Director of Development And Communications

Job Summary :

The Communications and Development Director leads OCO's fundraising, donor engagement, communications, public relations, and community visibility efforts. Working closely with the Executive Director, senior leadership team, and Board of Directors, this position develops strategies that increase philanthropic support, strengthen donor and community relationships, and enhance awareness of OCO's mission and impact. The Director oversees fundraising initiatives, donor stewardship, external communications, digital engagement, and related partnerships and contractors. Success is measured by growth in philanthropic support, donor engagement, community visibility, and organizational communications capacity.

Success in this position will be primarily measured by:

1. Growth in unrestricted philanthropy,
2. Growth in donor relationships,
3. Increased community visibility and media engagement, and
4. Growth in organizational communications capacity.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Fund Development and Donor Relations

• Develop and implement annual fundraising plans in partnership with agency leadership and the Board.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, corporate, and community donors.
• Manage a portfolio of donor prospects, including major and planned giving opportunities.
• Develop strategies to grow annual giving, sponsorships, recurring gifts, and other philanthropic support.
• Coordinate donor stewardship, recognition, and impact reporting activities.
• Monitor fundraising results and recommend improvements based on performance data.

Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations

• Develop and implement OCO's communications and marketing strategy.
• Lead agency messaging, storytelling, brand management, and public relations efforts.
• Serve as liaison with media outlets and coordinate external communications.
• Oversee social media and digital engagement activities.
• Represent OCO at community events and develop strategic partnerships.
• Ensure consistent branding and messaging across all communication platforms.

Digital Fundraising and Data Management

• Oversee donor database and CRM systems.
• Maintain accurate donor and fundraising records.
• Lead digital fundraising campaigns and online engagement efforts.
• Use analytics to improve donor retention and campaign performance.
• Evaluate technology that supports fundraising and communications goals.

Strategic Leadership

• Establish annual goals and performance measures for fundraising and communications.
• Track and report fundraising growth, donor retention, digital engagement, and community visibility.
• Participate in agency planning and promote a culture of philanthropy.
• Remain informed on emerging nonprofit fundraising and communications trends.

Job Requirements:

• Proven experience in nonprofit fundraising, preferably within human services or community-based organizations.
• Success managing major gifts, donor relationships, and annual giving initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the full donor development cycle, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Strong leadership, relationship-building, communication, and strategic planning skills.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office, and fundraising analytics tools.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Fundraising, Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, communications, marketing, community relations, public relations, nonprofit development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience securing charitable contributions, sponsorships, grants, or partnerships preferred.
• Experience managing fundraising campaigns, donor relationships, marketing initiatives, or public relations efforts preferred.