Development Director

Join us in changing children’s lives through the power of literacy. As Development Director, you’ll fuel a mission that reaches over 20,000 children annually in St. Louis’s under-resourced communities. This is your opportunity to build on a thriving, sustainable fundraising program that creates lasting impact for children while establishing frameworks that will drive growth for years to come.

You’ll have the autonomy to innovate, with the partnership of a committed Executive Director and Board, and the deep satisfaction of seeing your work directly open doors to literacy and opportunity for thousands of young readers.

Ready Readers is a St. Louis nonprofit organization on a mission to expand literacy for young children in low-income communities through high-quality books, strong relationships, and literacy-rich experiences. We serve more than 20,000 children across the St. Louis area with a $2.2 million annual budget. Our work is grounded in the belief that literacy begins at birth, every child has the right to learn how to read, and relationships are essential to make reading come alive.

When you join Ready Readers, you become part of a team that values inclusion, accountability, and community impact. To learn more, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Reports to:

Executive Director

Location:

Primarily in-person, with flexibility to work from home when tasks allow

Position Type:
Full-time, exempt (40 hours/week) with health insurance, PTO, and holiday pay

The Development Director is a member of the leadership team and is responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth through relationship‑centered philanthropy. The role builds authentic, lasting relationships with donors while establishing systems that drive sustainable revenue growth. You’ll personally cultivate major gifts while creating the infrastructure to support organization‑wide fundraising success.

Working closely with the Executive Director and Board, you’ll establish a culture of philanthropy across the organization and ensure revenue goals are consistently met. You’ll lead a small but mighty team including a Development Manager, Donor Services Coordinator (part‑time), and Marketing Coordinator.

• Build on a thriving Major Gifts program – Personally manage a portfolio of 50+ major gift prospects, moving them through meaningful cultivation experiences toward transformational gifts. Design comprehensive infrastructure including prospect identification systems, cultivation pathways, and recognition frameworks. Partner with the Executive Director and Board to expand major gift capacity organization‑wide.
• Drive Strategic Revenue Growth – Develop and implement the annual revenue plan, budget, calendar, and projections that will grow Ready Readers impact. Create frameworks including revenue forecasting models, multi‑channel campaigns, and performance dashboards that enable data‑driven decisions and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate Exceptional Donor Engagement – Oversee stewardship across all giving levels while personally implementing experiences for major donors. Build tiered engagement systems with personalized touchpoints and compelling impact reporting to strengthen retention, deepen relationships, and increase donor lifetime value. Ensure that others (staff and board) are involved in stewardship allowing for donors to have deeper relationships with the organization.
• Cultivate the Next Generation of Major Donors – Develop mid‑level donors through strategic engagement systems that move them toward major gift readiness. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward mid‑level gift prospects through personal relationship‑building. Expand our planned giving program by building legacy society infrastructure and cultivating partnerships with professional advisors.
• Ensure Grant and Restricted Gift Excellence – Manage the creation of proposals and reports for grants and restricted gifts that demonstrate impact and ensure compliance. Work with the Development Manager who establishes templates, tracking systems, and accountability frameworks that build funder confidence and support renewal.
• Lead High‑Impact Campaigns –…