Director of Development

Foster Success•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

The Director of Development is a senior fundraising leader based in Indiana, with required statewide and some national travel. Working closely with the Chief Development & Communications Officer (CDCO), this role develops and executes comprehensive fundraising strategies that support Foster Success’s strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. The position leads individual giving, corporate partnerships, and strategic fundraising initiatives, and directly supervises the Assistant Director of Donor Relations. The ideal candidate is a relational, donor-centered fundraiser who identifies opportunities, builds meaningful partnerships, crafts compelling cases for support, and secures transformational investments. The role also contributes to fundraising goals, budgeting, revenue forecasting, stewardship, engagement, and fundraising operations. Employees must support inclusion, follow organizational policies and confidentiality requirements, have reliable internet and transportation for work-related travel, and pass a background check and fingerprint screening.

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.
Adherence to organizational policies and procedures, including confidentiality requirements for client information.
Computer proficiency and experience with 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 annual gift-making capacity up to $10,000.
Develop individualized donor engagement strategies with the Assistant Director of Donor Relations and conduct regular meetings to advance donors through the donor cycle.
Partner with the CDCO on major gift solicitations and leadership-level donor strategies; identify opportunities to upgrade annual donors and support planned giving relationship development.
Develop and manage relationships with corporate partners and community organizations.
Identify sponsorship, volunteer engagement, cause-marketing, and philanthropic opportunities, and create customized partnership proposals.
Lead sponsorship strategy and revenue generation for organizational events and initiatives; steward corporate relationships through reporting, recognition, and engagement.
Represent Foster Success in the business community and professional associations.
Supervise and support the Assistant Director of Donor Relations.
Establish annual individual and corporate giving goals, performance metrics, and professional development plans with support from the CDCO.
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.
Promote collaboration, accountability, innovation, thoughtful risk-taking, and continuous improvement.
Support the Assistant Director in developing and overseeing stewardship strategies and planning and executing events.
Ensure timely donor acknowledgments, reporting, and impact communications.
Partner with Program and Marketing & Communications teams to create donor-facing content that uses 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 and adjust strategy.
Support preparation of fundraising reports and dashboards for leadership and board review.
Ensure compliance with organizational policies and ethical fundraising standards.