Senior Director of Development

Job description

Senior Director of Development

Neighborhood

Chesapeake, VA |

Reports to Chief Executive Officer

About Neighborhood

Neighborhood is building a new model for economic mobility.

We do not simply prepare individuals for jobs. We are closing the structural gap between underserved communities and regional employers by redesigning how opportunity, capital, and workforce systems align. Our work strengthens people, reshapes systems, and mobilizes investment to ensure living wage career pathways are not rare exceptions but expected outcomes.

Our long-term vision is to build a regional economic mobility engine capable of measurably increasing income levels across Hampton Roads. We are building toward a scalable model of 3 to 5 million dollars in annual revenue within the next three to five years in order to expand program capacity, deepen employer partnerships, strengthen capital resilience, and extend the Economic Access Initiative across the region.

At the center of our expansion is the Economic Access Initiative. The Economic Access Initiative is Neighborhood’s broader strategy to align workforce systems, employers, capital, and community investment in a way that increases income mobility at scale. It is not simply a program. It is an ecosystem strategy designed to influence how opportunity flows across a region.

With a 2026 revenue budget of 1.2 million dollars, Neighborhood is entering a defining stage of growth. We are seeking a Senior Director of Development who is ready to help build the capital engine required for this next chapter.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Development is a senior leader responsible for leading and executing Neighborhood’s fundraising strategy in close partnership with the CEO.

This role focuses on building and scaling a major donor centered revenue engine while strengthening foundation and corporate philanthropic partnerships. The Senior Director will manage a personal portfolio of major donors, drive donor pipeline growth, strengthen fundraising systems already in place, and help institutionalize fundraising as Neighborhood scales.

The Senior Director will operate as both strategist and operator. There is no large development department. This leader will help shape the plan, manage execution, optimize systems already built, and partner directly with the CEO as a key strategic leader in Neighborhood’s next stage of growth.

This is a hands‑on senior leadership role inside a growth‑stage organization preparing for regional scale.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 24 months, the Senior Director of Development will:

Expand the major donor base from a small core group into a resilient portfolio of committed partners

Secure multi-year commitments that significantly increase financial predictability

Increase donor retention and average gift size

Establish disciplined forecasting and reporting systems

Activate the board as engaged partners in revenue strategy

Help institutionalize fundraising so revenue strength is embedded in the organization, not concentrated in one individual

Help build a capital strategy capable of supporting growth toward 3 to 5 million dollars in annual revenue

Capital Strategy and Revenue Leadership

Lead execution of a multi‑year fundraising strategy aligned with organizational expansion

Build annual fundraising plans with clear growth targets

Lead revenue forecasting and dashboard reporting

Align fundraising pacing with organizational growth priorities

Identify capital gaps and help develop strategies to address them

Major Donor Strategy

Major gifts are the primary growth engine of Neighborhood.

Design and lead a major donor program capable of supporting scale

Manage a personal portfolio of high‑capacity donors and prospects

Secure new major gifts and multi‑year commitments

Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified major donor prospects

Partner closely with the CEO on top‑tier cultivation and solicitation

Foundations and Corporate Philanthropy

Lead foundation strategy and grants calendar

Ensure competitive proposal development and reporting

Cultivate long‑term foundation partnerships

Develop corporate philanthropic partnerships aligned with mission and systems change

This role focuses on strategic philanthropy, not event sponsorships.

Fundraising Infrastructure and Optimization

Oversee CRM integrity and moves management disciplineStrengthen donor segmentation and stewardship systems

Optimize fundraising systems already built

Leverage automation and external consultants strategically

Improve donor impact reporting and engagement cadence

Executive and Board Partnership

Partner directly with the CEO to prioritize fundraising focus

Prepare the CEO for major donor meetings and solicitations

Help develop a board fundraising engagement strategy

Increase board participation and accountability in revenue growth efforts

Help evolve the organization’s case for support as Neighborhood scales

Qualifications

7 or more years of senior‑level fundraising leadership experience within nonprofit or mission‑driven organizations

Demonstrated success securing five and six‑figure gifts

Experience managing a major donor portfolio

Strong strategic planning and forecasting capability

Comfort operating without a large internal development team

Experience in growth‑stage or entrepreneurial organizations preferred

Alignment with dignity‑centered, systems‑aware approaches to economic mobility

Who You Are

You think in scale, not survival

You believe capital can accelerate systems change

You are disciplined, metrics‑driven, and relational

You are comfortable building in motion

You are energized by ambitious growth

You are ready to help institutionalize what a founder has built

Compensation and Benefits

Salary: $105,000

Annual insurance stipend: $4,000

Neighborhood provides structured annual compensation increases, including performance-based step increases and cost-of-living adjustments, creating clear opportunity for salary growth as the organization expands.

PTO: 160 hours (20 days)

In addition to PTO, the office is closed:

The full week of Thanksgiving

Two full weeks at Christmas

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Worksite address

chesapeake, VA, 23322, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.