Director of Development & Fundraising

New York City | Full-Time | Base Salary + Uncapped Performance-Based Commission + Full Benefits

Exceptional Earning Potential — Commission Can Exceed 100% of Base Salary

Our client is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that is seeking an accomplished, highly motivated Director of Development to lead and significantly expand its fundraising efforts. We are seeking someone with a demonstrated passion for working with adults with disabilities.

This is a high-impact, hands-on role for a proven fundraiser and relationship builder who knows how to identify prospects, open doors, cultivate relationships, make the ask, close commitments, and generate measurable fundraising revenue.

Fundraising is one of the organization's highest priorities. The successful candidate will have demonstrated success securing financial support from individual and major-gift donors, corporations, corporate foundations, private and family foundations, and institutional foundations.

This position offers an exceptional compensation opportunity for a high-performing development professional. In addition to a competitive base salary and comprehensive benefits, the Director will participate in a very generous, uncapped performance-based commission plan. A successful fundraiser can earn commission exceeding 100% of their base salary, creating substantial total compensation potential directly tied to results.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy designed to drive significant and sustainable revenue growth.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward individual donors and major-gift prospects.
• Build relationships with corporations and corporate foundations to secure donations, sponsorships, strategic partnerships, and other financial support.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities with private, family, and institutional foundations.
• Build and actively manage a robust donor pipeline from initial prospecting and qualification through cultivation, solicitation, closing, and stewardship.
• Personally lead donor meetings, presentations, solicitations, and fundraising asks.
• Develop strategies to increase recurring giving, donor engagement, retention, and lifetime donor value.
• Create and expand corporate sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
• Partner closely with executive leadership and the Board to leverage existing relationships and develop new sources of funding.
• Establish fundraising goals, KPIs, forecasts, pipeline metrics, and reporting to measure performance and revenue generation.
• Support fundraising campaigns, events, donor initiatives, and other development activities.
• Develop compelling donor communications that clearly articulate the organization's mission, impact, and funding needs.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for the organization within the philanthropic, corporate, and broader New York community.

Qualifications

• Significant professional experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, advancement, major gifts, or institutional giving.
• Experience with organizations serving children, families, communities, or individuals with disabilities is highly desirable.
• Proven experience supervising and leading teams is required.
• Demonstrated success personally raising substantial funds from individual donors, corporations, and foundations.
• A measurable track record of personally generating fundraising revenue, rather than primarily supporting or administering a development function.
• Strong experience with prospect identification, donor cultivation, solicitation, closing, stewardship, and major gifts.
• Proven ability to build a fundraising pipeline and convert prospective donors into committed financial supporters.
• Experience developing corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and foundation relationships.
• Strong relationship-building, networking, and business-development skills.
• Comfortable initiating relationships, opening doors, making direct financial asks, and discussing significant giving commitments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Entrepreneurial, hands-on approach with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for fundraising results.
• Ability to work effectively with senior executives, Board members, donors, corporate leaders, and community stakeholders.

Compensation & Benefits

The organization offers a compensation structure designed to significantly reward fundraising performance.

• Competitive base salary
• Very generous, uncapped performance-based commission plan
• Commission can exceed 100% of base salary for a successful fundraiser
• Significant total annual earning potential based on fundraising results
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off
• Additional employee benefits

Ideal Candidate Profile

Candidates must be able to demonstrate actual fundraising results. The ideal candidate can point to dollars raised, major gifts secured, corporate relationships developed, foundations cultivated, and prospects personally converted into donors.

Candidates whose experience has been primarily limited to government grants, grant administration, fundraising operations, event coordination, or development support without direct revenue-generation responsibility are unlikely to be the right fit.

This opportunity is particularly well suited to a results-oriented fundraiser who enjoys building relationships, making the ask, securing commitments, and being financially rewarded for exceptional performance.