Director of Development

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia is dedicated to providing essential services to families, removing barriers, and promoting healing during critical times when children require healthcare. Our mission focuses on strengthening families and supporting their well‑being in challenging situations. Through our programs and initiatives, we aim to create a nurturing environment to enhance recovery and resilience for children and their loved ones.

The Director of Development (DOD) provides strategic leadership and oversight of all fundraising and donor‑engagement activities for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia. This position is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy, managing key revenue programs, and ensuring strong and sustainable donor relationships. The DOD reports to and works closely with the CEO, supervises development staff, and manages a portfolio of major donors to support the mission of keeping families close during their children’s medical care.

Provides strategic leadership for all fundraising and development operations; accountable for revenue performance, donor strategy, and long‑term growth.

• Develop and execute the organization’s comprehensive development strategy, aligned with the strategic plan
• Provide overall leadership and oversight of the Development Department, including staff management, workflows, and performance
• Establish, monitor, and report on development KPIs and revenue goals
• Manage a major gifts portfolio (approximately 40–60 top donors and prospects), including solicitation, stewardship, and relationship management
• Oversee the donor pipeline, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
• Provide strategic oversight of the annual fund, donor communications, and stewardship programs
• Collaborate with marketing and communications to ensure consistent donor messaging and branding
• Oversee foundation relations strategy, including alignment of grants with organizational priorities
• Develop and implement the annual fundraising strategy, revenue goals, and performance metrics.
• Sponsorship cultivation for all fundraising events, including strategy, research, and communication.
• Assess program effectiveness and recommend resource allocation to maximize results.
• Ensure fundraising efforts align with organizational priorities and long‑term sustainability.

• Provide supervision, guidance, and performance management for the development team
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission‑driven team culture.
• Support professional development and training for the development staff.
• Work closely with the CEO to integrate development strategy across the organization.
• Provide regular progress reports on fundraising performance, pipeline health, and program outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Board of Directors and Development Committee to engage them effectively in fundraising efforts.

• Manage a personal portfolio of major donors and prospects.
• Implement customized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans to secure significant gifts.
• Partner with the Associate Director to monitor donor pipelines, forecasting, and moves management activity.

• Develop and implement broad‑based fundraising efforts, including direct mail, digital campaigns, and monthly giving programs.
• Coordinate with the Associate Director to use segmentation, data analytics, and donor insights to strengthen annual giving outcomes.
• Ensure consistency of messaging and branding across campaigns.

• Manage and direct the full grants process, including research, writing, submission, and reporting.
• Assist in the maintenance of an up‑to‑date grants calendar to ensure timely submissions and compliance.
  
  Collaborate with the staff to gather program data, stories, and impact metrics needed for proposals and reports.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• Minimum 5–7 years of fundraising experience, including major gifts.
• Proven ability to manage staff and work collaboratively with executive leadership.
• Strong writing, communication, and relationship‑building skills.
• Experience with CRMs, prospect research tools, and data‑driven fundraising strategies.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Ronald McDonald House.

All qualified candidates can send their resume and cover letter to Patty Gibbs, President and CEO, at 1160 Forsyth Street, Macon, GA 31201, or to patty.