Development Director

Help us make a difference for children and families. We’re looking for an energetic, outgoing fundraiser who’s excited to build relationships, engage with the community, and grow support for Canopy Center’s work.

Canopy Center is a nonprofit agency in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides services to children and families in our community impacted by trauma and adversity.

With a small paid staff and many volunteers, we operate three direct service programs: CASA of Dane & Columbia Counties, which pairs community volunteers (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) with children under court protection;
Oasis, a certified mental health clinic that offers individual, family, and group therapy to people who have been affected by child sexual abuse; and Parent to Child, which partners with Dane County Human Services to extend supervised visitation services.

The Development Director serves as the strategic leader for all fundraising and revenue-generation initiatives. This role is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that expands the organization’s donor base, deepens existing donor relationships, secures foundation, corporate and government grants, and oversees impactful special events. The ideal candidate is a proactive relationship builder, persuasive writer, and data-informed strategist dedicated to sustaining and scaling the organization’s mission.

• Experience:
  
  5+ years of progressive professional fundraising experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership or senior development role.
• Proven Track Record:
  Demonstrated success in securing major gifts, winning competitive grant applications, and executing profitable special events.
• Strategic Thinking:
  Ability to translate organizational goals into actionable, multi-faceted revenue strategies.
• Communication
  
  Skills:
  
  Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to write compelling grant proposals and deliver engaging presentations.
• Technical Proficiency:
  Experience managing fundraising software and CRM. Experience with Salesforce and/or the ability to effectively learn and use the system is essential.
• Interpersonal Savvy:
  Strong empathy, active listening skills, and the ability to build trust quickly with donors, board members, staff, and community partners.
• Education (preferred):
  Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Non-Profit Management, Business Administration, or a related field

• Meaningful relationships
• Community engagement
• Mission-driven growth

• Develop and execute an annual, multi-channel development plan to meet or exceed budgetary goals across individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate sponsor ships, and events.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to align fundraising strategy with organizational growth priorities.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track fundraising performance, donor retention, and campaign ROI, providing regular reports to executive leadership and the Board.
• Maintain oversight of the development budget, ensuring cost-effective allocation of fundraising resources.

• Identify, research, and cultivate new individual, major, and corporate donor prospects to continually grow the pipeline.
• Build and manage a portfolio of current and prospective major donors, personally conducting solicitations and supporting executive leadership in major ask meetings.
• Implement structured donor acquisition tactics, including social media strategies.

• Design and manage a high-touch donor stewardship program to ensure timely recognition, meaningful reporting, and regular engagement.
• Create tailored engagement strategies for recurring donors, major supporters, and long-term partners to maximize lifetime retention.
• Maintain clear tracking of donor preferences, touchpoints, and contribution history within the donor CRM.

• Oversee the full lifecycle of institutional funding, including prospecting, grant proposal writing, narrative development, submission, and…