Director of Development at Foster Success

Deep End Talent Strategies•Indianapolis, IN

4d•$70,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Director of Development is a senior fundraising leader based in Indiana, with required statewide and some national travel. The role is responsible for growing philanthropic revenue through individual giving, corporate partnerships, and strategic fundraising initiatives. Working closely with the Chief Development & Communications Officer (CDCO), the Director develops and executes comprehensive fundraising strategies that support Foster Success’s strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. The position reports directly to the CDCO and supervises the Assistant Director of Donor Relations. The role leads individual giving, manages a donor and prospect portfolio, cultivates and stewards donors, and collaborates on major gifts and planned giving. It also develops corporate and community partnerships, sponsorships, and other philanthropic opportunities; supports fundraising strategy, budgets, forecasting, and team performance; and helps oversee donor stewardship, engagement, events, and impact communications. The Director uses Salesforce, Tableau, donor data, and fundraising reports to monitor performance and inform strategy, while ensuring accurate records and ethical fundraising practices. The ideal candidate is a relationship-focused fundraiser who identifies opportunities, builds meaningful partnerships, creates compelling cases for support, and secures significant investments. Foster Success employees are expected to support inclusion, follow organizational policies and confidentiality requirements, have relevant computer skills and secure internet access, maintain reliable transportation for work-related travel, and pass a background check and fingerprint screening. The role requires a flexible schedule that may include some weekends and evenings.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Minimum 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience.
Demonstrated success in individual giving and managing donor portfolios.
Experience cultivating corporate and foundation partnerships.
Experience supervising staff and managing fundraising goals.
Experience speaking to small and large groups to convey the mission and need for support.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Experience with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.
Ability to work independently while collaborating across departments.
Commitment to inclusion of all individuals in the workplace.
Ability to adhere to organizational policies, employment agreements, the organizational Handbook, and confidentiality requirements for client information.
Proficiency with computers and relevant software, particularly Salesforce, Zoom, Google, and Microsoft products.
Access to a secure and reliable internet connection.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes some weekends and/or evenings.
Reliable transportation for work-related travel.
Ability to pass a background check and undergo fingerprint screening.

Nice To Haves

CFRE or CFRM credential, or pursuit of certification.
Experience working with youth-serving organizations.
Experience managing comprehensive fundraising programs.
Knowledge of planned giving and donor-advised funds.
Experience in sponsorship development and grant management.

Responsibilities

Lead the Individual Giving program and manage a portfolio of donors and prospects.
Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with gift-making capacity up to $10,000 annually.
Develop individualized donor engagement strategies with the Assistant Director of Donor Relations and conduct regular donor meetings to advance donors through the giving cycle.
Partner with the CDCO on major gift solicitations and leadership-level donor strategies; identify opportunities to upgrade annual donors to major-gift supporters.
Support planned-giving identification and relationship development.
Develop and manage relationships with corporate partners and community organizations; identify sponsorship, volunteer engagement, cause-marketing, and philanthropic opportunities.
Create customized partnership proposals aligned with Foster Success priorities and lead sponsorship strategy and revenue generation for events and initiatives.
Steward corporate relationships through impact reporting, recognition, and engagement opportunities; represent Foster Success in the business community and professional associations.
Supervise and support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
Establish, with the CDCO, annual Individual and Corporate giving goals, performance metrics, and professional development plans; support the Assistant Director in setting goals and metrics for donor retention, stewardship, donor relations, and volunteer engagement.
Partner with the CDCO to establish fundraising priorities, strategies, and revenue goals; contribute to annual budget development and revenue forecasting.
Foster collaboration, accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and donor-centered philanthropy.
Support the Assistant Director in developing and overseeing stewardship strategies that improve donor retention and lifetime value, and in planning and executing events.
Ensure timely donor acknowledgment, reporting, and impact communications.
Partner with Program and Marketing & Communications teams to create donor-facing content and use storytelling, program outcomes, and participant experiences to demonstrate impact.
Maintain accurate donor records and prospect activity in Salesforce and Tableau; monitor fundraising performance and pipeline activity.
Analyze donor trends and giving patterns to inform strategy and adapt as needed.
Support preparation of fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and board review.
Ensure compliance with organizational policies and ethical fundraising standards.
Meet the organization’s expectations for inclusion, confidentiality, relevant computer proficiency, secure internet access, flexible scheduling, reliable work-travel transportation, and background and fingerprint screening.