"Director of Development"

About Building Talent Foundation (BTF)

Building Talent Foundation (BTF) is a national nonprofit founded by the leading companies of the homebuilding industry to address the severe and persistent talent shortage across residential construction. We connect people with career opportunities, training, and advancement in the skilled trades-helping strengthen the workforce that builds America's homes.

With a current annual budget of $4M and a goal to grow to $6M+ in 2026, BTF is at a pivotal stage of scaling its national platform JobsToBuild.com, expanding impact across 30+ markets, and diversifying funding sources.

Job Summary

The Director of Development will be BTF's senior fundraising leader, responsible for driving the organization's next stage of philanthropic growth and sustainability.

This person will partner directly with the CEO to design and execute a bold fundraising strategy that expands beyond corporate partnerships to include major gifts, foundations, events, and individual giving programs, while strengthening relationships with existing corporate donors.

This is an ideal opportunity for a dynamic, entrepreneurial development professional ready to build and lead a modern, high-performance fundraising function with national visibility.

Job Responsibilities

This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Building Talent Foundation. Responsibilities include:

1. Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement an integrated fundraising strategy aligned with BTF's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan and annual revenue goals.
• Diversify revenue streams through corporate, foundation, and individual donors, employer match programs, and events.
• Establish and monitor metrics for fundraising performance, pipeline growth, and ROI across donor segments.
• Partner with the CEO and Board Development Committee on donor engagement and solicitation strategies.

2. Major Gifts and Donor Cultivation

• Build and manage a portfolio of 75-100 high-value prospects (corporate executives, foundation leaders, and high-net-worth individuals).
• Craft customized cultivation and stewardship plans to move prospects from first contact to multi-year commitments.
• Prepare compelling proposals, cases for support, and impact materials in collaboration with the Communications and Program teams.
• Ensure donor recognition, reporting, and relationship continuity through consistent and personalized stewardship.

3. Institutional & Foundation Giving

• Identify, research, and pursue major foundation and corporate philanthropic opportunities aligned with workforce development and education.
• Lead grant proposal development and reporting processes, ensuring timely and high-quality submissions.
• Strengthen relationships with foundation program officers and philanthropic networks.

4. Events & Sponsorship Development

• Design and execute signature fundraising events (e.g., annual gala or golf tournament) to raise funds and visibility.
• Partner with sponsors, vendors, and volunteers to ensure exceptional guest experience and maximize event ROI.
• Leverage events as cultivation opportunities for corporate and individual donors.

5. Infrastructure & Systems

• Implement and optimize donor management systems (Salesforce, Donorbox, etc.) for pipeline tracking and analytics.
• Establish consistent donor communication, reporting, and impact storytelling in collaboration with MarCom.
• Build internal capacity for development through staff training and external partnerships.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive fundraising experience, including direct solicitation of major gifts ($25K-$500K+).
• Proven track record of growing and diversifying revenue streams, preferably in workforce, education, or housing-related nonprofits.
• Demonstrated experience managing corporate partnerships, foundation relations, and high-net-worth donors.
• Experience planning and executing fundraising events with measurable ROI.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills; confident working with CEOs, philanthropists, and corporate leaders.
• Strategic thinker and self-starter comfortable working both independently and collaboratively.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
• Willingness to travel (15-20%) and work occasional evenings/weekends for events.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Relationship Builder
• Persuasive Communicator & Storyteller
• Results-Oriented Fundraiser
• Collaborative Leader
• Entrepreneurial Innovator
• Detail-Oriented Project Manage

Salary

$125k plus incentive compensation

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