Senior Director of Development & Major Gifts

Inside Philanthropy; Washington; Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

401K

Relocation assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Island Senior Resources in Langley, Washington, seeks a Senior Director of Development & Major Gifts to lead its contributed revenue portfolio and advance major gifts initiatives. The role focuses on cultivating high-value donors, securing multi-year support, and guiding development strategy with the Executive Director.

The position requires at least five years in progressive fundraising, with senior development experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in individual and major giving.
• Experience developing and implementing a comprehensive development plan and fundraising metrics.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organization’s comprehensive contributed revenue program.
• Manage a major donor portfolio and cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts.
• Develop and refine annual development plan and donor engagement strategies.
• Collaborate with leadership, board, and staff to advance fundraising initiatives.

Skills

Donor relations

Major gifts

Proposal development

Communication

Strategic planning

Education

CFRE certification

Tools

Donor CRM

Moves management

Job description

Senior Director of Development & Major Gifts

Island Senior Resources

Langley, Washington

Island Senior Resources serves residents across Island County, a two-island county in northwestern Washington, composed primarily of Whidbey Island and Camano Island. The county is home to more than 86,000 full-time residents, with a higher-than-average proportion of residents aged 60 and older. Proximity to Seattle and Everett supports regional access while maintaining a distinct island setting. Recreation and community life are shaped by Deception Pass State Park, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, local farms, galleries, wineries, and an extensive network of parks, beaches, and trails.

Island Senior Resources (ISR) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves older adults, adults with disabilities, caregivers, and families throughout Island County, Washington. ISR is headquartered on Whidbey Island and partners with local jurisdictions, senior centers, and community organizations to coordinate service delivery. The organization serves over 10,000 individuals annually, supporting independence, aging in place, and access to services that promote wellbeing. ISR operates with approximately 60 employees and more than 219 volunteers. The organization reports annual revenue of $3.7 million, and an operating budget exceeding $3.4 million, supported by a mix of public funding, grants, donations, and program revenue.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Development & Major Gifts leads Island Senior Resources’ comprehensive contributed revenue program and serves as the organization’s lead frontline fundraiser. The Senior Director supervises one direct report, the Director of Annual Giving, and will spend the majority of their time directly engaging donors through visits, conversations, proposals, solicitations, and stewardship while providing strategic direction for the broader development program. Building upon a strong annual giving foundation, the Senior Director will help ISR intentionally expand major giving. A primary focus will be strategically managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects, expanding that portfolio over time, and developing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. The Senior Director will lead the formation and annual refinement of a written development plan, establish revenue goals and performance measures, monitor donor retention, and ensure disciplined use of ISR’s donor management system for documentation, forecasting, and reporting. The position will also help translate ISR’s programs, financial position, and community impact into a compelling case for support. The Senior Director will partner with the Executive Director on key donor relationships and strategic asks; engage board members in cultivation and stewardship; collaborate with communications, community engagement, finance, and program staff; and support donor gatherings and cultivation activities.

Work Schedule: Hybrid, with a combination of remote and in-office work. Specific arrangements will be determined based on organizational needs and team collaboration.

Education & Experience: Candidates must have at least five years of progressive fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in individual and major giving. Eight to ten years of experience, including at least three in a senior development role, is preferred. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to build donor trust and personally cultivate, solicit, and close significant gifts, ideally within a small or mid-sized nonprofit environment. Experience developing and implementing a comprehensive development plan, managing a major donor portfolio, using donor database/CRM and moves-management systems, establishing fundraising metrics, forecasting contributed revenue, and partnering with executive leadership and Board members is highly desirable. Experience supervising or mentoring development staff is also preferred. A record of success supporting a capital or special campaign, experience with planned and legacy giving, and an event-management background are strongly desired. Experience with a nonprofit serving older adults, people with disabilities, human services, or a similarly mission-driven organization is preferred. CFRE certification or the ability to achieve certification within the first 12 months of employment is preferred. Candidates should bring strong nonprofit financial literacy and excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills. Discretion and sensitivity will also essential when handling confidential donor information.

Benefits include: Vacation. Paid holidays. Sick leave. Paid leave for bereavement and jury duty. Health insurance. Vision insurance. Group term life and AD&D insurance. Employee Assistance Program. Optional 401K. Relocation assistance. (For more details, please see the complete position profile.)

Island Senior Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Apply by November 22, 2026. (First review, open until filled.) For questions, call 206-368-0050.

The compensation for this role is $135,000 - $140,000, and the position offers excellent benefits.