Executive Director of Development

Job Description

Job Description

EXECTUVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Department: Development

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director of Development provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization's fundraising and development efforts. This executive leader will be responsible for strengthening and expanding One More Child's philanthropic base, creating an engaging donor experience, leading planned giving initiatives, overseeing development events, developing comprehensive fundraising strategies, and building a high-performing development team.

This position combines strategic leadership, fundraising, donor engagement, team development, strong execution, and executive partnership  in the effort to produce a strong and growing donor pipeline from first-time donor to major gift donor. A successful candidate will possess a strong personal commitment to Christian faith and ministry, exceptional relationship-building skills, a demonstrated record of fundraising success, and the ability to translate organizational vision into compelling philanthropic opportunities.

The Executive Director will work closely with the Chief Advancement Officer and other executive leadership, board members, ministry leaders, and development professionals to ensure that fundraising priorities are aligned with One More Child's strategic objectives and ministry impact.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

Strategic Development Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising and development strategy aligned with One More Child's strategic plan, ministry priorities, and financial objectives.
• Establish annual and long-term fundraising goals, strategies, key performance indicators, and accountability measures.
• Create a diversified fundraising model encompassing major gifts, principal gifts, planned giving, annual giving, foundations, corporations, churches, special events, campaigns, and other philanthropic opportunities.
• Partner with the President/CEO and executive leadership to identify emerging ministry opportunities and translate organizational priorities into compelling cases for support.
• Regularly evaluate development performance, donor trends, pipeline health, revenue projections, and return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to increase donor retention, acquisition, engagement, growth, and lifetime value.
• Establish a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization, helping staff and ministry leaders understand their role in donor engagement and stewardship.

Donor Stewardship and Engagement

• Establish and oversee a best-in-class donor stewardship program that demonstrates gratitude, accountability, transparency, and measurable impact.
• Ensure donors receive timely, personalized, and meaningful communication regarding the use and impact of their gifts.
• Develop strategies for donor engagement through ministry visits, personal meetings, events, communications, reports, and other experiences.
• Partner with communications and marketing teams to develop compelling donor-facing content and impact stories.
• Monitor donor retention and engagement metrics and implement strategies to strengthen relationships.
• Ensure that donor recognition practices are consistent with donor preferences and organizational values.

Events

• Serve as the Development Department lead for the organization’s fundraising events, providing strategic direction, execution support, and leadership for the donor experience.
• Partner with Development, Communications, Marketing, Programs, and leadership teams to plan and execute fundraising events that advance revenue and donor engagement goals.
• Develop and implement event-specific fundraising strategies, including sponsorships, ticket sales, table hosts, peer-to-peer fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving opportunities.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward event sponsors, donors, attendees, volunteers, and other key stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary Development representative at fundraising events, ensuring a high-quality donor experience and maintaining strong relationships with constituents.
• Leverage fundraising events as opportunities to identify and qualify prospective major and planned giving donors and move them into the appropriate cultivation pipeline.
• Collaborate with organizational leadership and volunteer committees to maximize event participation, fundraising results, and donor engagement.
• Ensure timely and appropriate recognition and stewardship of event sponsors, donors, and other supporters.
• Evaluate event outcomes and make recommendations to improve fundraising performance, donor engagement, and return on investment for future events.

Planned Giving

• Develop and implement a comprehensive planned giving strategy aligned with the organization’s mission, fundraising priorities, and long-term financial goals.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals with the capacity and interest to make planned gifts.
• Develop strategies for securing bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, gifts of appreciated securities, real estate, and other appropriate planned gifts.
• Establish annual goals for planned giving inquiries, proposals, commitments, realized gifts, and pipeline growth.
• Partner with major gifts, annual giving, events, communications, and leadership teams to identify planned giving prospects and integrate planned giving into broader fundraising efforts.
• Collaborate with the communications and marketing teams to develop planned giving materials, digital content, donor stories, newsletters, presentations, and other outreach efforts.
• Develop educational programs and events for donors and professional advisors.
• Promote the organization’s legacy giving opportunities in a manner that is compelling, accurate, ethical, and donor-centered.
• Help create a culture in which planned giving is integrated into the organization’s overall fundraising strategy.

Development Team Leadership

• Provide oversight, guidance, and promote collaboration across annual philanthropy, institutional philanthropy, development strategy, and development events leaders. 
• Recruit, lead, coach, mentor, and retain a high-performing development team.
• Establish clear goals, responsibilities, performance expectations, and professional development plans.
• Foster a culture characterized by collaboration, accountability, excellence, prayer, innovation, and service.
• Develop systems and processes that enable development staff to effectively manage prospects, donors, portfolios, solicitations, and stewardship.
• Regularly assess organizational structure and staffing needs as fundraising goals and ministry opportunities grow.
• Promote professional development and adherence to ethical fundraising standards and industry best practices.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Senior Director of Institutional Philanthropy
• Senior Director of Annual Philanthropy
• Director of Development Strategy and Operations
• Director of Development Events
• Development Coordinator
• Director of Guardian Angels of SW Florida

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible fundraising or development experience .
• Demonstrated success securing major and/or transformational philanthropic gifts.
• Proven experience developing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-management experience.
• Experience working with senior executives, board members, major donors, and other influential stakeholders.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, strategic-planning, analytical, and project-management abilities.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly for donor meetings, events, ministry visits, and organizational activities.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced Degree Preferred
• Experience leading a comprehensive, capital, or transformational campaign.
• Experience working within an international Christian nonprofit or faith-based organization.
• Experience with planned giving and complex philanthropic vehicles.
• Experience developing foundation and corporate partnerships.
• Experience managing a multi-million-dollar fundraising portfolio or development program.
• Knowledge of industry-standard CRM and fundraising platforms.
• Professional fundraising credentials or demonstrated commitment to continuing education in philanthropy.

COMPETENCIES

• Present oneself, both at and outside of work, in a manner keeping with One More Child’s Core Values of Humble, Hungry, Wise, and Called.

SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATIONS

• It is the mission of One More Child to provide Christ-centered services to vulnerable children and struggling families. As stated in the Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, One More Child provides these services in a Christian context consistent with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Employees of One More Child commit to live in a manner that is not contrary to this foundational statement of faith.
• Have had a personal conversion experience with Jesus Christ and been scripturally baptized.
• Possess a sense of commitment to ministry through vocation.
• Hold a sincere desire to seek God and His kingdom.
• Demonstrate personal and devotional habits and practices such as Bible study, prayer, and daily meditation.
• Be a member of a New Testament, evangelical church in the local community and attend regularly.
• Engage in witness activities as a normal part of life.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

These physical requirements are not exhaustive, and One More Child may add additional job-related physical demands to these if the need arises. Corrective devices may be used to meet these physical requirements.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee must be able to operate a forklift. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. 

This job requires the ability to work in stressful conditions from time to time and remain focused for extended periods of time. The ability to lift up to 50 pounds (boxes, documents, and/or equipment) may be required on occasion.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment describes the conditions that an employee may encounter when performing their job duties, including but not limited to, the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodation may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.

Job functions are performed in a normal office environment. 

DISCLAIMER

This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the requirements of this position, but to describe the general nature of the job and provide a reasonable representation of its activities. Additional related work may be identified and assigned by the organization and included as an area of responsibility while assessing performance.

 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

One More Child is committed to a workplace environment that encourages growth and respect for all current and prospective employees based upon job-related factors such as their educational background, work experience, and ability to perform the essential functions of a particular job. It is the policy and practice of One More Child to prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment based on statuses protected under federal, state, or local laws which are applicable to the organization. As a religious organization, One More Child provides services in a Christian context consistent with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Employees of One More Child commit to live in a manner that is not contrary to this foundational statement of faith.

  CLEARINGHOUSE

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