Disclaimer:
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. Remote positions at the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) require travel to our Arlington, VA office for two in-person team gatherings each year.
Director of Development
Job Summary:
The Director of Development leads IHS’s fundraising execution and has direct oversight of Development Operations, ensuring that fundraising strategy, systems, and execution operate as a cohesive and sustainable whole. The Director is accountable for clarifying priorities, establishing decision-rights, coaching fundraisers, and ensuring that Major Gifts, Foundations, and Annual Giving function effectively as an integrated system. This role works closely with Communications & Marketing, Programs, Finance, Executive leadership, and the Board to ensure high-quality donor-facing deliverables, aligned engagement efforts, and strong fundraising execution.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- 3–5 direct reports.
- 4–8 indirect reports.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead day-to-day execution of fundraising across Major Gifts, Foundations, and Annual Giving, aligned with organizational priorities and departmental strategy set by leadership.
- Manage, coach, and develop fundraising staff by setting clear priorities, expectations, and performance goals.
- Coach fundraisers toward ambitious moves management and upgrade strategies, ensuring follow-up and next steps are tracked and executed.
- Provide leadership and direction to Development Operations, ensuring systems, workflows, staffing, and processes support effective fundraising execution.
- Establish and maintain clear ownership, handoffs, and decision frameworks across fundraising functions to support efficient execution and appropriate oversight.
- Ensure Salesforce data integrity, reporting readiness, and compliance expectations are met across fundraising activities.
- Use reporting and dashboards to guide prioritization, coaching, and performance management, translating pipeline signals into clear actions and accountability.
- Oversee the quality, clarity, and consistency of donor-facing materials (including proposals, reports, briefs, decks, and stewardship touchpoints) in coordination with Communications & Marketing.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Communications, Finance, and Programs to support aligned fundraising execution and donor-facing deliverables.
- Partner with the Executive Director and Board to strategically support donor cultivation, stewardship, and upgrades.
- Escalate strategic, reputational, or cross-functional issues to leadership as needed.
- Manage a portfolio of major or transformational donors, modeling effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Up to 25% travel required.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- 8+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising.
- Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donor relationships.
- Strong understanding of end-to-end development execution across major gifts, foundations, and annual giving.
- Direct experience working within these philanthropic functions strongly preferred.
- Proven people management experience and ability to coach teams through growth or change.
- Strong operational, systematic, and data-driven fluency, including CRM-enabled fundraising and reporting; Salesforce and Asana experience highly preferred.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and collaboration skills.
- Excellent writing, editing, and quality-control instincts for donor-facing materials.
- Comfort representing the organization externally in donor and partner settings.
- Alignment with IHS’s mission and values.
To apply, qualified candidates must submit the following materials:
- Resume
- Cover letter detailing your interest in this position and why the IHS mission resonates with you.
- Writing samples strongly preferred.
EEO Statement:
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
About IHS:
The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a think network advancing the principles and practices of freedom in the academy, public policy, and civil society.
Founded in 1961, IHS believes that the liberal tradition has yielded unprecedented freedom and human flourishing. And in this moment, when the forces of illiberalism on both the left and right are gaining ground at an alarming pace, our vision is to spark a new spirit of liberal freedom.
Our Work:
- Cultivating a pool of intellectual talent for partners in policy, civil society, philanthropy, and the academy through $1.5 million in fellowship and career development programs.
- Catalyzing scholarship and academic networks to strengthen the fields of foundational and applied research that matter most to a free society.
- Equipping freedom-focused research centers, think tanks, foundations, and civil society organizations with the research and experts they need to maximize their impact in policy and in communities across the country.
IHS Benefits:
We have a flexible, professional, open office environment that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship and provides substantial opportunity for professional growth. Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with experience. IHS provides exceptional benefits to all employees, including health and dental insurance coverage (which includes paying 100% of the health and dental insurance premium for individuals), health savings accounts, long-term disability and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement savings program, a parking permit and 12 free tuition credit hours annually atGeorge Mason University.