POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Development at the Craig Foundation plays a vital role in acquiring, maintaining, and growing a base of donors and philanthropic revenue and affinity/engagement. This person will be a strategic partner to and lead a team to meet or exceed the goals across pipeline development of annual, mid-level, and corporate givers. This includes, annual and digital giving (ex. peer-to-peer, crowdfunding, recurring giving, grateful patient), engagement and affinity programs, and stewardship. The Director of Development maintains an active portfolio of individual and corporate donors and prospects and will apply both one-to-one and one-to-many to their portfolio based on segmentations. The Director of Development will apply cohesive and comprehensive data-informed strategies to their individual, leadership, and collaborative work, with regular attention to the philanthropy funnel; they will drive acquisition, retention, affinity, and upgrade performance. This role will also manage discovery and qualification activities for their team and coordinate cross-functionally. The Director of Development will lead, manage, and mentor personnel and prior experience in management and fundraising is required.
Location: 3425 S Clarkson St, Englewood, CO 80113 (in the Foundation Building on the Craig Hospital Campus)
Shift: Monday-Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm, with flexibility as needed for events that may occur outside of the regular work hours. This role has the potential for a hybrid work schedule; 2–3 days/week after the initial onboarding phase, with a minimum of 90 days fully onsite. At that time, the work structure can be evaluated for a potential hybrid working schedule.
Compensation: $73,153.60- $105,331.20 annually; Exempt
Application Deadline: August 3, 2026
- Licensure/Certification/Registrations:
- Colorado Driver’s License in good standing; required
- Education:
- Associate degree in related field or equivalent experience; required
- Experience:
- 5+ years experience in philanthropy, sales, communications, or nonprofit organizations.
- 2+ years experience managing a team.
- Experience in developing one-on-one relationships as well as applying strategies to groupings of people
- Skills & Abilities:
- Proven success in identifying and soliciting funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations from a variety of sources and in developing relationships with donors.
- A record of measurable results in organizing and implementing activities such as mid-level gifts, annual gifts, direct mail, stewardship, moving donors through higher levels of giving, and digital philanthropy.
- Understanding of business implications of decisions and ability to align work with strategic goals.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills required; demonstrated ability to write clear and persuasive proposals.
- Excellent time management skills and a high degree of organization, careful attention to detail, ability to multitask and to prioritize and manage multiple projects and deadlines.
- Proven ability to bring concepts into action, align a team, track progress, and demonstrate impact; desire to learn and iterate for best results.
- Demonstrated experience in building and executing strategy, managing people and budgets, and an ability to work in a hands-on environment.
- Well-disciplined, self-motivated and goal-driven.
- Motivation to make data/research-informed decisions and integrate best practices, considered alongside vision and market trends.
- Ability to work with a high degree of independence as well as part of a team; ability to collaborate internally and externally for success.
- Ability to relate to people of all ages and diverse backgrounds, skills and abilities.
- Ability to appropriately handle confidential matters and information and abide by HIPAA regulations.
- Flexibility and willingness to assume new tasks and special projects; capability to motivate and inspire others toward a shared direction.
- Ability to participate in cross-departmental projects, using tact and diplomacy.
- Ability to effectively identify, analyze and solve problems.
- Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Solid knowledge of fundraising databases and other technologies; experience in Raiser’s Edge is helpful.
Strategy, Systems-Thinking, & Individual Contributions
- Develop and implement donor-journey strategies based on data analysis and proven tactics designed to maximize revenue and donor participation to nurture and grow the donor pipeline. Own donor life cycle approach and segmentation logic and lead the team for an integrated approach.
- Lead the strategy and effectiveness of mid-level, corporate, and leadership annual giving donors by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of prospects and givers. Apply both one-to-one and one-to-many strategies for success.
- Lead discovery and qualification/disqualification activities. Conduct donor visits and generate referrals for annual giving, mid-level and major gifts, planned gifts, and volunteerism.
- Track discovery metrics such as outreach volume, qualification rates, and conversion to portfolios.
- Apply strategies for various segmentations of donors, related to acquisition, loyalty, retention, renewal, engagement, and upgrades. Implement planned giving strategies across donor levels and communications.
- Participate in individual portfolio reviews and group sessions related to prospect management and strategy. Strengthen moves management for pipeline engagement, in collaboration with research and portfolio analyst. Responsible for the timely tracking and updating of action reports and opportunities in the database.
- Solicit donors as part of targeted initiatives aimed at increasing participation, e.g., LYBUNT renewal, recurring gift renewal and upgrades, year-end giving, multi-year commitments, and securing challenge donors for fundraising challenges. Meet with current and returning patients and design ways to usher them into philanthropy.
- Develop and implement strategies related to making people aware of Craig, building affinity, participating in philanthropy, and sharing information about Craig. Develop, manage and execute work streams to related to event participants/donors, matching gifts/givers (ex. through Double the Donation), volunteers, ambassadorship, and more.
- Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of one of many ambassadorship programs which invites individuals and companies to partner in cultivation, asks, and stewardship. Partner with direct reports for execution and operations team for system implementation and reporting.
- Manage volunteer fundraising committees, as requested, to achieve goals through training, management, and communication.
- Explore new donor outreach initiatives, revenue streams, and technologies as business needs and strategy dictates.
- Act as a spokesperson for the organization as needed to bring in funding, volunteers, etc.
- Prepare department reports and present findings to Foundation leadership.
Leadership
- Lead a team of pipeline development and donor relations professionals: Development Manager, Digital Philanthropy Strategist, Donor Relations Officer, and Corporate & Philanthropy Officer. Accountable for cross-functional alignment, high-quality work, coaching and feedback, goal setting and performance, strategy and tactic development, prioritization, and outcome reporting.
- Oversees and partners with the Digital Philanthropy Strategist to advance platform optimization, and donor-facing design; ensuring seamless, donor-centered digital transaction and engagement experiences, effective communications mobilization, and data-informed improvements that strengthen engagement, conversion, and revenue performance.
- Oversees and partners with the Development Manager to design and execute data-driven annual and digital giving strategies; ensuring effective multichannel fundraising, thoughtful donor stewardship, and continuous optimization of acquisition, retention, and upgrade efforts to strengthen pipeline growth and revenue performance.
- Oversees and partners closely with the Corporate Giving & Philanthropy Officer to drive portfolio strategy and execution; strengthening corporate and mid-level donor engagement, sponsorship growth, and pipeline development through high-quality relationship management, proactive outreach, and data-informed decision-making to achieve shared revenue goals.
- Oversees and partners with the Donor Relations Officer to design and execute comprehensive stewardship and engagement strategies; ensuring meaningful donor experiences, consistent recognition and impact reporting, and data-informed approaches that strengthen retention, deepen relationships, and advance pipeline and long-term donor value.
- Serve as a member of the Craig Foundation leadership team, with key participation on the Donor Experience leadership team. Facilitate team meetings and work collaboratively with Sr. Dir of Donor Engagement & Operations and Director of Data & Analytics. Lead and collaborate on strategic projects.
This position reports to the Sr. Director of Donor Engagement & Operations. Employees in this position will be expected to perform most job duties and responsibilities independently and in accordance with established departmental and hospital policies and procedures.
This position is responsible for the supervision of the Development Manager, Corporate Giving & Philanthropy Officer, Donor Relations Officer, and Digital Philanthropy Strategist.
- This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. The employee may perform other related duties as assigned.
Craig Hospital Benefits: (Benefit Eligible Positions)
At Craig Hospital we offer a wide range of outstanding benefits that allow our employees to tailor a benefits package that meets their individual needs. Planning a family or looking forward to retirement, we have options. Our medical insurance is a self-funded plan administered by Allegiance Benefit Plans with a CIGNA network of providers offering two different comprehensive plans. We offer dental insurance through Delta Dental, and vision insurance through EyeMed. Craig offers Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts. Craig also provides, and pays for both Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance plans for every benefit-eligible employee. We offer generous time-off benefits to allow you to enjoy your time away from work too! Additionally, we have a 403b Retirement Plan with a generous matching contribution through Empower Retirement that you are eligible for upon hire. Want to go back to school? We have Tuition Assistance. Unexpected emergency? We have Employee Assistance Programs and an Employee Emergency Assistance Fund.
At Craig, we believe in offering best-in-class benefits and prioritize benefits to support you!
JOIN CRAIG HOSPITAL
Nationally recognized for our excellence in spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation, Craig Hospital is more than a care facility—it’s a tight-knit community of healthcare professionals committed to transforming lives. Our nurses play a critical role in that transformation, combining technical skill with human compassion in a collaborative, interdisciplinary setting.
Why Build Your Career With Us?
- Unmatched Clinical Growth: Master advanced neurological and respiratory interventions.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with specialized therapists to restore patient independence.
- Diverse Pathways: Choose the unit environment that best fits your career goals.
Ready to support life-changing recovery? Apply now and be part of something extraordinary. Join Craig Hospital!
Location: Craig Hospital · Foundation
Schedule: Full Time, Days, Mon- Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM MST
