Development Director

Safe Crossings Foundation

Development Director Position Description

The Opportunity – About Safe Crossings Foundation

Safe Crossings Foundation funds organizations that help grieving children who have lost a parent, sibling, or loved one heal and thrive. For more than 35 years, we have funded effective, community-based programs that support bereaved youth across our region, while continually identifying gaps and expanding access to reach more children in need. We also convene providers through our annual Northwest Conference on Childhood Grief, strengthening the field through shared learning and collaboration.

The demand for children’s grief support programing is now outpacing out current fundraising efforts. We are looking for vision, creativity, and innovation in our approach to enhance our fundraising efforts with donors, corporate partners, and grant makers.

As we enter our fourth decade, we are advancing an ambitious strategic plan to expand our impact and fulfill our vision that all children, teens and young adults in Washington state have access to free grief support so that no child grieves alone.

We are a small, highly collaborative team that cares deeply about our mission and one another. We have intentional designs to lessen silos and enhance shared information. We value respect, inclusivity, and accountability—and we take pride in doing meaningful work in a flexible, supportive environment alongside an engaged and committed board.

Role Overview

Safe Crossings Foundation is currently looking for a Development Director to join our team, reporting to the Executive Director. This role is responsible for creating, developing and implementing strategies and practices to support our broad-based strategic priorities through fundraising and relationship building.

Primary Responsibilities

▪ Create a comprehensive development and communications plan in alignment with Safe Crossings

Foundation’s strategic priorities and budget.

▪ Develop a mission-centered, year-round strategy for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding

individual donors, resulting in a broadened base of engaged individual donors.

▪ In collaboration with the Executive Director, manage a current/prospective donor portfolio.

▪ Support the Executive Director, board members, and key ambassadors in establishing and deepening

relationships with donors and prospects.

▪ Lead corporate partnership stewardship and develop strategy for new partners.

▪ Serve as lead staff for fundraising events, peer-to-peer campaigns, appeals, house parties, and other

forms of fundraising, stewarding, appreciation and cultivation activities.

▪ Staff lead committees for Development/Marketing and Corporate Cultivation.

▪ Work collaboratively with Executive Director to communicate, report and engage board members.

▪ Assist Executive Director in creating customized plans for top donor relations.

▪ Lead weekly Development Team meetings, creating a collaborative environment for staff participation.

Preferred Qualifications

▪ 5+ years of increasing responsibilities and demonstrated success in the development or related field

▪ Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience/training in: Development/Nonprofit

Leadership/Marketing/Communications/Administration/Business Management/Professional Service or

similarly related field

▪ Experience leading a signature fundraising event

▪ Demonstrated fundraising and donor relationship building skills/techniques

▪ Experience encouraging board members and other volunteers to leverage their interests, skills, aptitudes

and affinities to strengthen the organization

▪ Excellent verbal and written communication skills

▪ Proficiency with computer software and systems, donor databases, and using data to drive development

decision making

▪ Must own vehicle or have access to transit in order to travel to multiple locations around Puget Sound

area as needed

Core Competencies

▪ Demonstrates skill in creating and maintaining personal relationships

▪ Pursues work with drive, energy, and a strong accomplishment orientation

▪ Enjoys working in a small, collaborative team environment

▪ Exceptional project management skills, executes and achieves objectives working with and through

others

▪ Writes and presents information effectively and persuasively across diverse communication settings

▪ Effectively uses systems and processes to measure, monitor, manage, or impact performance of

fundraising and marketing/communications plans

▪ Develops original ideas, approaches, and solutions to typical, unusual or difficult situations

▪ A collaborator who brings inspiration and fun to our team

Safe Crossings Foundation is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive work environment and to building a team that reflects the rich diversity of our community. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.