Development Manager

Benefits:

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Development Manager

Overview of Role:

The Development Manager is a strategic fundraising leader responsible for driving philanthropic growth through donor acquisition, cultivation, stewardship, and long-term relationship management across individual, corporate, foundation, and faith-based giving channels.

This role requires a highly relational and results-oriented fundraiser who can build and execute development strategies that strengthen donor engagement, increase annual and recurring revenue, and expand mission-aligned partnerships that directly support the work of Bonton Farms.

The Development Manager will own a qualified donor portfolio, develop and advance funding opportunities, lead donor engagement strategy, support campaign execution, and partner across departments to align fundraising efforts with organizational priorities.

This position plays a critical role in helping Bonton Farms grow sustainable contributed revenue and deepen external engagement with supporters who believe in transformational community impact.

The Development Manager will also provide direct leadership to development support staff, including oversight of donor coordination, volunteer engagement support, and stewardship execution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising & Revenue Growth

Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising strategies aligned to organizational revenue goals.

Build, manage, and grow a qualified donor pipeline across:

Individual giving

Corporate partnerships

Faith-based partnerships

Mid-level and major donors

Institutional opportunities

Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospective and existing donors to increase philanthropic investment.

Leverage knowledge of the Dallas philanthropic community to identify high-potential donor prospects, partnership opportunities, and strategic relationship pathways.

Maintain awareness of philanthropic trends, funding priorities, community influencers, and giving patterns across the Dallas nonprofit sector.

Develop targeted engagement strategies that position Bonton Farms within key donor circles, corporate philanthropy networks, faith communities, and mission-aligned funding conversations.

Represent Bonton Farms externally in professional settings where relationship-building can lead to strategic philanthropic opportunities.

Lead revenue-generating donor strategies designed to strengthen recurring support and long-term giving relationships.

Create measurable fundraising plans with clear benchmarks for pipeline movement, solicitations, renewals, and donor retention.

Support annual campaign planning, sponsorship development, and targeted giving initiatives.

Donor Engagement & Stewardship

Build authentic, trust-based relationships with donors, funders, business leaders, pastors, executives, and philanthropic stakeholders.

Develop strategic donor engagement plans that move supporters from awareness to investment.

Lead donor visits, presentations, tours, cultivation meetings, and follow-up engagement.

Ensure excellent donor stewardship through timely communication, impact reporting, gratitude strategies, and meaningful connection points.

Partner internally to create strong donor experiences through volunteerism, events, tours, and mission exposure.

Support customized donor strategies tied to organizational priorities and giving capacity.

Campaign Planning & Execution

Coordinate donor campaigns from planning through completion, including annual giving efforts, seasonal campaigns, targeted appeals, and strategic fundraising initiatives.

Build campaign calendars, timelines, donor segmentation strategies, outreach plans, and follow-up schedules.

Draft campaign messaging in partnership with marketing to ensure consistency and strong calls to action.

Monitor campaign performance, donor response, and revenue progress.

Recommend campaign adjustments based on engagement and results.

Fundraising Events & Donor Experiences

Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of fundraising events from start to finish.

Oversee event development including:

Concept planning

Sponsorship strategy

Donor invitations

Vendor coordination

Internal planning meetings

Run-of-show development

Guest engagement strategy

Post-event stewardship

Ensure events are financially aligned and strategically tied to donor cultivation goals.

Coordinate with internal departments to align events with mission storytelling and operational readiness.

Manage donor-facing experiences connected to farm visits, volunteer events, dinners, tours, and special engagements.

Corporate, Community & Faith-Based Partnerships

Expand and strengthen relationships with corporations, churches, and community partners that align with Bonton Farms’ mission.

Develop partnership opportunities that include:

Sponsorships

Volunteer engagement

Employee giving

Faith-based campaigns

In-kind support

Mission experiences

Create compelling partnership proposals and presentations that clearly articulate impact and opportunity.

Development Operations & Portfolio Management

Maintain accurate donor records, engagement activity, projections, and fundraising metrics within CRM systems.

Track pipeline movement, solicitation outcomes, stewardship actions, and revenue forecasting.

Prepare regular reports for development leadership outlining progress toward goals.

Ensure strong follow-through on donor communications, commitments, and internal coordination.

Leadership & Team Support

Provide day-to-day guidance and accountability to development support staff, including Development Coordinator responsibilities tied to volunteer and donor support.

Support training, prioritization, and performance accountability within the development function.

Strengthen departmental systems that improve responsiveness, donor experience, and internal coordination.

Collaborate cross-functionally with leadership, marketing, programs, and operations to align fundraising strategy with mission delivery.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are seeking a professional who is both strategic and highly relational someone who can confidently engage donors, build trust quickly, and translate mission into investment. The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of the Dallas philanthropic landscape, including knowledge of key funding networks, donor communities, corporate giving priorities, faith-based giving culture, and relationship pathways that influence charitable investment across the region. This role requires a development professional who can strategically identify opportunities, navigate existing philanthropic ecosystems, and position Bonton Farms effectively within conversations that lead to long-term partnership and financial support.

The Development Manager should be comfortable leveraging existing relationships, building new connections, and developing thoughtful engagement strategies that increase Bonton Farms’ visibility and credibility within the broader philanthropic community.

The ideal candidate brings:

Strong fundraising presence

High emotional intelligence

Strategic thinking

Excellent follow-through

Confidence in external relationship building

Ability to drive results in a growing nonprofit environment

Note: This job description is intended to outline the primary duties and responsibilities of the position; however, additional duties, responsibilities, and assignments may be required or assigned at any time based on business needs, operational priorities, or organizational necessity.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required; nonprofit management, communications, business, public administration, or related field preferred.

Minimum 4–6 years of progressive fundraising or nonprofit development experience.

Demonstrated success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

Experience managing donor portfolios and advancing fundraising pipelines.

Strong presentation and proposal-writing skills.

Experience engaging corporate and community partners.

Knowledge of CRM systems and donor tracking tools.

Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Strong organizational discipline and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Ability to work independently while collaborating across teams.

Preferred Experience

Demonstrated knowledge of the Dallas philanthropic community, including donor behavior, foundation priorities, corporate giving trends, and key relationship networks.

Existing professional connections within Dallas philanthropic, nonprofit, faith-based, or corporate giving communities strongly preferred.

Ability to strategically navigate donor environments and translate mission impact into compelling investment opportunities.

Strong understanding of how to build credibility and influence within philanthropic spaces to advance fundraising goals.

Major gifts fundraising

Faith-based donor engagement

Corporate sponsorship development

Campaign planning

Volunteer-to-donor conversion strategy

Event-related fundraising support

Work Expectations

· Occasional evening and weekend availability for donor events and community engagements.

· Passion for mission-driven work and community transformation.

· Ability to represent Bonton Farms with professionalism, warmth, and strategic credibility.