What are the responsibilities and job description for the Development Director position at The Lost&Found Association?
Lost&Found is seeking a Development Director to support the financial and programmatic sustainability of the organization. Lost&Found is a suicide prevention serving college campuses and communities headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD. You can find more information about our work at our website: resilienttoday.org.
The Development Director is responsible for leading fundraising efforts, donor relations, and event planning to support Lost&Found’s mission. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will develop and execute fundraising strategies, build relationships with individual and corporate donors, and coordinate fundraising events. The Development Director plays a vital role in expanding Lost&Found’s funding sources and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
This position requires at least four years of experience in fundraising, donor stewardship, and event coordination, along with the ability to develop comprehensive fundraising plans and identify new funding opportunities.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, and event planning.
• Proven ability to develop and execute fundraising strategies.
• Strong experience with grant writing and corporate sponsorships.
• Ability to build relationships with major donors and community partners.
• Knowledge of donor management software and CRM systems.
• Strong organizational skills, creativity, and attention to detail.
• Passion for suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising & Donor Relations – 50%
• Develops and implements a comprehensive fundraising plan to meet annual revenue goals.
• Cultivates relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation partners.
• Manages grant research, writing, and reporting to secure and sustain funding.
• Leads donor stewardship efforts, ensuring consistent communication and engagement.
• Works closely with the Executive Director to execute a major donor strategy and planned giving initiatives.
Event Planning & Community Engagement – 25%
• Plans, coordinates, and executes fundraising events, including annual giving campaigns, community fundraising events, and donor appreciation programs.
• Works with internal teams and external partners to ensure event success.
• Identifies sponsorship and in-kind donation opportunities to enhance event revenue.
• Evaluates event outcomes and applies learnings to future initiatives.
Strategic Development & Marketing – 15%
• Develops marketing and outreach strategies to expand donor engagement and fundraising efforts.
• Collaborates with the Communications Director to create fundraising materials, impact reports, and donor recognition content.
• Builds fundraising dashboards to track performance and optimize donor engagement strategies.
• Ensures donor database integrity and record-keeping through CRM management.
Organizational Support – 10%
• Provides financial reporting on fundraising activities to the Executive Director and Board.
• Assists in budget development related to fundraising initiatives.
• Supports staff and volunteers involved in development efforts.
• Aligns fundraising efforts with the organization’s strategic priorities and mission goals.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed
• Clear understanding of the organization, its mission and values
• Strong understanding of organizational dynamics and responding to external challenges and opportunities
• Self-starter and highly responsive to the needs of communities served by Lost&Found
• Ability to make sense of complex information to solve problems
• Ability to read, understand, and apply financial data for the benefit of nonprofit organizations
• High intercultural humility and active listening skill
• Instills trust through demonstrated self-awareness and personal development
• Ability to effectively communicate orally, in writing, and via media
• Understanding of Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Zoom products
• Skill in responding to internal and external requests in a timely and professional manner
• Skill in adapting to the needs of others when providing training or assistance
• Ability to manage several concurrent projects
• Ability to identify and communicate strategies for improvement in a proactive manner
• Ability to build systems to support leadership team.