Director, Development

Freedom House•Washington, DC

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Freedom House is seeking a strategic and results-driven Director, Development to serve as the day-to-day operational lead supporting the execution of its Development function during a period of significant growth and opportunity. This role will serve as a key operational partner under the Chief Advancement Officer. With new leadership and the organization’s 85th Anniversary on the horizon, Freedom House is poised to expand its fundraising and global engagement efforts. This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape and scale the organization’s Development function—building the systems, discipline, and pipeline needed to reach and exceed $12-15 million annually and support an ambitious multi-year campaign. Working closely with and reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director will drive execution across revenue streams, including major gifts, institutional funding, foundations, individuals, corporate partnerships, and government funding. The role will strengthen pipeline management and ensure consistent follow-through, enabling the CAO to focus on principal gifts, Board engagement, the Annual Awards and 85th Anniversary Campaign, and top-tier donor relationships. The Director will also partner closely with the CAO and Chief of Staff to support the CEO in donor engagement and high-level meetings, helping to maximize leadership involvement in fundraising. This role is critical to enabling Freedom House to fully capitalize on a moment of opportunity. With new leadership and the 85th Anniversary as a catalyst, the organization is well positioned to deepen relationships and significantly grow its fundraising base. By bringing structure, discipline, and execution to the Development function, the Director will help translate growing interest and engagement into sustained revenue, expanded partnerships, and long-term impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in fundraising management, marketing, business, nonprofit leadership, or related area of study. Graduate degree preferred.
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in nonprofit fundraising, advancement, business development, or a related field.
Demonstrated success in securing one-time and multi-year six- and seven-figure gifts and grants.
Experience working with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, private foundations, and institutional funders.
Proven track record of managing fundraising operations and contributing to revenue growth.
Strong experience with donor pipeline management, forecasting, and moves management systems.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate across multiple revenue streams, including individual, institutional, corporate, foundation, and government funding.
Experience fundraising in the field of human rights, democracy, and technology.
Experience supporting senior leadership and Board engagement in fundraising.
Excellent organizational, project management, and communication skills.
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a fast-paced environment.
Experience supporting or managing multi-year fundraising campaigns.
Familiarity with international programs, democracy, human rights, or policy-focused organizations.
Experience working with CRM systems, such as Salesforce, and development analytics.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Extremely versatile; able to prioritize and perform multiple tasks with excellent attention to detail and the ability to set and meet deadlines and drive projects to conclusion.
Nimble business mind with a focus on developing creative solutions.
Strong project reporting skills, with a focus on inter-departmental communication.
Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality and exhibit unquestionable integrity, honesty, and forthrightness.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to respond promptly to inquiries in a courteous and professional manner.
Ability to successfully work collaboratively with all levels of employees, management, external partners, and funders.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point).
Strong interpersonal skills, diplomatic, and responsive.
Strong work ethic and desire for personal and professional development. Demonstrable desire for personal excellence. Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; pursues training and development opportunities; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.
Deeply committed to nonpartisanship, exhibiting a strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House.
Committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all feel that they belong.
Works as an effective team member, successfully balancing individual and team responsibilities.
Candidates must possess authorization to work in the United States independent from Freedom House sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree preferred.
Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) or other fundraising-related certifications offered by the Association of Fundraising Professionals is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day execution of the Development function, ensuring consistent progress across all fundraising streams, including public, private, foundations, individuals, corporate, and government sources.
Serve as a senior operational lead and backup to the CAO as needed, with specific ownership of assigned revenue streams while maintaining broad cross-stream coordination.
Build, manage, and monitor a robust donor pipeline, including prospect tracking, moves management, and forecasting.
Establish clear systems and accountability for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Ensure timely follow-up and coordination across leadership, staff, and external partners.
Coordinate across individual giving, institutional funding, foundations, government funding, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events.
Translate strategic fundraising priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
Personally manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and institutional prospects, including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and foundations.
Support the cultivation and solicitation of six- and seven-figure gifts, working in close coordination with the CAO and senior leadership.
Expand organizational capacity to pursue and secure major and multi-year funding opportunities, complementing CAO-led Board and principal gift efforts.
Partner closely with program, policy, and communications teams to align fundraising with organizational priorities.
Partner with the CAO and Chief of Staff to support the CEO and President in donor meetings, briefings, and follow-up.
Help prepare materials, talking points, and strategy for high-level donor and partner engagement.
Ensure strong coordination and execution around leadership travel and external engagement opportunities.
Provide operational leadership and backup support for the CAO as needed.
Support the CEO, President, CAO, Chief of Staff, and senior leadership in Board engagement and fundraising activities.
Help coordinate Board-related fundraising opportunities and follow-up.
Ensure consistent tracking and advancement of key donor relationships.
Support planning and execution of the Annual Awards and other donor-facing events as key fundraising opportunities.
Contribute to planning and early execution of the 85th Anniversary Campaign.
Ensure campaign-related activities are coordinated and aligned with broader pipeline strategy.
Partner with development operations to strengthen reporting, analytics, and forecasting.
Oversee proactive prospect identification and research, building on existing internal capacity.
Use data tools and insights to inform strategy and optimize fundraising performance.

Benefits

Multiple medical plans, dental, and vision insurance available on the first date of hire
403(b) Retirement Plan with up to a 10% employer match
Generous Leave Programs
Annual paid time off that grows with your employment: 17 days for 0-2 years, 21 days for 3-5 years, 25 days for 6+ years. Director level and above start at 25 days.
Sick Leave: 10 days per year, unlimited roll over year to year
14 paid holidays with the ability to float the day later within the same calendar year
Caregiver Leave: 40 days paid
Bereavement Leave: 5 days paid
Jury duty: 30 days paid
Flexible, hybrid work culture with slow down weeks and “no meeting Fridays”
Mental health and well-being services through our Employee Assistance Programs
Flexible spending accounts
Short-term and long-term disability
Supplemental/Voluntary life insurance