Director of Development

Reporting to and working with the Executive Director, this position will build and manage fundraising activities. This position requires knowledge of fundraising principles and requires experience working with donor databases, managing events, writing fundraising copy, writing and managing grants and analyzing and preparing data and reports.

The Director of Development shall have a high degree of comfort presenting strategic updates to the Board of Directors. Additional skills in marketing, communications and branding preferred.

The successful candidate will be internal and external customer-centric with excellent communication skills. Some weekends and evenings required.

Essential Functions

• Lead the effort to develop short and long-term fundraising goals and strategies to expand funding from existing donors, and build a strong pipeline of new funders
• In partnership with the Executive Director, the Board and key Board committees, develop and manage the fundraising budget
• Ensure best practice use of analytics, data and metrics to forecast and track progress and success of fundraising goals, strategies and tactics
• Partner with other staff to ensure efficient flow of communication about key program goals and fundraising opportunities
• Collaborate with Executive Director and Management Team to ensure an integrated and compelling approach to communications and marketing strategies to support fundraising outcomes, including events, presentations, press releases, newsletters, etc.
• Work with Board and Executive Director to create strategic events to enhance organization standing and brand with key stakeholders
• Plan and execute online and in-person fundraising events throughout the year
• Maximize the utility of Bloomerang (CRM), website, Mailchimp, social media, research and analytics; ensure fundraising activities are carried out in keeping with the Spirit’s values, mission, vision and plans
• Ensure the right tools and systems are in place to support the fundraising work of the Executive Director and Board
• Research, apply for and manage grants
• Create, develop, market, and execute programs to enhance Spirit’s brand and enhance the overall product offerings.
• Explore new areas of programs that are consistent with Spirit’s values and direction.
• Work with partners to market their programs.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will share Spirit in the Desert’s commitment to its mission and will bring a broad range of skills and experience including but not limited to:

• Knowledge and experience in all aspects of philanthropy, including giving trends, benchmarks, and best practices; research; fundraising techniques and strategies; data analytics; and development operations such as gift processing, donor database management, prospect and donor research, and fundraising reporting
• Experience in marketing, communication and branding
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs), specifically Bloomerang
• Commitment to providing excellent internal and external customer experiences
• Experience planning and executing large events
• Energy, initiative, creativity, and drive; ability to perform at a high level in a fast-paced environment and manage/supervise multiple projects to meet timelines and deadlines
• Excellent spoken and written communications skills; goal-oriented and close attention to detail
• Expertise in improving systems, analyzing data, and using data and metrics as management tools
• Track record of successfully establishing working relationships with organization leadership, Board members, donors, prospects, and staff