Director of Development

The Center for Action & Contemplation • Albuquerque, NM

10d • $112,942 - $139,207 • Remote

About The Position

CAC is seeking a Director of Development who is a strategic, relational, and results-oriented leader to steward and grow a development function that currently raises $10M+ annually, with a long-term vision to reach $15M by 2030.
Serving as the most senior leader of Development, this role oversees all fundraising strategy and execution across individual giving, major gifts, annual appeals, planned and legacy giving, institutional funding, and donor engagement. You will lead and develop a growing team while partnering closely with Finance, Engagement, Programs, CRM, and Executive Leadership.
This role is ideal for a strong development leader who brings deep fundraising expertise, a reverence for relationship building and alignment with our financial philosophy. We are looking for someone who understands that CAC’s donors are also participants in our work, and who can hold the nuance of generosity, transformation, and financial sustainability with integrity.
This position serves on CAC’s Leadership Team, a cross-functional group of directors and executives, and reports to the Chief Financial Officer. In this role, you will play a key part in shaping CAC’s future impact, sustainability, and culture.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
• 12+ years of experience in nonprofit development or mission-driven fundraising, with a strong emphasis on individual and family giving
• 4+ years of people management experience leading high-performing teams
• Proven experience managing $10M+ annual fundraising portfolios
• Demonstrated success cultivating and stewarding major donors and securing transformational gifts
• Exceptional storytelling, written, and verbal communication skills
• Strong systems thinking and strategic planning capability
• Alignment with CAC’s mission and values, with a personal connection to contemplative or transformational work

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Salesforce CRM, FreeWill, and modern development platforms
• Experience working in spiritually grounded, nonprofit, or educational organizations
• Comfort serving as a public-facing representative of an organization’s mission

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year development strategy aligned with CAC’s strategic plan, annual budget, Financial Philosophy, and long-term sustainability goals
• Set and achieve annual and multi-year fundraising goals, guiding CAC from $10M to $15M+ in development revenue over time
• Research and implement modern fundraising best practices in ways that honor CAC’s mission, values, and donor community
• Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of CAC’s major donor community, including five-, six-, and seven-figure gifts
• Oversee and produce CAC’s annual in-person major donor retreat, partnering with the Executive Director and senior leaders
• Ensure donors experience CAC as relational, thoughtful, and deeply aligned with their values and spiritual journey
• Oversee all annual fund initiatives, including: Bi-annual Daily Meditations and podcast appeals Quarterly Mendicant newsletter appeals End-of-year campaigns Stewardship of CAC’s robust recurring donor community
• Lead the development and launch of CAC’s legacy and planned giving program
• Leverage donor analytics, KPIs, CRM insights, and annual donor surveys to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Oversee Salesforce CRM, FreeWill, and other development platforms as core tools of the function
• Use data thoughtfully to inform strategy while maintaining a human-centered donor experience
• Partner closely with Engagement, Publications, Content, Events & Production, Formation, and CRM teams to ensure aligned storytelling and donor communications
• Serve as a collaborative leader who proactively breaks down silos between Development, Engagement, and Programs
• You will lead and grow a development team currently consisting of a Senior Manager and a Development Coordinator, with plans to add an additional Development Manager.
• Set clear expectations through thoughtful job design, onboarding, and goal-setting
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities
• Support team members who are growing into deeper development expertise through mentorship and skill-building
• Address performance challenges with compassion, clarity, and accountability
• Foster a healthy, high-trust team culture grounded in CAC’s Community Engagement Agreements
• Model the balance between results orientation and spiritual/values-based leadership

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision plans with options to best meet your needs
• 401(k)
• Generous PTO, including organizational-wide week-long break in the summer and winter.
• Full-time employees receive 3 months of paid sabbatical leave after 7 years of service.
• Paid Sick Leave
• Personal Retreat: 5 paid days off to attend one spiritual retreat a year after your first year of employment
• Professional Development Stipend
• Five free books annually in addition to all free digital downloads from CAC Library

What This Job Offers

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