Director of Development

Description

The Autism Treatment Center is seeking a dynamic, relationship-oriented Director of Development to lead and expand the organization’s fundraising and development efforts. The Director of Development will be responsible for building a sustainable culture of philanthropy that advances the Center’s mission of providing high-quality, compassionate services and support to individuals with autism and their families.

This is a highly collaborative leadership role requiring an individual who can develop meaningful relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, community partners, and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with strong execution and will be comfortable working across major gifts, annual giving, grants, special events, corporate partnerships, and donor stewardship.

The Director of Development will work closely with the Executive Director/CEO, Board of Directors, leadership team, staff, families, and community partners to increase philanthropic support and strengthen the organization’s visibility and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual and multi-year development strategy aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities.
• Establish measurable fundraising goals, timelines, and performance indicators.
• Diversify revenue streams and identify opportunities for sustainable philanthropic growth.
• Partner with organizational leadership and the Board to establish and strengthen a culture of philanthropy.
• Regularly evaluate fundraising performance and recommend strategies for continued growth.

Major Gifts & Individual Giving

• Build and manage a portfolio of current and prospective major donors.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individuals capable of making significant philanthropic investments.
• Develop personalized cultivation and solicitation strategies based on donor interests and the Center’s priorities.
• Prepare compelling proposals, presentations, impact reports, and other donor communications.
• Strengthen annual giving and recurring donor programs.

Grants & Institutional Giving

• Identify and cultivate relationships with private foundations, family foundations, corporations, and other institutional funders.
• Oversee the development and submission of high-quality grant proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, and renewal requests.
• Maintain a strong pipeline of grant opportunities and ensure compliance with grant requirements and deadlines.
• Work with program and finance staff to communicate measurable outcomes and demonstrate the impact of funded programs.

Corporate & Community Partnerships

• Develop strategic partnerships with businesses, healthcare organizations, professional organizations, civic groups, and community leaders.
• Create corporate sponsorship and partnership opportunities that align with the Center’s mission.
• Increase the organization’s visibility and engagement within the broader community.
• Represent the Autism Treatment Center at community events, meetings, and professional gatherings.

Events & Campaigns

• Lead the development strategy for fundraising events and campaigns.
• Oversee donor engagement, sponsorship development, event communications, and post-event stewardship.
• Develop creative opportunities for supporters to engage with the Center beyond traditional fundraising events.
• Assist with the planning and execution of capital, comprehensive, or special campaigns as appropriate.

Donor Stewardship & Communications

• Create and maintain a thoughtful donor stewardship program that demonstrates the impact of philanthropic support.
• Ensure donors receive timely acknowledgments, updates, impact stories, and opportunities for continued engagement.
• Collaborate with communications and program teams to develop compelling stories that illustrate the Center’s mission and impact.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all donor relationships.

Board & Leadership Engagement

• Work closely with the CEO/Executive Director and Board of Directors to identify and cultivate donor prospects.
• Provide fundraising training, resources, and support to Board members.
• Prepare development reports, dashboards, and updates for leadership and the Board.
• Help Board members become effective ambassadors and advocates for the organization.

Development Operations

• Maintain accurate donor records, moves management, prospect information, and development activity in the organization’s CRM/database.
• Establish and maintain development policies, procedures, and reporting systems.
• Monitor fundraising revenue and expenses in collaboration with finance staff.
• Ensure compliance with applicable fundraising, charitable solicitation, and donor privacy requirements.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, marketing, public relations, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of progressive fundraising/development experience, preferably within a nonprofit, healthcare, behavioral health, education, disability services, or human services organization.
• Demonstrated success in individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, or other philanthropic fundraising.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Strong relationship-building and networking abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Experience working with donor databases/CRM systems and development reporting.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Passion for the mission of supporting individuals with autism and their families.

Preferred

• Experience with major gift campaigns or comprehensive campaigns.
• Experience working with foundations and corporate sponsors.
• Experience managing fundraising events.
• Experience partnering with a nonprofit Board of Directors.
• Familiarity with autism services, developmental disabilities, healthcare, behavioral health, education, or related fields.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential or progress toward CFRE is a plus.

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Mission Alignment: Genuine commitment to improving the lives of individuals with autism and their families.
• Relationship Building: Ability to establish authentic, long-term relationships with donors and community partners.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate organizational priorities into effective fundraising strategies.
• Communication: Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Initiative: Self-directed, proactive, and comfortable creating opportunities rather than waiting for them.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with executives, clinicians, program staff, families, volunteers, Board members, and community partners.
• Accountability: Strong organizational skills and commitment to measurable fundraising results.
• Empathy & Integrity: Demonstrates compassion, professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and respect for the individuals and families served by the organization.