Director of Development

Forward Journey’s mission is to enrich the lives of adults with multiple, severe disabilities and in turn, their families through an active, personalized day program.

The Development Director is responsible for spearheading and orchestrating comprehensive fund development and community outreach initiatives. This multifaceted role entails representing the organization to key funding stakeholders, educational institutions, and affiliated organizations throughout the state. The fund development portfolio encompasses major gift and annual giving campaigns, grant proposal composition and submission, comprehensive reporting, and the seamless execution of special events.

The Development Director assumes full accountability for managing all facets of communication media, encompassing the annual report, print newsletter, and e-newsletters and interfacing with newly hired employees, donors, and partners. These responsibilities are executed with a high degree of autonomy within a non-traditional work environment.

Classification: $75,000 annual / Full-time / Exempt
Position Reports to: Executive Director
Job Location: Smyrna, DE

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Board of Directors and Executive Director to establish the organization’s fundraising objectives, priorities, and goals and craft a compelling case of support to secure philanthropic funding for these objectives.
• Cultivate a robust donor network through annual giving, grants, and major gifts.
• Execute a comprehensive range of development and public relations tasks, including marketing and sponsorship efforts.
• Strategize and oversee fundraising initiatives and donor appreciation events.
• Lead the development and execution of fundraising campaigns, setting annual targets and timelines, and assigning specific responsibilities to volunteers and staff.
• Oversee the entire grant funding process, including research, proposal writing, tracking, and reporting for foundation support.
• Handle correspondence and maintain meticulous recordkeeping, emphasizing accuracy and compliance.
• Ensure the quality and compliance of all fundraising aspects, encompassing grants, donors, and special events and provide comprehensive reports for same.
• Foster philanthropic engagement and secure funding to surpass the organization’s goals.
• Prepare budgets and forecasts for fundraising activities.
• Solicit fundraising support from participant families/ caregivers, staff, board members, and volunteers.
• Cultivate support via stewardship and strategic communication (MOVES Management Process)
• Craft organization’s newsletters, e-newsletters, press releases, website updates, annual reports, and annual appeal letters.
• Manage Forward Journey’s ongoing social media presence, including posts, updates, and notifications across the organization’s website, Facebook page, and other online social media platforms.
• Coordinate outreach activities for participant recruitment, such as provider/resource fairs.
• Serve as a vital member of Forward Journey’s leadership team alongside the Executive Director, DON, Operations Manager, Program Manager, and Program Specialist (Senior Staff).
• Maintain continuous communication with all staff to remain well-informed about the current state of Forward Journey’s services.
• Attend advocacy and outreach meetings to advance Forward Journey’s mission further.
• Expand and oversee the Forward Journey volunteer program, including recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteers, with assistance from other senior staff members.
• Manage the scheduling and coordination of all interns, co-op students, and other program participants.
• Conduct tours of the program for prospective and current funders.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Perform miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Additional Skills and Commitment

• Cultivates a nurturing atmosphere prioritizing participant well-being, fostering feelings of security and dignity and a safe, healthy, and collaborative environment built on teamwork.
• Exhibits an unwavering dedication to excellence in every facet of the program.
• Upholds and embraces the ethical codes of conduct and the organization’s policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates professionalism on and off-site, serving as a distinguished representative of the organization.
• Executes organization protocols diligently during fire drills and emergency situations.

Required Education and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree.
• A minimum of five years of nonprofit fundraising experience in a non-profit environment.
• Preferably CFRE and active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals
• Experience in advertising, publication, and promotion development and marketing.
• Experience managing social media platforms and website development.
• Extensive knowledge of ethical fundraising principles and a demonstrated history of success in fundraising.
• Experience in direct fundraising activities, including strategizing and implementing a fundraising campaign, annual appeals, grant writing, and donor cultivation, is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of IRS regulations relative to fundraising, gift acceptance and acknowledgment, fundraising accounting principles, and grants.

Other Requirements

• Ability to prioritize duties with sound judgment.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail, project management, and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills for communicating effectively and professionally.
• Demonstrated ability to work on a team and interact effectively with all levels of the organization (including board members, senior staff, program aides, volunteers, parents, related service providers, etc.).
• Firsthand experience with database systems and ability to manage data entry and management with zero-error parameters.
• Strong command of Microsoft Office computer software programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Adobe Reader/Pro.
• Operational flexibility to meet sudden and unpredictable business needs.
• Ability to attend evening and weekend meetings/events as needed.
• An understanding of/sensitivity to disability issues is desirable.
• Must pass various health, drug, criminal, and background checks as required by our contract with DHSS.

Job Benefits

• Day Shift:  Monday – Friday 8:30a -3:30p
• Competitive Wages
• Medical Coverage (100% employee / 80% dependents)
• Paid Time Off (22 days annually)
• Personal Days (3 annually)
• Holiday Pay (15 days, including the week between Christmas Eve & New Year’s Day)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan Match (2%)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid on-the-job training

Please send your resume and cover letter with contact information to Deanna Pedicone, Administrative Assistant at [email protected].