution‑oriented approach to problem‑solving.
• Experience managing and developing direct reports.

You may be a strong fit if you…

• Are energized by building and fixing things — you see an underdeveloped program as an opportunity, not a liability.
• Want a seat at the table — this role works directly with the CEO, Chief Development Officer, and Board, and your work will be visible at the highest levels of the organization.
• Are motivated by mission — you want your fundraising work to matter, and NALEO Educational Fund’s impact on Latino civic participation and representation gives it real stakes.
• Thrive in a complex, multi‑stakeholder environment — you’re comfortable coordinating across departments, offices, and leadership levels without losing focus on the big picture.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

NALEO Educational Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a workplace that values diversity, inclusion, and respect. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

NALEO Educational Fund is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain talented individuals who contribute to our mission and bring a variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to our work.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ASPECTS OF THE POSITION

Certain physical and mental aspects of performing the essential functions of the position include the following:

• Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time, including occasional overnight travel as needed.
• Ability to detect, discern, recognize, and perceive auditory and visual information within normal ranges.
• Dexterity to read, write, type, and operate standard office equipment, including a computer, printer, telephone, copier, and related tools.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and communicate effectively in a fast‑paced work environment.

Once hired, employees requiring reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of the position should contact Human Resources to engage in the interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations, if any.

DISCLAIMER

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Employment with NALEO Educational Fund is at-will, meaning either the employee or the organization may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Nothing in this job description creates a contract of employment or a guarantee of continued employment.