Development Director

Summary

Join U.S. Digital Response as their Development Director and lead their fundraising efforts to secure long-term revenue. You will develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies, focusing on major institutional donors and foundations. Working closely with the CEO, you'll oversee all aspects of development, including relationship building, strategy execution, and donor communications. This senior leadership role requires setting and achieving annual revenue targets, building and maintaining funder relationships, and ensuring compelling communication of USDR's impact. The position reports to the CEO and is part of the senior leadership team. This role offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and a supportive remote work environment.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in securing $10-20M+ annually in institutional funding
• 5+ years of experience leading and managing high-performing development teams
• Demonstrated track record of meeting ambitious revenue goals and building sustainable donor relationships
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with ability to craft compelling donor narratives
• Strong process orientation and exceptional project management capabilities
• Strategic thinker with ability to align fundraising initiatives with organizational mission
• Experience working collaboratively with executive leadership and boards
• Proven success in building and maintaining cross-functional relationships
• Thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments
• Deep commitment to USDR's mission and vision

Responsibilities

• Lead all of USDR’s contributed and philanthropic revenue generation efforts, with a focus on institutions, foundations and major donors
• Partner with CEO and Executive Team to set annual and multi-year fundraising targets aligned with USDR’s long-term goals and mission
• Develop and implement a coordinated, year-round fundraising strategic plan and timetable, and monitor ongoing results vs. targets
• Provide strategic guidance on funding opportunities to inform resource allocation and program development
• Represent fundraising to USDR’s leadership team and organization, sharing best practices with the ethos that “fundraising is a team sport”
• Drive revenue goals in collaboration with the Executive Team, program leadership, finance, and marketing
• Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-faceted development effort encompassing prospecting, qualification, solicitation, and stewardship
• Partner with program leaders to develop and align earned revenue strategies with the overall development effort, ensuring a coordinated organizational approach to sustainability
• Strengthen relationships with existing funders and oversee comprehensive donor communications strategy
• Create high-quality, donor-specific pitches, grant applications, and proposals that effectively communicate USDR's value proposition for different funder segments
• Establish and implement best practices for funder cultivation and stewardship across donor segments
• Lead project management across development efforts, facilitating internal fundraising meetings and cross-functional collaboration
• Oversee CRM and grant tracking/reporting efforts, ensuring accurate donor information, timely reporting, and proactive pipeline management
• Partner with the marketing team and program leadership to generate compelling content that showcases USDR's impact
• Coordinate quarterly reports and personalized correspondence with individual and foundation donors

Benefits

• A competitive salary, consistent with similar roles in other tech non-profits in major U.S. metropolitan cities. The annual salary range for this role is $190,000 - $210,000 depending on experience
• Full health, dental and vision benefits (USDR pays 100% of the cost for our employees and 80% of the cost for their dependents)
• 401K with a matching contribution of up to 3 percent of your pay with $1 for each dollar you contribute and for more than 3 percent and up to 5 percent of your pay with $0.50 for each dollar you contribute
• An equipment reimbursement for the purchase of a computer and peripheral devices of up to $2,000 along with a Work from Home allowance of $100 each month to support employees as they navigate working from home
• A discretionary budget of $500 per year per employee for learning and development along with an organization-wide L&D budget to support individuals and teams with work-related learning and development expenses
• A supportive community where everyone can thrive and find a balance between working hard to make a difference and taking care of themselves. This means that we are committed to a fully remote work environment (for US-based employees) along with flexible schedules and time off policies that work with your life