Special Friends Foundation

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1997, Special Friends Foundation [SFF] exists to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities live lives marked by dignity, purpose, and joy. The organization’s work is rooted in the belief that every person—regardless of ability—deserves to thrive in a community that embraces their humanity, honors their potential, and supports them and their families across every stage of life.

Special Friends Foundation provides a broad continuum of support services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. Current programs include:

• Seven high-quality residential group homes throughout Pennsylvania
• An expanding Adult Services program offering day programs, in-home and community supports, job coaching, and behavioral services
• A long-standing Family Services program providing advocacy, financial assistance, therapy referrals, resources, and peer connection for families from diagnosis onward

In addition, Special Friends Foundation serves as a model for emerging providers, offering guidance to individuals and organizations seeking to become licensed group home providers and expand access to compassionate, community-based care.

As the organization enters an important new phase of growth, Special Friends Foundation is in the Quiet Phase of a comprehensive campaign that will support a new facility and expanded programming designed to strengthen and grow all aspects of its work.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Development [DoD] is a new position and a member of the organization’s leadership team, reporting to the Executive Director and working in close partnership with the Founder and Board Chair.

The Founder and Board Chair is actively engaged in advancing the organization’s mission and fundraising efforts and serves as an important ambassador to donors, families, and community supporters.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a relationship-centered fundraising professional to build and lead the development function of a respected and growing human services organization whose mission changes lives every day.

For nearly three decades, Special Friends Foundation has grown through the vision, dedication, and generosity of families, friends, community members, and supporters who believe that individuals with developmental disabilities deserve lives marked by dignity, purpose, and joy. As the organization enters a transformative period of growth, including the Quiet Phase of a comprehensive campaign to support a new facility and expanded services, the Director of Development will play a central role in helping shape its future.

Success in this role will require the ability to build trusted relationships, engage and support volunteer leaders, create effective fundraising systems and processes, and translate organizational vision into meaningful philanthropic investment. The ideal candidate will be equally adept at cultivating donor relationships, managing communications, strengthening development operations, and partnering with organizational leadership to advance fundraising priorities. This highly collaborative role requires initiative, sound judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently while keeping key stakeholders informed, engaged, and aligned around fundraising goals.

This is a flexible hybrid position based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with regular engagement throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and occasional evening and weekend responsibilities.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising & Campaign Leadership

• Lead and manage all aspects of Special Friends Foundation’s fundraising activities, including major gifts, annual giving, campaign fundraising, donor stewardship, corporate and foundation support, planned giving, and special events.
• Partner closely with the Executive Director and Founder/Board Chair to develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with organizational growth goals and campaign priorities.
• Help guide the organization through the Quiet Phase and future public phase of a comprehensive campaign supporting a new facility and expanded services.
• Build and strengthen a sustainable culture of philanthropy across the organization and among Board members, Campaign Cabinet members, donors, families, and community supporters.
• Develop and manage a major gifts program by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and prospects, including long-time supporters, family stakeholders, and new community partners, with an emphasis on relationship-based fundraising, donor stewardship, and long-term engagement.
• Develop and implement a planned giving program that educates and engages donors, families, professional advisors, and organizational leadership around legacy giving opportunities, while encouraging long-term investment in the mission of Special Friends Foundation.
• Manage the work of the organization’s grant-writing consultant and help coordinate institutional funding opportunities.

Communications & Donor Engagement

• Oversee day-to-day updates and maintenance of the organization’s website, including campaign content, events, donor information, news, and other routine updates.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the organization’s web and marketing partners, coordinating larger website projects, enhancements, and future development initiatives.
• Draft donor communications, including gift acknowledgments, stewardship letters, campaign updates, impact reports, newsletters, e-blasts, and other donor-facing correspondence for distribution by organizational leadership as appropriate.
• Prepare fundraising updates, donor reports, dashboards, briefing materials, talking points, stewardship materials, campaign communications, and individualized donor strategy recommendations for the Executive Director, Founder/Board Chair, Campaign Cabinet, Board leadership, and other organizational leaders.
• Coordinate regular prospect-tracking meetings with leadership to support moves management of the organization’s most generous donors.
• Maintain a coordinated communications calendar that supports fundraising, stewardship, events, campaign activity, and donor engagement efforts.
• Ensure consistent messaging and presentation of the organization’s mission, impact, and fundraising priorities across development communications.

Development Operations & Administration

• Oversee implementation and ongoing management of the organization’s donor database/CRM system and establish development processes, tracking systems, reporting procedures, and fundraising analytics.
• Develop and maintain systems, records, and procedures for donor stewardship, gift acknowledgment, prospect management, pledge tracking, campaign reporting, fundraising accountability, gift processing, and development documentation, including generation of donor, campaign, and fundraising reports.
• Maintain fundraising calendars, prospect pipelines, campaign timelines, and development work plans.
• Help create and refine development policies, procedures, and operational practices that support organizational growth and accountability.

Board, Campaign Cabinet & Volunteer Engagement

• Support the growth and activation of the Campaign Cabinet and future Development Committee through meeting coordination, reporting, prospect tracking, volunteer engagement, and fundraising accountability.
• Partner with organizational leadership to strengthen Board participation in fundraising, donor engagement, stewardship, and campaign activities.
• Support the Founder/Board Chair and Executive Director by helping prioritize fundraising activities, preparing donor strategies and meeting materials, tracking follow-up actions, supporting Board and volunteer communications, and ensuring timely execution of development-related commitments.
• Support planning and execution of the annual Louis Cup Golf Outing and other fundraising or engagement activities as the organization grows.

Personal Attributes & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit development, advancement, fundraising, relationship management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success in donor engagement, major gifts, campaign fundraising, stewardship, community engagement, or organizational growth.
• Candidates with transferable relationship-building and leadership experience from other nonprofit, mission-driven, or community-focused sectors will be given strong consideration.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, develop effective systems and processes, and move initiatives forward in a collaborative and evolving environment.
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative while maintaining strong communication and keeping organizational leadership informed and engaged.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with founders, volunteer leaders, Board members, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a resource-conscious environment.
• Experience with donor databases/CRMs and fundraising reporting tools.
• Familiarity with intellectual and developmental disabilities services, family-centered care, or community-based supports is a plus.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS

Ability to travel throughout Eastern Pennsylvania for donor meetings, events, organizational activities, and community engagement opportunities. Position requires occasional evening and weekend availability for donor cultivation, events, campaign activities, committee meetings, and other organizational responsibilities.

COMPENSATION

$105,000–$110,000 annually plus performance bonus, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Special Friends Foundation offers a mission-driven work environment, flexible hybrid scheduling, and the opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future growth and impact of the organization. Benefits information will be shared during the interview process.

TO APPLY

Special Friends Foundation has retained Dunleavy & Associates as its partner for this search.

To be considered, please submit a resume or curriculum vitae and a cover letter describing your interest in the position and connection to the mission of Special Friends Foundation here.

EEO STATEMENT

Special Friends Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all employees and applicants. The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Founded in 1997, Special Friends Foundation [SFF] exists to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities live lives marked by dignity, purpose, and joy. The organization’s work is rooted in the belief that every person—regardless of ability—deserves to thrive in a community that embraces their humanity, honors their potential, and supports them and their families across every stage of life.