Director, Development - Boston

Uncommon Schools • Boston, MA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Development - Boston designs and executes a regional fundraising strategy to support the long-term financial sustainability of Roxbury Prep in Boston. Reporting within the Development team, the Director serves as the regional lead for major donor cultivation, institutional grant writing, and local board engagement. The role builds philanthropic support from individual, corporate, and foundation partners through strategic pipeline management and impact storytelling, working closely with Roxbury Prep school leaders, regional board members, and external stakeholders to deepen community relationships and advance educational equity.

The position leads regional fundraising and donor stewardship, cultivates prospects and secures major gifts, manages grant proposals and reporting, and maintains fundraising systems and data to guide decisions. Uncommon is an in-person organization; this role is expected to work at least three days each week at the Network Office in one of its schools. The stated compensation range is $104,000–$130,000, with typical qualified new hires starting at or near $110,500.

Requirements

• 7–9 years of relevant experience in major gift fundraising, institutional giving, donor cultivation, or corporate partnerships.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Demonstrated ability to directly solicit and close high-impact gifts from high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, or corporate partners.
• Experience researching and vetting prospects and developing moves-management strategies for individual and institutional prospects.
• Skill in writing high-stakes grant proposals, foundation requests, and donor communications.
• Intermediate proficiency with data analysis and visualization tools such as Excel, Salesforce, or iWave.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute a regional fundraising strategy supporting Roxbury Prep’s long-term financial sustainability.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual and institutional donors to secure five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts.
• Lead prospect management with regional board members, host volunteer and fundraising events, and maximize direct donor outreach.
• Re-engage warm and lapsed donors through regular in-person school visits and individual meetings.
• Design donor engagement events and tailored communications, and share organizational impact through data-driven reporting and storytelling.
• Partner with school leaders and regional board members to establish a consistent schedule of donor site visits and stewardship updates.
• Develop and distribute internal and external communications to keep donors and stakeholders informed and engaged.
• Research, identify, and vet 30 to 50 potential individual, corporate, and foundation prospects annually.
• Develop and implement moves-management strategies to advance prospective funders through the cultivation process.
• Write grant proposals, foundation requests, and donor presentations.
• Maintain a grant tracker for proposal submissions, renewal requests, and grant reporting deadlines.
• Maintain tracking infrastructure, pipeline management systems, and Salesforce reporting to monitor fundraising progress.
• Use data visualization tools to analyze donor metrics, track progress against goals, and inform fundraising decisions.
• Collaborate across regional and organizational teams to align development initiatives with institutional priorities.

Benefits

• 19 days of paid time off.
• Three weeks of paid organization-wide Winter and Summer holidays.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• 403(b) retirement savings program with employer match.
• Paid leave of absence options, including parental, medical, and disability leave.
• Mental health and counseling support and wellness benefits.
• Pre-tax flexible spending, dependent care, and health savings accounts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director