Director of Development

About First Place AZ Organization: First Place AZ Type Of Organization: Human Services Location: Phoenix, AZ 85012 United States Organization: Type of organization: Location: Job Category: Experience level: Employment Type: Position modality: Pay: Pay type: On This Page: Description Qualifications Position description Posting last updated 1 day ago About First Place AZ We are a spirited charitable nonprofit organization advancing a new marketplace of inclusive housing, healthcare, employment and lifelong-learning options for adults with autism, neurodivergences and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). First Place-Phoenix, our flagship property, serves as a proof point informing our national work, offering a real-world site for innovation, learning and demonstration. First Place AZ is an equal opportunity employer. The Opportunity Philanthropy at First Place is relational, strategic and mission driven. We don’t just raise money—we build lasting relationships with individuals, foundations and corporations who share our vision and want to be part of something that’s working. Our donors are allies in a movement to reimagine what’s possible for adults with disabilities. This role is for someone who wants to shape a development function at a pivotal moment. You’ll work closely with the CEO and Board to set philanthropic strategy, diversify and grow revenue, and strengthen the systems that support it all. You’ll be a member of the leadership team, not a siloed fundraiser. We’re looking for ambition, maturity and aspiration. Someone who sees what First Place is building and is committed to taking it further. Who You Are You are a seasoned development professional who has outgrown transactional fundraising. You know how to secure major gifts, write winning proposals and steward donors—and you are hungry to do that work in service of a mission you believe in and an organization on the rise. You think strategically about revenue, not just tactically about asks. You value the entire development ecosystem: individual giving, foundations, corporate partnerships, planned giving, events—and you know how to build a diversified, sustainable funding base. You are a relationship builder and are as comfortable in a one-on-one donor or team meeting as you are presenting to a board. You bring people along. You lead with clarity and accountability. You have supervised and mentored staff, managed budgets and built systems that work. You communicate performance honestly and use data to guide decisions. You are ready to be part of a leadership team, assume a seat at the table where strategy is shaped and contribute beyond your functional area. What You’ll Do Strategic Leadership You will develop and execute First Place’s philanthropic strategy in partnership with the CEO, Board of Directors and leadership team. This includes setting annual fundraising goals and long-term revenue targets, identifying opportunities to diversify funding streams, preparing development budgets and projections, and monitoring trends to keep the organization ahead of the curve. You will establish policies, procedures and practices that strengthen department efficiency and position the organization for continued growth. Revenue Development You will lead fundraising across all channels—individual giving, foundations, corporations and planned giving. For individual donors, you will build and manage a comprehensive giving program, develop annual campaigns and stewardship strategies, identify and cultivate major gift prospects, expand recurring giving , and support the CEO’s donor portfolio. For foundations and grants, you will oversee the full cycle from prospect research through submission and reporting, develop compelling proposals and budgets, manage funder relationships, and maintain compliance calendars and pipelines. For corporate collaborators, you will cultivate long-term partnerships, secure sponsorships for the annual events and initiatives, and ensure fulfillment of sponsorship benefits. For planned giving, you will lead the growth of the First Place Forever legacy program, recruit, support the Planned Giving Advisory Committee and develop donor engagement opportunities. Engagement & Events You will provide strategic leadership for fundraising and cultivation events, including the annual Dimensions® symposium, community tours, donor events, educational webinars and special initiatives. You will recruit and engage volunteers, support Board committees and advisory groups, and coordinate volunteer communications. In partnership with communications and marketing staff, you will shape fundraising campaigns, impact reports, donor communications, annual appeals, sponsorship materials, case statements and website content. Operations & Team Leadership You will oversee development operations, including Salesforce database integrity, dashboards and reporting, fundraising KPIs, gift acknowledgment processes and coordination with the finance department. You will supervise development staff, interns and volunteers, providing coaching, mentoring and professional development. You will foster a collaborative, mission-driven team culture. Supervisory Responsibilities This role supervises both full-time and part-time Development team members, interns and volunteers. Qualifications What You’ll Bring Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required. Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or interest in obtaining certification preferred. Eight or more years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience. Experience with fundraising for disability, education or human services organizations preferred. Demonstrated success securing major gifts, grants and corporate sponsorships. Experience managing fundraising databases, preferably Salesforce. Experience with nonprofit budgeting and financial reporting preferred. Exceptional written, verbal and presentation skills. Strong project management and organizational abilities. Experience developing fundraising strategy and annual work plans. Ability to analyze fundraising data and communicate performance metrics. Experience supervising staff or leading cross-functional teams. Experience planning conferences or large fundraising events. Clean MVR Report #J-18808-Ljbffr