Director of Development

Director of Development

The Five Star Education Foundation mobilizes community investment to support students, educators, and schools across Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Through strategic partnerships, philanthropy, and innovative programming, the Foundation helps ensure every student has access to opportunities, resources, and experiences that support academic success, career readiness, and overall well-being. At the Five Star Foundation, we say ALL means ALL.

Our work spans critical areas including STEM and career-connected learning, educator support, student basic needs, scholarships, and innovative school-based initiatives. We believe strong public schools strengthen entire communities, and we are committed to creating opportunities that help all students thrive.

We are seeking a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven fundraising leader to help advance this mission and grow community impact across the district.

About the Role

The Director of Development is a key leadership position responsible for designing, leading, and implementing a comprehensive fundraising and donor engagement strategy for the Foundation. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will lead efforts to grow revenue through corporate partnerships, grants, individual giving, sponsorships, and community engagement initiatives. The position also provides supervision and leadership to assigned staff and volunteers supporting development and fundraising activities, while ensuring alignment across grant strategy, reporting, and development operations.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and execution-oriented, someone who can build authentic relationships, manage multiple fundraising priorities, analyze results, and inspire donors and partners to invest in student success. This role requires a strong communicator, an organized project manager, and a passionate advocate for educational opportunity and community impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual development plan aligned with organizational priorities and fundraising goals
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to advance strategic fundraising initiatives and community partnerships
• Establish annual fundraising projections, campaign goals, and revenue tracking systems
• Analyze fundraising performance and donor engagement data to inform strategy and identify opportunities for growth
• Support long-term sustainability efforts, including major gifts and planned giving initiatives

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate sponsors and community partners
• Develop meaningful partnerships that align community investment with student and school impact
• Manage sponsorship opportunities for Foundation events and initiatives
• Represent the Foundation at community meetings, networking events, and district functions

• Manage and grow a portfolio of individual donors and prospects
• Develop personalized donor engagement and stewardship strategies to strengthen long-term relationships
• Coordinate donor communications, impact reporting, recognition efforts, and stewardship activities
• Support donor cultivation through school visits, events, and storytelling opportunities

• Identify and pursue grant opportunities aligned with Foundation priorities
• Manage relationships with foundation and institutional funders
• Oversee proposal development, reporting, compliance, and grant stewardship activities
• Collaborate with district and program staff to gather outcomes, stories, and impact data

• Support the planning and execution of fundraising campaigns and events
• Track campaign performance and provide regular reports and recommendations
• Collaborate with communications and program staff to ensure donor-centered messaging and compelling storytelling
• Assist in developing materials that communicate organizational impact and fundraising priorities

• Maintain accurate donor records and moves management systems within CRM platforms
• Ensure strong development operations, including gift tracking, reporting, acknowledgments, and data integrity
• Collaborate across teams to support organizational priorities and strategic initiatives
• Help foster a culture of philanthropy, collaboration, accountability, and community engagement
• Provide supervision, guidance, and support to assigned staff and volunteers involved in development and fundraising activities

Qualifications & Skills

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum of 4-5 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising or development experience
• Proven success securing and stewarding corporate sponsorships, grants, and individual gifts
• Experience building long-term donor relationships
• Strong understanding of fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and development operations
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience using CRM and fundraising platforms (we use Bloomerang)
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, donors, school district leaders, and community partners
• Passion for public education, educational equity, and student success

Preferred Qualifications:

• CFRE certification preferred
• Experience working within education-focused nonprofits or school district partnerships
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $90,000–$110,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Competitive benefits package
• Hybrid Flexibility: 2 days in the Thoroffice, 3 days remote (after ramp-up)
• Collaborative work environment
• Professional development opportunities
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of students, educators, and families across Adams 12