The Director of Development (DoD) will serve as ESU-US’s chief fundraising strategist and be responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive revenue strategy that advances ESU’s mission. Partnering closely with the Executive Director and Board, the DoD will grow and diversify annual and institutional support; elevate major and planned gifts; strengthen branch-level fundraising capacity; and steward a culture of philanthropy across the organization. The Director must be comfortable working alongside board members and volunteers, earning their trust and motivating their fundraising participation without having any authority over them, and able to provide scalable tools and coaching to volunteer-led local chapters.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Director of Development will
• develop and lead a multi-year, data-informed development plan aligned to ESU-US’s strategic priorities and branch network growth;
• set clear revenue goals, monitor progress, and adapt strategy and execution to meet or exceed targets;
• serve as a visible ambassador for ESU’s mission and programs;
• build and manage a high-value portfolio of individual donors and prospects and lead moves management from qualification through stewardship;
• partner with the President/Executive Director and Board to plan and execute high-impact cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors;
• partner with campaign consultants to advance ESU-US’s Capacity-Building Campaign, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
• translate consultant recommendations into actionable fundraising plans, prospect pipelines, and donor engagement strategies;
• mobilize Board, major donor prospects, and campaign committee members to engage in and support the campaign;
• create and execute campaign communications, events, and recognition opportunities that elevate donor engagement and visibility;
• track progress, report results, and ensure donor stewardship and recognition throughout the campaign;
• oversee a focused pipeline for grants and sponsorships, develop compelling cases for support, and ensure timely, high-quality proposals and reports.
• align corporate engagement with program impact and brand visibility (e.g., sponsorships, employee engagement, volunteerism);
• staff the Board Development Committee and drive Board giving and participation goals;
• provide fundraising reports to the Board, Task Force, and other special groups on a regular basis;
• provide coaching, tools, and scalable templates to strengthen branch fundraising;
• coordinate national appeals and campaigns that branches can localize to grow membership and philanthropy;
• ensure a best-in-class stewardship program with personalized acknowledgment, impact reporting, and engagement opportunities;
• set strategy and revenue goals for signature cultivation and fundraising events, prioritizing measurable ROI;
• ensure disciplined use of the CRM (e.g., segmentation, and analytics that inform strategy.);
• work with the Comptroller to manage development budgets and forecasts, engaging outside vendors and consultants as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
The English-Speaking Union of the United States seeks a Director of Development with
• a commitment to the mission of ESU – to expand minds, strengthen friendships, and unlock opportunities through the use of the English language;
• a history of success with major gifts and institutional giving for organizations with at least $1.5M in annual revenue;
• experience supporting federated or branch/chapter models and coaching small or volunteer-led development efforts;
• demonstrated success designing and meeting multi-channel revenue plans;
• an understanding of planned giving principles;
• experience supporting or leading fundraising campaigns;
• an ability to be an excellent storyteller with strong written and verbal communication skills;
• an ability to translate program impact into compelling donor value propositions;
• experience partnering with Boards and volunteer leaders to drive results;
• an ability to leverage data-driven decision-making and portfolio discipline;
• familiarity with programs serving immigrants/new Americans, educators, and youth arts/education;
• knowledge of fundraising CRMs (Neon), wealth screening tools, modern prospecting tools, and Microsoft 365;
• knowledge of database management, gift tracking and prospect management.
A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least seven years of progressive fundraising leadership is required for this position.
The English-Speaking Union of the United States will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to ESU-US, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.