Director of Development & Relationships

Cultivate Initiatives • Portland, OR

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Cultivate Initiatives seeks a Director of Development & Relationships to lead organizational fundraising, donor relationships, institutional funding, partnerships, and marketing and communications. The role partners with the Executive Director, director team, Board, and program and finance leaders to advance the organization’s mission and build sustainable revenue, with particular emphasis on major gifts, individual giving, and unrestricted, flexible funding.

The Director develops and manages a comprehensive development strategy, sets revenue goals and performance measures, oversees fundraising across multiple channels, and personally cultivates and solicits major donors and funders. The role leads institutional fundraising and funder relationships, engages community stakeholders, and equips the Board and volunteers to advance fundraising priorities. It also supports financial sustainability through revenue projections, fundraising budgets, and analysis of performance and trends.

The position leads and develops the development team, fosters an organization-wide culture of philanthropy, and collaborates on hiring, professional development, performance management, and retention. It also leads marketing and communications strategy, including messaging, storytelling, content, and brand management, ensuring communications reflect the organization’s mission and values and honor the dignity, privacy, and lived experiences of the neighbors it serves.

Work is primarily indoors, with occasional engagements outside and possible work in settings ranging from quiet offices to louder industrial environments. The role requires physical presence in Cultivate Initiatives’ offices from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the ability to work evenings and weekends when necessary. Applicants must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or religious exemption and proof of a driver’s license. The position is open until filled; applications received by November 5, 2026, receive priority consideration. The organization hopes the selected candidate will start in early December 2026.

Requirements

• Significant fundraising leadership experience, including demonstrated success developing and executing strategies that generate substantial philanthropic revenue.
• Proven success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and/or other high-level philanthropic partners, including personally building relationships and making significant asks.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy across individual giving, major gifts, institutional funding, corporate partnerships, and other philanthropic sources.
• Strong understanding of major-gift fundraising, donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Demonstrated success growing revenue, diversifying funding sources, and strengthening long-term financial sustainability.
• Executive-level presence and ability to inspire confidence, build relationships, influence others, and represent an organization and its mission.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including translating complex organizational work into compelling stories, cases for support, proposals, presentations, and funding requests.
• Strong financial acumen, including understanding budgets, revenue projections, fundraising performance, and the financial implications of development strategies.
• Ability to establish and manage fundraising metrics, analyze data and trends, assess performance, and translate strategy into measurable results.
• Strong strategic and organizational skills, balancing long-term revenue strategy with hands-on relationship cultivation and fundraising.
• Ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, develop creative solutions, and lead through change and complex situations.
• Strong collaboration skills, judgment, emotional intelligence, and ability to build trust and accountability with donors, Board members, staff, community partners, and organizational leadership.
• Ability to engage and activate Board members, volunteers, and organizational leaders in fundraising and relationship-building.
• Ability to build authentic relationships across differences and communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion and ability to lead practices that honor the dignity, voice, and lived experiences of the communities served.
• Commitment to Cultivate Initiatives’ mission and ability to authentically communicate its impact, vision, and value to supporters.
• Ability to work weekends and evenings when necessary.
• Ability to be physically present in the CI offices from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Ability to work primarily indoors, with occasional work outside and in environments with varying noise levels.
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to perform repetitive wrist, hand, or finger movements due to continuous computer keyboard and office-equipment use.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or religious exemption.
• Proof of driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• Applications received by November 5, 2026, receive priority consideration; the position remains open until filled.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Executive Director and director team to develop and implement organizational strategy, priorities, and plans for sustainable revenue growth.
• Lead a comprehensive development strategy aligned with the organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and long-term financial goals, especially major gifts, individual giving, and unrestricted flexible funding.
• Establish fundraising goals, revenue targets, performance metrics, and accountability structures; assess progress and adjust strategies.
• Diversify and strengthen revenue through individual giving, major gifts, institutional funding, corporate and community partnerships, events, and other philanthropic opportunities.
• Keep the organization’s mission, impact, and the needs of the people it serves central to fundraising strategy and donor engagement.
• Identify fundraising and financial sustainability opportunities, risks, and challenges and develop strategic responses.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of current and prospective major donors, funders, corporate partners, and other key supporters.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward high-level donors and funders, including identifying prospects, building relationships, making asks, and securing financial commitments.
• Partner with the Executive Director to engage the Board in advancing fundraising goals.
• Develop compelling cases for support that communicate the organization’s mission, impact, needs, and future vision, centering staff and neighbors’ stories.
• Envision and oversee fundraising activities across individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, events, and other development efforts.
• Lead institutional fundraising strategies across foundations, government funding, corporate philanthropy, and other aligned funding sources.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and sustainable impact.
• Oversee proposals, reports, funding requests, and other materials communicating organizational impact and funding needs.
• Build and maintain relationships with institutional funders and community partners; collaborate with program and finance leaders to monitor commitments, deliverables, reporting, and compliance.
• Serve as a primary ambassador, building relationships with donors, funders, community leaders, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other external stakeholders.
• Create meaningful opportunities for supporters to understand and experience the impact of the organization’s work.
• Strengthen the organization’s visibility, reputation, and philanthropic network through community engagement, presentations, and other external activities.
• Equip and engage Board members as ambassadors, relationship-builders, and fundraising partners.
• Lead the Development Committee by setting goals, delegating responsibilities, and supporting volunteers in advancing fundraising priorities.
• Provide the Board regular updates on fundraising performance, revenue projections, donor relationships, opportunities, and risks.
• Lead or participate in Board and staff committees to advance fundraising and organizational priorities.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Director of Finance on revenue projections, fundraising budgets, and long-term financial sustainability strategies.
• Analyze fundraising performance, revenue trends, donor behavior, and funding pipelines to inform strategy and decisions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen revenue diversification, donor retention, fundraising efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
• Build a culture of philanthropy in which staff and leadership understand their role in cultivating relationships, communicating impact, and advancing the mission.
• Coach and support the development team, establishing clear roles, effective systems, and accountability for fundraising performance and relationship-building.
• Collaborate with Human Resources and organizational leadership on hiring, professional development, performance management, and retention within the development function.
• Foster a development culture grounded in authenticity, relationship-building, equity, inclusion, and respect for the dignity and experiences of the communities served.
• Lead marketing and communications strategies that strengthen visibility, advance the mission, and support fundraising and organizational priorities.
• Oversee messaging, storytelling, and content across digital platforms, publications, campaigns, and other communications channels.
• Ensure communications reflect the organization’s mission, values, and impact while honoring neighbors’ dignity, privacy, and lived experiences.
• Partner with leadership and program teams to identify and communicate stories, outcomes, and opportunities for engagement and philanthropic support.
• Guide brand management and messaging to maintain a consistent organizational identity.
• Evaluate marketing and communications efforts and use data and stakeholder feedback to strengthen engagement, reach, and impact.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and retirement plans.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact by contributing to a nonprofit organization’s success.
• Collaborative and inclusive work environment that values diversity and professional growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed