Director of Development & Communications

FriendshipWorks 105 Chauncy Street8th Floor Boston, MA 02111

Date Posted:

April 27, 2026

Region:

Eastern Massachusetts Category:

Development/Fundraising Type:

Full-Time

Director of Development & Communications Description:

The Director of Development & Communications is a senior leadership role responsible for designing and executing aprehensive fundraising strategy that advances FriendshipWorks' mission and sustains long-term financial health. This role leads individual giving, major gifts, board engagement, events, corporate partnerships, stewardship (foundations & individuals), and annual fund development, with foundation/grants work coordinated closely with a grants function. The Director works closely with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Director of Programs, and key volunteers to build a strong culture of philanthropy and achieve ambitious revenue goals. The Director also leads the Communications and Marketing strategy and implementation for FriendshipWorks. The Director works closely with the Executive Director and Marketing & Communications Strategist on all aspects of externalmunications and marketing. The Director supervises three staff and collaborates closely with the Director of Operations and Director of Programs. Key Responsibilities Strategic Fundraising Leadership Lead implementation of a multi-channel development strategy, including major gifts, annual fund, board giving, events, corporate support, and stewardship. Develop annual revenue targets for individual giving, corporate support, and major gifts aligned withanizational goals. Track progress against benchmarks and adjust tactics as needed to ensure success. Major Gifts & Individual Giving Build and manage a major gifts pipeline of high-capacity donors, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects at the $5,000+ level. Partner with the Executive Director and Board members on personalized donor engagement and solicitation strategies. Oversee ongoing individual giving strategies to increase average and median gift size, including optimizing suggested giving levels and creating giving societies. Oversee all administrative aspects of fundraising/giving including data entry, donor letters, and grants tracking. Board Engagement & Philanthropic Culture Support efforts to ensure 100% Board participation in annual giving and a give/get expectation. Staff the formation and ongoing work of a Board Development Committee. Provide tools, coaching, and education to Board members to strengthen their fundraising confidence and engagement. Communications & Marketing Create and evaluate annualmunications and marketing work plan and KPI benchmarks. Support the Strategist in creating monthly e-newsletters and ensuring the is updated. Events & Signature Fundraising Oversee planning and execution of theanization's signature fundraising event, ensuring strong sponsorship revenue, donor engagement, and net ie performance. Integratepelling storytelling, donor appeals, and upgrade opportunities into events. Corporate Partnerships Develop and launch a Corporate Partners Program that includes sponsorships, annual gifts, employee engagement, and volunteerism. Cultivate relationships with priority corporate prospects and expand corporate revenue streams. Stewardship & Donor Retention Create and manage a formal donor stewardship plan, including donor anniversaries, thank-you processes, impact reporting, and retention strategies. Improve donor retention and engagement across all giving levels. Management & Collaboration Supervise and support development staff and consultants (including grants writing support). Collaborate with program andmunications staff to align fundraising messages with impact and oues.

Qualifications:

7+ years of nonprofit development experience, including major gifts and individual giving Demonstrated success meeting or exceeding revenue goals Experience working with Boards and senior leadership Excellent relationship-building,munication, andanizational skills Passion for mission-driven work and donor-centered fundraising Willingness to conduct in-person donor meeting and attend networking events (some weeknights) Experience working with program staff to identify grant priorities and goals