Director of Development

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

VISION: The end of child trafficking and exploitation. Nothing less.

MISSION: Love146 journeys alongside children impacted by trafficking today and prevents the trafficking of children tomorrow.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

STATUS: Full-time, exempt

SALARY RANGE: $115,000 - $125,000

ANTICIPATED START DATE: ASAP

LOCATION: Hybrid. Candidates must reside in Connecticut or the greater Northeast area (NY, CT, MA, RI, NJ). Staff within driving distance of New Haven, CT are expected in the office 1-2 days per week.

TRAVEL: 40% of time is regular local/regional travel for donor meetings. Additionally, 4-6 domestic trips annually.

OVERVIEW

Love146 is seeking a Director of Development who is equal parts strategist and relationship-driven fundraiser - someone who can build the plan and also go get the money. This is a senior, high-visibility role reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for leading a small, capable development team and personally managing a portfolio of the organization's most significant individual donors and prospects.

We are looking for a fundraiser with genuine relationships among high-net-worth individuals and their advisors, fluency in donor-advised fund giving, and real grounding in trust-based philanthropy. The right person understands that transformational relationships leading to meaningful revenue growth are built through genuine connection, thoughtful cultivation, and consistent follow-through - and is someone who is energized by the hustle that requires.

This role carries significant growth potential. Love146 is intentionally investing in a development leader whose scope and organizational leadership can expand as the fundraising program matures and revenue grows. We are hiring for trajectory as much as for track record.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

In the first 90 days

• Complete a clear-eyed assessment of the current donor portfolio, pipeline, revenue trends, and team capacity, and deliver a prioritized plan to the CEO.
• Meet with the top 15 individual donors and prospects, and with the Board.
• Identify the near-term revenue opportunities that can be moved within the current fiscal year.

In the first year

• Meet or exceed the annual contributed revenue goal, with measurable growth in major gifts and DAF revenue streams.
• Build and activate a qualified pipeline of new high-net-worth prospects sourced substantially through your own research, networks, and referrals.
• Establish disciplined moves management in Salesforce, with a revenue forecast the CEO and CFO can rely on.
• Strengthen the development team with clear roles, goals, and accountability.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Gifts and High-Net-Worth Donor Development (50%)

• Own and personally manage a portfolio of 65-85 high-net-worth donors and prospects, with primary accountability for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship at the five-, six-, and seven-figure levels.
• Aggressively source new high-net-worth prospects through personal networks, donor referrals, Board connections, wealth advisors, family offices, and regional philanthropic circles.
• In collaboration with the CEO, design and execute donor-specific cultivation strategies grounded in each donor's values and philanthropic goals.
• Develop and grow donor-advised fund revenue: identify DAF-holding donors and prospects, build relationships with DAF sponsors and community and family foundations, navigate grant recommendation cycles and advisor dynamics, and convert giving into multi-year commitments.
• Cultivate and steward relationships within trust-based philanthropy networks and funder collaboratives, positioning Love146 as a credible partner for unrestricted, multi-year, and capacity-building support.
• Partner with the CEO to deploy their time strategically - joint cultivation visits, bespoke asks, and high-touch stewardship of the organization's most significant relationships.
• Equip and support Board members and the organization’s Fundraising Committee to open doors, make introductions, and participate meaningfully in donor engagement.
• Recruit, equip, and steward donors who host house parties and third-party fundraisers on Love146's behalf - providing the materials, messaging, and staff support that make hosting easy, and converting attendees into cultivated prospects.
• Identify and secure transformational gifts, including multi-year commitments, legacy and planned gifts, and capacity-building investments.
• Meet and exceed personal and departmental fundraising targets on or ahead of schedule.

Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Growth (30%)

• In partnership with the CEO and Finance Leadership, develop and execute Love146's annual and multi-year fundraising strategy, balancing near-term revenue with long-term sustainability.
• Drive a diversified revenue model across:
• Individual and major gifts, including DAF and planned giving
• Institutional and foundation philanthropy, with emphasis on multi-year and general operating support
• Corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and employee giving
• A monthly sustainer and mid-level donor base, with measurable retention and upgrade goals
• Donor acquisition through digital campaigns, events, partnerships, and peer networks
• Build and maintain accurate revenue forecasts; monitor pipeline health, conversion rates, donor retention, and fundraising costs; and act on what the data shows.
• In coordination with the CEO and Finance Leadership, develop and oversee the donor development department's annual budget.
• Optimize Salesforce as the operational backbone of the development program, ensuring effective donor segmentation, moves management, and pipeline tracking, and translating fundraising data into actionable insights for leadership and the Board.
• Partner with the Communications team on fundraising campaigns, appeals, donor communications, and events, ensuring message discipline and brand consistency.
• Own strategy, budget, and execution oversight for Love146's signature fundraising events — an annual gala and an annual golf tournament - setting revenue and attendance targets, driving sponsorship sales, directing event planning support and volunteer host committees, and ensuring each event delivers measurable return and a strong donor cultivation experience.
• Provide the CEO, Finance Leadership, the Executive Team, and Board with clear revenue reporting that surfaces both risk and opportunity, with recommendations attached.

Team Leadership and Organizational Partnership (20%)

• Lead, coach, and develop the development team, setting clear roles, measurable goals, and a culture of ownership and accountability.
• Evaluate performance, address performance issues directly, and invest in the growth and career development of direct reports.
• Hire and manage staff and vendors in accordance with Love146 HR and Operations policies.
• Foster a team culture marked by creativity, candor, collaboration, and shared commitment to the mission.
• Contribute to organizational strategy and cross-departmental planning as a senior leader, partnering closely with Finance, Programs, and Communications.
• Represent Love146 externally in philanthropic networks, funder collaboratives, and sector forums.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Minimum 7 years of nonprofit development experience, including direct major gift solicitation and at least 3 years supervising staff.
• Demonstrated success personally cultivating, soliciting, and consistent closing of multiple five- and six-figure gifts from high-net-worth individuals, with a track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Established relationships and credibility within high-net-worth philanthropic circles, with the ability to activate those networks on Love146's behalf.
• Working knowledge of donor-advised funds - sponsor organizations, advisor relationships, grant recommendation cycles - and demonstrated success generating DAF revenue.
• Familiarity with trust-based philanthropy principles and experience engaging funders who practice them, including securing unrestricted and multi-year support.
• Experience building and managing a major gift pipeline with disciplined moves management in a CRM (Salesforce strongly preferred).
• Comfort operating as both strategist and executor in a lean organization - building the plan and doing the work.
• A Bachelor's degree is required; relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Preferred

• Graduate degree in a related field, or CFRE certification.
• Experience with planned and legacy giving programs.
• Experience with corporate partnerships and cause-marketing.
• Experience with fundraising technology platforms (Classy preferred) and marketing automation tools.

COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES

• Hustle. Self-directed, persistent, and comfortable with the ask.
• Relational intelligence. Builds authentic trust with donors, colleagues, and Board members, and reads a room accurately.
• Strategic and operational range. Moves credibly between a three-year revenue model and a thank-you call in the same afternoon.
• Data literacy and fluency. Uses numbers to make decisions, not to decorate reports. Comfortable in Salesforce, Excel/Sheets, and G-Suite.
• Exceptional communication. Compelling storyteller who can make a powerful case for support without sensationalizing the children Love146 serves.
• Trauma-informed judgment. Understands the ethical weight of fundraising on behalf of children who have experienced trafficking and exploitation.
• Resilience. Thrives in a fast-moving, resource-conscious environment and responds to setbacks with creativity rather than retreat.

BENEFITS

Organizational culture committed to self-care, work-life balance, flexibility, and being both values- and trauma-informed. Working alongside other mission-driven people. Comprehensive medical coverage; twenty-two (22) paid vacation days annually; nine (9) paid sick days annually; paid holidays per Love146 schedule; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); month-long paid sabbatical after five (5) years continuous employment; employee-funded benefits: voluntary vision, voluntary dental, voluntary long-term disability, voluntary short-term disability, and a 403(b) retirement plan with an employer match up to 1% of gross salary. Employment with Love146 qualifies you for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This role combines desk-based work - extended periods at a computer requiring sustained mental and visual concentration - with frequent external donor meetings, events, and regional travel. Some evening and weekend work is required for donor cultivation and events. The incumbent works in a busy environment with regular interruptions and engages a wide range of people on complex and sometimes emotionally difficult subject matter.

Love146 is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.