Director of Development

Position Type: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: President
Anticipated Salary: $100,000, commensurate with experience
Location: Washington, D.C. with the ability to work on-site four days a week with one remote day preferred; remote/hybrid accommodations can be made for excellent candidates residing in other locations

About the Role:

ADC seeks a senior-level Director of Development to lead and strengthen the organization’s fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and contributed revenue growth.

The Director of Development will be responsible for building ADC’s donor pipeline, managing funder relationships, writing proposals and reports, and creating the systems needed to grow reliable contributed revenue. This role will work closely with the President to develop and execute an annual fundraising plan tied to ADC’s civil rights, legal, advocacy, and community priorities.

The ideal candidate is a strong relationship-builder, strategic fundraiser, and excellent writer who can identify new funding opportunities, manage high-capacity donors and prospects, and help position ADC for long-term financial sustainability.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and execute an annual fundraising plan aligned with ADC’s civil rights and legal priorities.
Set annual revenue goals and donor engagement plans in partnership with the President.
Identify funding gaps and new opportunities for contributed revenue.
Build and manage a strong donor pipeline, including individuals, foundations, corporate supporters, and aligned institutional funders.
Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new prospective donors and funders.
Manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects.
Lead efforts to cultivate, solicit, and close major and principal gifts.
Prepare the President for donor meetings, including briefing materials, talking points, donor history, and strategy.
Manage timely follow-up after donor and funder meetings.
Build and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective funders.
Identify, write, and submit grant proposals to foundations and other grantmaking organizations.
Prepare letters of inquiry, concept papers, grant proposals, funder reports, and supporting materials.
Work with Legal, Accounting, Operations, and Communications to develop grant narratives, proposal budgets, funder reports, and compliance materials.
Track proposal deadlines, reporting requirements, donor communications, and grant deliverables.
Create and maintain development systems that support consistent fundraising activity, donor stewardship, and revenue tracking.
Provide clear development updates to the President and Board, as needed.
Help strengthen ADC’s long-term fundraising infrastructure and contributed revenue strategy.

Qualifications

Significant experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, donor relations, or institutional giving.
Demonstrated success securing major gifts, foundation grants, or other contributed revenue.
Strong ability to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and funders.
Excellent writing skills, including experience drafting proposals, reports, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and donor communications.
Strong relationship-building skills and comfort working directly with donors, funders, executives, and board members.
Ability to develop and execute fundraising plans with clear goals, timelines, and accountability.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines at once.
Experience creating or improving development systems, donor tracking processes, and funder pipelines.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments, including Legal, Accounting, Operations, and Communications.
Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism in handling donor and organizational information.
Commitment to civil rights, justice, and ADC’s mission.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience fundraising for civil rights, legal advocacy, public interest, social justice, or community-based organizations.
Experience managing major donor portfolios.
Experience working directly with a President, Executive Director, CEO, or Board of Directors on fundraising strategy.
Familiarity with donor databases, CRM systems, grant tracking systems, or fundraising platforms.
Experience developing proposal budgets and grant compliance materials.