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Development Director Job Description

Position: Development Director

Department: Administration
Reports to: Executive Director
FLSA Classification: Exempt

Summary

The Development Director serves as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and provides strategic leadership for New Life Center’s fundraising, donor engagement, volunteer engagement, and community partnership efforts. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising and engagement strategy that generates contributed revenue, deepens supporter engagement, and expands opportunities for individuals, churches, businesses, and community partners to engage in the mission of New Life Center through giving, serving, and prayer.

The Development Director serves as the organization’s chief relationship builder and external ambassador, cultivating meaningful connections with major donors, churches, businesses, community leaders, and strategic partners. This role provides leadership and oversight for fundraising initiatives, donor and volunteer engagement strategies, donor and volunteer relationship management systems, and contributed revenue goals. The Development Director leads and develops the development team, coaches fundraising staff, and maintains a select portfolio of major donor relationships. Working closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and Marketing Director, the Development Director ensures fundraising efforts, supporter engagement, and community partnerships effectively advance the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.

As a senior member of the Leadership Team, the Development Director serves as both a ministry leader and fundraising professional, helping supporters understand and experience the transformational impact of New Life Center’s ministry. Through authentic relationships, compelling vision casting, prayer, and faithful stewardship, this role invites supporters into deeper involvement in the life-transforming work of Jesus Christ among those experiencing homelessness and hardship. The Development Director models Christ-centered leadership while advancing the mission, sustainability, and long-term impact of New Life Center.

At New Life Center, our work is grounded in our Christian mission and values. Each role contributes to the ministry and operations of the organization. We seek staff who are committed followers of Jesus Christ, aligned with our Statement of Faith, and who model our REAL values — Respectful, Encouraging, Accountable, and Loving — in their work and interactions. 

Essential Functions

Essential Function 1: Department Leadership

• Lead: Provide clear vision, direction, and alignment for the development team and volunteers, modeling New Life Center's core values, fostering a healthy, high-performing culture, and demonstrating a willingness and ability to lead teams in prayer. 
• Manage: Ensure the right people are in the right roles, set clear expectations, develop team members through coaching and mentorship, and consistently monitor performance through effective communication, problem-solving, and ongoing support. 
• Hold Accountable: Drive results by holding self and others accountable to goals, priorities, fundraising activity, donor engagement expectations, and measurable outcomes, ensuring follow-through and continuous improvement.

Essential Function 2: Fundraising Strategy and Revenue Leadership

• Create, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive fundraising strategy with clear objectives, goals, and initiatives designed to achieve annual and long-term contributed revenue targets. 
• Maintain accountability for all contributed revenue goals, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate giving, planned giving, events, digital fundraising, and other fundraising initiatives. 
• Cultivate meaningful, long-term relationships with an assigned portfolio of existing and prospective donors with the capacity to make significant annual and transformational gifts, inviting them into deeper engagement through giving, prayer, and service. 
• Provide strategic oversight for donor programs, including individual, corporate, and planned giving, ensuring effective cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and long-term donor engagement. 
• Lead and coach fundraising staff to strengthen relationship-building, donor engagement, stewardship, and fundraising effectiveness. 
• Partner closely with the Marketing Director to align fundraising strategy, donor communications, campaigns, events, volunteer engagement initiatives, and community outreach efforts with revenue and relationship-building objectives. 
• Review donor data, giving trends, and fundraising performance metrics to inform strategy, identify growth opportunities, and strengthen long-term revenue sustainability and diversification.

Essential Function 3: Relationship Development, Volunteer Engagement, and Community Partnerships

• Develop and strengthen meaningful relationships with donors, churches, businesses, community partners, and other key supporters to advance New Life Center's mission and strategic priorities. 
• Cultivate and manage a select portfolio of major donor relationships, focusing on individuals with the capacity to make significant annual and transformational gifts. 
• Oversee volunteer engagement strategy and experiences, ensuring volunteers are meaningfully connected, well-supported, and aligned with organizational priorities. 
• Ensure a meaningful and consistent supporter experience that helps donors, volunteers, and partners clearly understand the impact of their involvement and encourages long-term engagement. 
• Represent and periodically speak on behalf of New Life Center at community meetings, partner gatherings, churches, donor events, and public forums to strengthen awareness, trust, and support.

Essential Function 4: Operations, Systems, and Administrative Oversight

• Oversee donor and volunteer relationship management systems, including CRM administration, donor records, gift processing, receipting, and stewardship practices, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and alignment with financial controls. 
• Monitor and report on fundraising, donor engagement, volunteer engagement, and revenue performance, providing regular updates to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. 
• Provide financial oversight of the development function, including budgeting, forecasting, and expense management. 
• Evaluate and improve development systems, processes, reporting, and operational workflows to increase effectiveness, scalability, and organizational stewardship. 
• Other duties as assigned

ADA & Reasonable Accommodation

New Life Center complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Qualified individuals are considered for positions based on their ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with applicable law unless doing so would cause undue hardship or pose a direct threat to safety.

Position Reports to Rob Swiers, Executive Director

This job description identifies the major responsibilities of this job. It does not include all aspects of the position such as the potential additional duties assigned by the Executive Director, the requirement for flexibility in helping others, or the highly valued team-oriented approach used for the overall benefit and success of New Life Center.

Personal:

• Must be engaged in a local church and exhibit a personal, evident, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  
• Compassionate heart for those in need. 
• Willingness to serve others. 
• Desire to see the lost transformed through the love of Christ. 

Required/Preferred Education and Experience:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, or related field, including leadership or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in major donor fundraising, relationship management, and executing successful fundraising strategies.
• Experience working with donor databases/CRM systems and analyzing giving data to inform strategy.
• Experience engaging and equipping volunteers, boards, or stakeholders in fundraising efforts preferred.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

• Ability to pass a pre-employment drug test and background check.
• Must possess a valid driver's license, maintain an acceptable driving record in accordance with the organization's insurance carrier requirements, and provide proof of insurance, as required for the performance of job duties.

Skills:

• Passion for mission-driven, ministry-focused work with the ability to invite others into giving, serving, and engagement.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and donor-facing communication.
• Proven leadership ability, including coaching, developing, and motivating staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate vision into actionable fundraising plans.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data, track performance metrics, and adjust strategies accordingly.
• High level of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise discretion, and demonstrate personal integrity.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, donor management tools, and cloud-based and traditional software applications.
• Adaptability and ability to lead through change in a dynamic environment.
• Willingness and ability to work flexible schedules, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Work Environment

• Primarily office-based with regular local travel for donor engagement, community meetings, speaking engagements, and events.
• Fast-paced and dynamic environment requiring the ability to manage multiple priorities in support of fundraising, engagement, and organizational goals.
• Regular use of office technology, including computers, phones, CRM systems, and cloud-based platforms.
• Physical requirements include periods of sitting, standing, walking, and occasional travel for meetings, events, or donor and partner engagement.
• Full-time position with a flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, and occasional travel.
• This position works in a recovery-adjacent environment and requires adherence to professional boundaries, respectful workplace conduct, and organizational policies.

Religious Bona Fide Occupational Qualification

New Life Center is a faith-based Christian ministry. Consistent with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, alignment with New Life Center's Statement of Faith and values may be considered a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) for this position. Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the organization's Christian mission, beliefs, and code of conduct.