Director of Development

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Development & Capital Campaign

Partner with the Executive Director and Board to achieve multi-year capital, endowment, and operating fundraising goals.
Lead strategy for principal and major gifts of $50,000+, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Develop campaign messaging, case statements, and donor materials aligned with the organization's mission and vision.
Advise the Board on fundraising priorities, prospect strategy, and campaign progress.
Develop strategies for sustaining philanthropic momentum beyond the anticipated 2027 opening.

Major Gifts & Donor Relations

Manage and grow a portfolio of high-capacity individual donors and prospects.
Create personalized engagement strategies for major and principal gift opportunities.
Oversee naming opportunities and donor recognition initiatives.
Establish thoughtful stewardship practices that foster long-term donor relationships and reflect the significance of the mission.

Foundation & Corporate Engagement

Identify, cultivate, and solicit foundations and corporations whose priorities align with educational, civic, community, security, and capital initiatives.
Oversee grant proposal development, submission, and reporting.
Build and maintain long-term institutional partnerships.
Annual Giving & Community Fundraising
Develop annual giving strategies that increase donor participation and strengthen the fundraising pipeline.
Lead community-based fundraising initiatives and special campaigns.
Strengthen donor retention, engagement, and upgrade strategies.

Development Operations

Oversee the integrity and effective use of the organization's CRM and donor information systems.
Establish fundraising metrics, dashboards, and reporting for leadership and Board review.
Ensure adherence to nonprofit fundraising standards, policies, and ethical practices.
Build scalable development processes and infrastructure to support organizational growth.
Team Leadership & Collaboration

Supervise development staff, consultants, and external partners as appropriate.
Establish clear goals, accountability, and performance expectations.
Collaborate with Education, Marketing, Operations, and other teams to align fundraising priorities with programmatic objectives.

Qualifications & Experience

8–12 years of progressive nonprofit development experience, preferably within a cultural, educational, historical, or other mission-driven organization.
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, philanthropy, business, public administration, communications, Jewish studies, history, or a related field preferred.
Demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure philanthropic commitments.
Meaningful capital campaign experience strongly preferred.
Strong understanding of major gifts, donor cultivation, stewardship, foundation relations, and development operations.
Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Experience working effectively with senior executives, Board members, and high-capacity donors.
CFRE or comparable professional credential is a plus.
A demonstrated respect for Holocaust history and the educational and ethical responsibilities associated with this work.

Key Competencies & Attributes

Strategic and analytical approach to fundraising
Exceptional relationship-building skills
Strong donor-centered communication
Executive presence and sound judgment
Entrepreneurial and solutions-oriented mindset
Collaborative leadership style
High degree of integrity and discretion
Strong organizational and project-management skills
Ability to balance long-term strategy with hands-on execution