Strategic Development Manager Jobs in Reston, VA

Who We Are

Paths for Families is an adoption and family well-being organization that partners with communities dedicated to the life-long work of building and sustaining families. For over 35 years, we've been here for expectant parents exploring adoption, birth parents, prospective and current adoptive families, children in need of adoption, people who were adopted, and professionals in the community. Our mission is to build and support healthy lifelong connections for every child and advocate for continuous improvement of systems that strengthen family well-being.

We practice IDEAS Principles (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice) and welcome all children, families, and team members regardless of gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religion, wealth, health, marital status, or sexual orientation. With IDEAS Principles as one of our core values, we believe in cultivating a healthy environment in which all employees feel supported while working to achieve our mission.

Overview

The Development Manager is the primary internal driver of day-to-day fundraising execution. This role translates strategy into action through portfolio management, direct and written solicitation, stewardship systems, event-related revenue activity, reporting, and moves management. The role is central to revenue growth because it carries a defined donor portfolio, advances pipeline movement, executes stewardship plans, supports leadership-facing fundraising activity, and leads event-related additional revenue not reflected in donor portfolios.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required
• 7–9 years of nonprofit fundraising experience
• Experience managing donor portfolios, events, stewardship systems, and annual fundraising activity
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Power-user proficiency in Salesforce database management, reporting, and pipeline tracking
• Strong written and donor communication skills
• Ability to work independently while coordinating closely with senior leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects
• Ability to act as a strategic thought partner in tandem with the Executive Director and make recommendations that consider competing needs and priorities  
• Comfortable with data and able to synthesize data from different sources to inform strategy
• Clear commitment and vision for how equity and inclusion is incorporated in organizational design and fundraising practice 
• Effective leadership, critical thinking, and adept problem solving 
• Adaptability through a flexible and open-minded attitude 
• Ability to lead meetings and delegate responsibilities 

Success Measures

• Assigned portfolio is actively managed with clear next steps and documented movement
• Stewardship is timely, consistent, and aligned with donor value and giving history
• Event-related revenue is planned, tracked, and grown in a disciplined manner
• Reporting is accurate, timely, and useful for decision-making
• Revenue expectations of $175,000–$200,000 are met or exceeded annually in the first three years

Role and Responsibilities

Portfolio Management and Donor Stewardship

• Manage an assigned portfolio of individual donors, corporate partners, and other prospects designated by the Executive Director.
• Advance relationships through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship using a structured pipeline approach.
• Maintain individualized donor engagement plans, including outreach, meetings, stewardship steps, and annual ask timing.
• Coordinate follow-up after meetings, donor visits, and major relationship touchpoints.

Event-Related Revenue Management

• Lead planning, tracking, and execution of event-related additional revenue.
• Manage sponsorship outreach, event revenue tracking, donor follow-up, and post-event stewardship.
• Ensure event activity supports the broader donor strategy rather than operating as a stand-alone function.

Fundraising Systems and Reporting

• Maintain active management for assigned relationships in Salesforce.
• Track donor stage movement, progress to goal, renewals, and stewardship completion.
• Produce regular fundraising reports for the Executive Director and Board.
• Maintain accurate records and support strong data integrity practices.

Leadership and Cross-Functional Support

• Supervise the Program Support Specialist and Contract Grant Writer and help prioritize workflow across the development function.
• Translate fundraising data into actionable management insight.

Other Duties: Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Why Join Us?

If our mission and vision align with your personal values, we may be a good fit! This position provides an opportunity to join a mission focused, welcoming team working together to build and strengthen families.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer outstanding benefits including:

· Flexible working environment

· Paid Vacation & Sick Leave Over 4 weeks to start!

· Health, Dental & Vision Insurance Including an HRA and FSA

· Paid Life Insurance

· 401k Retirement Plan

· Paid Holiday Leave

· And more!

To apply, a detailed cover letter outlining your qualifications for the position along with your resume is required.

Paths for Families is an equal opportunity employer and offers a pleasant, flexible work environment. To learn more, please visit https://pathsforfamilies.org/careers/

Principals only, no recruiters. No phone calls please.