Development Director

Position:
Development Director

Hiring Salary Range: $-$

FLSA Status:
Exempt

Report To:
External Affairs Officer

Bright Spark Early Learning Services has been at the forefront of the early learning landscape for over 30 years, ensuring that all children have equitable access to safe, engaging, and positive early learning experiences that promote school readiness and lifetime success. With a staff of over 140 and a budget of $60 million (99% publicly funded), Bright Spark Early Learning Services provides a broad array of services for families and childcare providers so that they can support the development and well-being of our children.

The Development Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of fundraising and revenue-generation efforts to ensure long-term organizational sustainability. This role is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive, diversified fundraising plan and strategy that includes major gifts, annual giving, grassroots campaigns, corporate and foundation support, and special events. This position owns the organization’s culture of philanthropy.

Working closely with program, finance, communications, and executive leadership, the Director sets annual and multi-year revenue goals, establishes performance metrics, and monitors progress to ensure fundraising targets are met. The role integrates fundraising strategy with organizational planning and positions the organization to proactively respond to shifts in the funding landscape.

A significant portion of the role focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and expanding the donor pipeline to increase both giving capacity and long-term engagement. The Director also leads institutional fundraising efforts by developing competitive proposals, managing funder relationships, ensuring compliance, and maintaining a proactive grants calendar.

In addition, the Development Director manages a Development Staff Person who oversees donor systems and stewardship processes, ensuring accurate tracking, reporting, acknowledgment, and evaluation of fundraising effectiveness. The role provides leadership and management to department staff, supports board engagement in fundraising, and partners with external stakeholders to strengthen event-based revenue strategies.

Overall, the Development Director serves as a strategic leader and relationship builder who drives sustainable growth, strengthens philanthropic partnerships, and ensures the organization’s financial health through diversified and well-executed development efforts.

** Bright Spark is currently conducting an assessment of its Fund Development Department. This assessment is expected to provide insight and recommendations to the responsibilities of this position and other development positions. This job description may change slightly, but Bright Spark does not expect it to change drastically as this details the foundational expectations of the role.**

• Partner with the Early Learning Services and Finance Directors to identify annual and mult-year revenue goals and fundraising targets.
• Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising plans and strategies to diversify revenue streams that include foundations, corporations/businesses, mid-level and major donors, grassroots fundraising, campaigns, and events
• Lead the Fund Development team in the coordination of donor segmentation strategies and ensure alignment between institutional fundraising and individual donor cultivation.
• Establish performance measures, key performance indicators, and evaluation tools to regularly monitor, assess risk, identify opportunities, and report on progress toward fundraising goals.
• Research funding sources and trends to suggest steps to move Bright Spark ahead of major funding changes.
  Collaborate with staff to integrate fundraising goals into program planning and communications and work with the executive team and board to achieve set goals
• Contribute to organization sustainability planning, ensuring that development strategies align with long-term financial health
• Provide…