Development Director

The Development Director serves as the senior fundraising leader for United Way of Forsyth & Dawson Counties and is responsible for developing and achieving the organization’s comprehensive annual resource development plan. The director leads strategies across workplace campaigns, corporate partnerships, individual and major giving, sponsor ships, and fundraising events while managing a portfolio of key donors and prospects.

Reporting to the President & CEO, the Development Director supervises the Events & Donor Engagement Manager and works closely with the CEO, staff, board members, and volunteers to build a strong culture of philanthropy. This position brings strategy, discipline, and accountability to donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, pipeline management, revenue forecasting, and fundraising performance.

• Develop and lead a comprehensive annual fundraising plan with clear goals for workplace campaigns, corporate partnerships, individual and major giving, sponsor ships, and fundraising events.
• Achieve annual fundraising goals by monitoring results, forecasting revenue, identifying risks and opportunities, and adjusting strategies as needed.
• Partner with the President & CEO to pursue significant individual, corporate, foundation, and community investment opportunities.
• Evaluate fundraising performance, donor trends, and return on investment to guide strategy and resource allocation.
• Manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and major-gift prospects through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective donors, with documented next steps, ask amounts, anticipated timelines, and relationship strategies.
• Develop personalized engagement and stewardship strategies that strengthen donor retention, increase giving, and reactivate lapsed donors.
• Coordinate donor strategies and follow-up for relationships involving the President & CEO, board members, staff, and volunteers.

• Provide strategic direction of United Way’s annual workplace campaign, including the retention, reactivation, and acquisition of corporate partners.
• Build relationships with corporate leaders, workplace campaign coordinators, sponsors, foundations, and other community partners.
• Equip workplace campaign coordinators with the tools, messaging, and support needed to increase employee participation and giving.
• Develop corporate engagement opportunities that connect workplace giving, sponsor ships, volunteerism, and community impact.
• Track campaign performance and use results to strengthen partner engagement and future revenue.

• Provide strategic direction for fundraising and donor engagement events, including revenue goals, sponsorship strategy, audience development, donor experience, and post-event cultivation.
• Supervise the Events & Donor Engagement Manager, who leads event coordination, logistics, sponsorship fulfillment, and related donor engagement activities.
• Collaborate with staff, board members, and volunteers to maximize event participation, revenue, and relationship-building opportunities.
• Guide the development of donor-centered cases for support, appeals, campaign materials, impact communications, and stewardship content.
• Represent United Way at community events, donor meetings, networking opportunities, and speaking engagements.

• Supervise, coach, and develop the Events & Donor Engagement Manager, establishing clear goals, expectations, and accountability for performance.
• Oversee the effective use of the donor CRM, ensuring timely and accurate documentation of donor information, interactions, gifts,…