Senior Director of Development

Salary: $115000-$120000

Schedule: Monday through Friday 9am-5pm- In-person 3 days per week

We seek a dynamic and experienced Senior Director of Development to join our team and lead development efforts to support and sustain our impactful work. The Senior Director of Development will be responsible for designing implementing and managing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to advance Advocates mission and grow our financial stability. This role requires a strategic and innovative leader with exceptional communication skills a strong background in nonprofit development and a passion for the organizations mission.

This leadership position demands a solution-oriented individual who enjoys working as part of a team. This is the organizations first senior position within the development function.

The Senior Director of Development is a strategic and relationship-driven fundraising leader responsible for advancing the organizations philanthropic goals through individual giving institutional grants events and donor engagement initiatives. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer the Senior Director serves as a key member of the 15-person Advancement team partnering closely with colleagues across development marketing and communications and engagement functions to drive integrated fundraising strategies and donor stewardship.

This position manages a small but high-performing team and maintains an active portfolio of donors and grant funders. The Senior Director plays a central role in building sustainable philanthropic support strengthening donor relationships and helping shape the organizations culture of philanthropy.

Who We Are

At Advocates we provide comprehensive services for people facing developmental mental health or other life challenges.

Werea nonprofit mission-driven organization with a person-centered approach empowering the individuals we support to make choices build independence and live full meaningful lives. Our work is rooted in respect compassion and inclusion and we envision a world where individual differences are appreciated and celebrated.

At Advocates we value the ideas experiences and contributions of employees and are committed to fostering a supportive welcoming culture where everyone can grow and thrive.

Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Manage and grow a portfolio of individual donors institutional funders and prospects through cultivation solicitation and stewardship strategies.
• Personally solicit major gifts and oversee grant opportunities to support annual and strategic fundraising goals.
• Develop and execute strategies to increase donor retention engagement and philanthropic investment.
• Collaborate with the Chief Advancement Officer on campaign planning fundraising priorities and donor strategy.
• Prepare donor proposals briefing materials reports and stewardship communications as needed.

Leadership & Team Management

• Supervise and support potentially three direct reports:

Database Specialist

Event Manager

Grant Writer

• Foster a collaborative accountable and mission-driven team culture.
• Provide coaching goal setting and professional development opportunities for staff.
• Ensure strong cross-functional coordination among development operations events grants and communications efforts.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Chief Advancement Officer in advancing organizational fundraising goals.
• Partner with marketing & communications colleagues to align donor messaging campaigns storytelling and engagement strategies.
• Contribute to annual planning budgeting and reporting for Advancement initiatives.
• Utilize data and fundraising metrics to evaluate performance and inform strategy adjustments.

Events & Donor Engagement

• Oversee fundraising and stewardship events in collaboration with the Event Manager and broader Advancement team.
• Represent the organization at donor meetings community events and public-facing opportunities.
• Support board and volunteer engagement in fundraising activities where appropriate.

• Bachelors degree required or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 710 years of progressive fundraising experience including major gifts and institutional giving.
• Demonstrated success managing donor portfolios and securing philanthropic support.
• Experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong relationship building communication and presentation skills.
• Familiarity with donor databases/CRM systems and fundraising analytics Raisers Edge preferred.
• Strong organizational and project management skills preferred.
• Experience working closely with executive leadership and boards preferred.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail preferred.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive and solutions-oriented approach preferred.
• Ability to work both strategically and tactically in a dynamic environment.
• Commitment to the organizations mission and values.

Advocates is committed to cultivating a diverse and welcoming community where everyone feels respected and valued. Advocates fosters a culture of inclusion that celebrates and promotes diversity along multiple dimensions including race ethnicity sex gender identity gender expression sexual orientation partnered status age national origin socioeconomic status religion ability culture and experience.