Description

Location: Fully onsite in Plymouth, MI

Responsibilities: Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Leadership

• Lead the organization's overall fundraising strategy in partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Develop, execute, and monitor annual and long-term fundraising plans aligned with organizational priorities and revenue goals.
• Manage fundraising budgets, revenue forecasting, performance tracking, and regular reporting to leadership and Board.
• Ensure fundraising systems, processes, and data support effective decision-making and sustainable growth.

Donor & Fundraising Programs

• Lead and execute all fundraising programs, including annual giving, major gifts, grants, planned giving, events, and school-based fundraising initiatives.
• Manage a personal portfolio of major donors and lead donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Ensure fundraising activities are mission-aligned, donor-centered, and designed to deepen long-term engagement.

Team & Volunteer Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and direct supervision to the development and communications team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Facilitate, recruit, support, and partner with fundraising and event committees to advance fundraising goals.
• Develop and equip board members and volunteers with tools, training, and guidance to effectively engage in fundraising and donor relationships.

Systems, Communications & Stewardship

• Oversee donor communications and stewardship strategies, including appeals, acknowledgments, and ongoing engagement, in collaboration with the Communications Manager.
• Ensure effective use of the donor database and fundraising systems to support accurate reporting, grant management, and timely donor stewardship.
• Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance to maximize return on investment and ensure best practices are consistently applied.

Organizational Leadership & Culture

• Serve as a member of the organization's leadership team, contributing to cross-functional collaboration and organizational planning.
• Model and uphold DRDFS' culture, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all fundraising and leadership activities.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of nonprofit fundraising experience with demonstrated success across major gifts, grants, events, and annual giving.
• Proven experience developing and implementing fundraising strategies and meeting revenue goals.
• At least one year of experience supervising staff and/or leading volunteers.
• Demonstrated success managing relationships with major donors, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Experience with foundation fundraising and grant writing, including proposal development and reporting.
• Experience creating, managing, and monitoring fundraising budgets and revenue projections.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to represent an organization effectively to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience using donor databases, reporting tools, and email marketing platforms to support fundraising and stewardship efforts.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Deep alignment with the mission, values, and culture for Scholars, including a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.