Director of Development job description.
A Director of Development leads fundraising strategy for a nonprofit, educational institution, or cultural organization. They build donor relationships, oversee major gift and grant programs, and manage a development team to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals, working closely with leadership and the board on organizational funding priorities.
The Director of Development job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Director of Development Reports to: Executive Director or CEO
A Director of Development leads fundraising strategy for a nonprofit, educational institution, or cultural organization. They build donor relationships, oversee major gift and grant programs, and manage a development team to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals, working closely with leadership and the board on organizational funding priorities.
- Design and execute the organization's annual fundraising strategy
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and institutional funders
- Oversee grant writing, gift processing, and donor database accuracy
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Executive Director or CEO
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Design and execute the organization's annual fundraising strategy
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and institutional funders
- Oversee grant writing, gift processing, and donor database accuracy
- Lead, hire, and mentor the development team
- Partner with the executive director and board on campaign priorities
- Set and track fundraising goals, budgets, and revenue forecasts
- Plan and oversee fundraising events and donor recognition programs
- Report fundraising performance to leadership and the board
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 5+ years of progressive fundraising or development experience
- Track record of securing major gifts or grants
- Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience
- Experience managing a team and a development budget
- Experience with capital campaigns
- CFRE certification
- Familiarity with donor CRM platforms
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Director of Development job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Director of Development job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Executive Director or CEO) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- How is this role different from a Development Director title?
- The titles are frequently used interchangeably; this posting should specify whether the role sits on the senior leadership team and has board-facing responsibilities.
- Should fundraising targets be included in the posting?
- Stating a general revenue goal or campaign scope helps candidates gauge the seniority and scale of the role without committing to specific figures.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Executive Director
An executive director leads the overall strategy, operations, and performance of an organization, often within the nonprofit or association sector.
Grant Writer
A grant writer researches funding opportunities and prepares proposals to secure grants from government agencies, foundations, and corporate donors.
Development Director
A Development Director leads fundraising and donor relations strategy for a nonprofit or institution, overseeing campaigns, grants, and major gift efforts.
This Director of Development job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.