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About the Role

The Senior Director of Development is a senior leader on the Development team responsible for annual philanthropy, donor engagement and stewardship, fundraising events, fundraising communications, and development operations. This role translates fundraising priorities into integrated strategies that grow philanthropic revenue, strengthen donor relationships, and advance the organization's long-term fundraising goals.

Responsibilities

Lead strategy and planning for annual philanthropy, focusing on growing, retaining, and deepening donor support and increasing unrestricted philanthropic revenue.
Lead and directly contribute to annual and special fundraising campaigns and appeals.
Strengthen donor acquisition, retention, renewal, upgrade, and reactivation strategies.
Analyze fundraising performance and donor behavior to identify growth opportunities and inform strategies.
Identify and test new fundraising approaches and continuously improve strategies.
Partner with Major Gifts and other Development staff to create clear pathways for donor engagement and support.
Lead the organization's approach to donor stewardship and engagement, creating thoughtful and consistent experiences.
Provide strategic leadership for Promise Circle programming and other donor engagement initiatives.
Lead fundraising and engagement strategy for signature events, including revenue goals, audiences, sponsorship strategy, and post-event cultivation.
Supervise and support the Associate Director responsible for event and engagement program execution.
Ensure events, campus experiences, volunteer opportunities, and other engagement activities are intentionally connected to cultivation, stewardship, retention, and fundraising goals.
Provide leadership and oversight for the systems, processes, data, budgets, vendors, and infrastructure that support effective fundraising.
Supervise and support the Development Operations Manager, overseeing CRM/database management, gift processing, reporting, campaign production, and other core operational functions.
Leverage Salesforce and other fundraising technologies to strengthen donor segmentation, forecasting, fundraising analysis, and decision-making.
Establish and continuously improve department-wide processes, workflows, and systems to increase operational efficiency and strengthen the donor experience.
Lead priority systems and process improvements and ensure fundraising leadership has accurate, timely reporting and analysis.
Partner closely with the Communications team to develop compelling donor-facing fundraising and stewardship communications.
Lead Development strategy and priorities for campaigns, appeals, stewardship communications, impact updates, and other donor-facing content.
Personally develop or substantially shape key donor solicitations, appeals, campaign messaging, and other priority fundraising communications.
Ensure fundraising communications are audience-centered, coordinated across channels, and connected to broader donor engagement and revenue strategies.
Serve as a member of the Development leadership team and a strategic partner to the Chief Development Officer.
Supervise, coach, and develop staff, creating an environment of trust and accountability.
Build strong coordination across annual philanthropy, major gifts, grants, events, communications, and operations.
Personally lead select fundraising, operational, and cross-functional priorities.
Foster a culture of strong planning, ownership, innovation, continuous improvement, and an exceptional donor experience.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Seven or more years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience, including management responsibility.
Demonstrated success leading annual fundraising, donor engagement, campaigns, events, or related revenue-generating initiatives.
Strong fundraising acumen across annual giving, donor stewardship and engagement, fundraising events, and donor communications.
Experience managing and developing staff while remaining actively engaged in execution.
Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM to support fundraising strategy, donor segmentation, forecasting, and performance analysis.
Demonstrated ability to analyze fundraising data, identify trends and opportunities, and translate insights into action.
Strong financial, organizational, and project management skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities, solve problems, improve systems, and drive results.
Ability to build strong collaborative relationships and work effectively across departments.
Commitment to the mission and values of Communities In Schools of Central Texas.

Skills

Salesforce or comparable CRM
Fundraising strategy
Donor segmentation
Forecasting
Performance analysis
Financial management
Organizational skills
Project management
Written communication
Verbal communication
Interpersonal communication
Strategic thinking
Entrepreneurial mindset
Problem-solving
Systems improvement
Relationship building
Collaboration

Location

In-person / Hybrid
CIST Administrative Office
Austin, Texas

Work Type

Full-Time

Experience Level

Senior
Seven or more years of progressively responsible nonprofit fundraising experience
Management responsibility

Education Level

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

Salary/Compensations

$90,000/yearly

Benefits

Ongoing training, supervision, and career pathways into director-level roles.
4+ weeks of holidays
2 weeks of vacation time
Personal days
Sick days
100% employer-paid employee medical plan available
Family subsidies
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Disability insurance
403(b) retirement plan with employer match

About the Company

Rooted in community for over 40 years, Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CISCT) is a sophisticated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Austin, Texas.
Communities In Schools (CIS) is a national organization that ensures every student has what they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond.
At CISCT, our mission is simple: surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Equal Opportunity

Communities In Schools of Central Texas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.