Interested candidates should send cover letter and resume to email address provided.
HAVEN
Director of Development
Job Description
Status
Full-Time, Exempt – Benefits Eligible
Level
Director / Senior Leadership
Reports To
Executive Director
Direct Reports
Communications Manager; Community Engagement Coordinator; Capital Campaign Manager
Salary
$95,000
Location
Greater Seacoast, NH (Portsmouth-based)
Position Overview
The Director of Development leads HAVEN’s fundraising strategy and donor relations to fuel the organization’s mission and sustain long-term growth at a pivotal moment in its history. As HAVEN advances the Building Dignity capital campaign—the most significant fundraising effort in its history—this role carries dual responsibility: closing transformational major gifts and building the systems, team, and pipeline that will sustain giving well beyond the campaign.
This is both a frontline fundraising role and a leadership role. The Director personally cultivates and solicits major donors while building and managing a four-person development and communications team. The ideal candidate is a proven major-gifts fundraiser who also understands communications deeply enough to direct a Communications Manager, align messaging with fundraising strategy, and ensure HAVEN’s public narrative reflects its impact, scale, and ambition.
Key Responsibilities
Fundraising Strategy & Revenue
- Multi-Year Plan: Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year Fundraising Development Plan aligned with HAVEN’s strategic vision, with a goal of raising over $1.5 million annually.
- Revenue Forecasting: Forecast annual and quarterly revenue, donor renewal, and acquisition; track progress against goals using data-driven reporting.
- Diversified Pipeline: Use research-based strategies to grow giving and participation across the annual fund, major gifts, planned giving, corporate sponsorship, and foundation support.
Major Gifts & Donor Relationships
- Portfolio Management: Identify, research, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations to secure new, renewed, sustained, and increased support.
- Relationship Building: Serve as a key point of contact for current and prospective donors through personal visits, calls, letters, and personalized acknowledgments that deepen long-term engagement.
- Cultivation & Recognition: Design and coordinate cultivation, stewardship, and recognition events for major donors and prospects.
Capital Campaign Leadership
- Campaign Execution: Play a central role in the oversight of the Building Dignity capital campaign, partnering with the Campaign Manager, Executive Director, and Campaign Steering Committee.
- Campaign Materials: Direct the development of campaign communications—case for support, donor proposals, presentation decks, and stewardship pieces—in coordination with the Communications Manager.
Team Leadership & Management
- Build & Lead the Team: Hire, train, mentor, and manage a development and communications team of three: a Communications Manager, Community Engagement Coordinator, and a Campaign Manager.
- Coach the Communications Manager: Provide direction and accountability to the Communications Manager—setting messaging priorities, reviewing strategy and output, and ensuring all communications are aligned with fundraising goals.
- Foster Culture: Build a collaborative, mission-driven culture; set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and develop staff capacity over time.
- Integrate Functions: Ensure development and communications operate as one coordinated engine—so donor strategy drives content, and content advances donor strategy.
Communications Alignment
- Messaging Discipline: Ensure HAVEN’s donor-facing and public messaging is clear, consistent, professional, and campaign-ready across all channels.
- Case for Support: Craft and refine compelling cases for support and donor narratives that translate HAVEN’s impact into giving.
- Brand Stewardship: Partner with leadership to protect and elevate HAVEN’s reputation with sophisticated donors, institutional partners, and regional stakeholders.
Board Engagement & Operations
- Board & Committee Support: Staff the Development Committee; prepare fundraising reports and equip board members to play an active, confident role in fundraising.
- Development Operations: Oversee donor database management, gift acknowledgment, prospect research, and data integrity using Little Green Light (or equivalent CRM).
- Grants: Oversee the grant pipeline—researching opportunities, ensuring compelling proposals, and maintaining funder compliance and reporting.
- Mission Fluency: Develop and maintain a deep understanding of HAVEN’s programs so donors can accomplish their philanthropic goals through their relationship with HAVEN.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications Required
- Experience: Minimum 5–7 years of nonprofit development experience, including a proven track record of directly soliciting and securing major gifts and meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
- Major Gifts Record: Demonstrated success developing and executing cultivation and solicitation strategies that close five- and six-figure gifts.
- People Leadership: Experience managing and developing development and/or communications staff, with the ability to bring out the best in a team.
- Communications Fluency: Strong communications judgment and outstanding written communication skills—sufficient to direct a Communications Manager, shape messaging strategy, and craft compelling cases for support.
- Relationship Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills; able to build authentic, lasting donor relationships.
- Integrity: High integrity and discretion in handling sensitive donor and organizational information.
- Database Literacy: Proficiency with Little Green Light or equivalent donor CRM software.
Preferred
- Campaign Experience: Direct experience supporting or leading a capital campaign.
- Regional Network: An established personal and professional network in the Greater Seacoast area.
- Mission Alignment: Familiarity with, or commitment to, the mission of supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Equity & Inclusion
From HAVEN’s inception, Diversity & Inclusion have always been key to our success. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people’s lives. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity, but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All of our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are inextricably linked with all aspects of HAVEN’s mission to end violence and change lives.
Completion of a Criminal Record Check is required for hire.
Pay: $95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- non profit development: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
