Title: Director of Development

Location: Dallas, TX

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Department: Development

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Supervision: Yes

Effective Date: 10/22/2024

About the Role:

The Director of Development works closely with the Chief Development Officer to implement the strategy for sustainable fundraising for the organization and provides informal leadership to the development team. This individual will develop and manage a portfolio of philanthropic supporters and prospects who power Big Thought’s mission and vision.

About Big Thought:

Big Thought equips youth in marginalized communities to imagine and create their best lives and world. The secret that makes our work uniquely effective is the powerful combination of our social and emotional focus, experiential learning, community-centered partnerships, inclusion/equity lens and future focus.

Throughout our 30+ year history of innovation, Big Thought has become a national model in arts education, out of school time systems, summer learning and juvenile justice intervention. Now, we’re one of six community partnerships in the U.S helping scale national best practices in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). We take direct-to-youth programs and resources to communities with the greatest needs and share our evidence-based best practices with other nonprofits and organizations through a suite of consultation services including professional development, curriculum design and technical assistance.

#Big Thought Way:

Big Thought brings relentless optimism, innovation, and imagination to everything we do. Our kids come first, and we use a collaborative, all hands-on deck approach to ensure that they are served well.

About the Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is keen on establishing new and strengthening existing partnerships donors and philanthropists in the North Texas region with a specific emphasis on securing and stewarding 5 and 6 figure gifts from private/family foundations and institutional donors. This person is a powerful storyteller in both written and verbal communication to share the mission and impact of Big Thought in the community

What the Role Entails:

Develop and implement strategies for multi-faceted engagement of foundations and institutional donors in the mission of Big Thought
- Manage and steward a portfolio of existing donors
- Focus on maximizing donor giving to align with Big Thought’s growth needs and goals
- Develop and cultivate a portfolio of prospective donors through research, outreach, and strategic communications
- Conduct meetings and prepare materials and proposals
Manage full fundraising cycle from cultivation through stewardship and renewal, including
- Producing compelling funding proposals
- Collaborating cross-functionally with teams on outcomes, outputs, and data tracking in support of funding requests and reporting
- Formulate, implement, and recommend short- and multi-year fundraising plans for stakeholders in collaboration with development team and appropriate staff with Big Thought priorities in mind.
- Develop long-term relationships with grantors and potential grantors within assigned portfolio.
Track and manage portfolio history and prospect pipeline in Salesforce, including donor communications, requests and report documents, and more
Partner and collaborate effectively with peers and leaders across the organization, including programs/systems, Big Thought Institute, finance, and others
Identify new, creative opportunities to add value for stakeholders and deepen engagement in our mission

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum of 4 years of experience in related field
Experience utilizing Salesforce or other Donor’s platforms i.e. Raiser’s Edge, Donor Perfect, ect)
Infuse inclusion and equity both internally and externally
Exercise a high level of EQ (Emotional Intelligence)
Demonstrate and promote a climate of engagement, creativity, teamwork, and humility that is essential to working in a diverse, inclusive, youth and community serving organization.

Physical Expectations (not an exhaustive list):

Big Thought jobs are hands on and can be physically demanding. To perform the duties of these roles successfully, you may regularly be required to: sit, stand, or stare at computer screen for long periods of time; participate in external activities; use various office equipment, some manual; work in environment with loud sounds, multiple distractions, and interruptions; be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures on occasion; maintain emotional control during stressful situations.

BIG THOUGHT ASPIRES TO BE A WORKPLACE OF INCLUSION & EQUITY. WE

VISUALIZE A WORKPLACE THAT PROVIDES AN EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEE

EXPERIENCE. WE BELIEVE A BASELINE REQUIREMENT TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION IS EVERYONE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT – REGARDLESS THE ISSUE AT HAND.

Big Thought is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Employees of Big Thought are expected to participate in mission driven activities, meetings, committees, etc. BT is based on a team environment and openness to always “lend a hand” as appropriate to another employee.

All employees are required to adhere to BT policies and procedures. All employees may expect to perform duties as assigned. In addition, all employees may be assigned “other” duties in the spirit of teamwork.

NOTE: This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. The CEO and/or designee has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

Big Thought

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Director of Development