BUILD Senior Director of Development

“BUILD shined a mirror into how I wanted to change and be a better me. Honestly, the program was so life-changing.” Ay’anna Moody, Director of Social Impact, Golden State Warriors and BUILD Alumna

POSITION SUMMARY

BUILD seeks a dynamic and accomplished Senior Director of Development to lead national fundraising efforts, specifically focusing on building a robust pipeline for 2026. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this role will spearhead major donor and foundation relationships at the national level, developing and executing strategies to secure significant philanthropic investments. The Senior Director will collaborate with the Executive Team to align fundraising priorities with organizational goals while creating and implementing systems for effective donor prospecting, cultivation, and stewardship. Success in this role requires a proven track record of securing six and seven-figure gifts, exceptional relationship-building abilities, past success meeting and exceeding goals, and a passionate commitment to BUILD's mission of advancing educational equity. This position offers the opportunity to significantly impact BUILD's future by establishing a strong foundation of national support while working within a collaborative, mission-driven organization.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

As Senior Director of Development, you will be responsible for the following threads of work:

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Collaborate effectively with the Executive Team to ensure alignment of national fundraising priorities with organizational goals and objectives.

• Build and sustain excellent relationships both within BUILD and with external stakeholders.

• Contribute to a transparent and compassionate culture where staff feels supported and can engage in critical conversations productively.

• Support and advance BUILD's ongoing work on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

FUNDRAISING STRATEGY AND EXECUTION

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to build a robust national pipeline for 2026, with a particular focus on major donors and foundations.

• Create and maintain systems and practices that support national fundraising efforts, relationship building, and donor stewardship.

• Monitor, analyze, and report fundraising data and key performance indicators to assess progress towards pipeline development goals.

• Develop and manage assigned portfolio budget, ensuring strategic investments and responsible fiscal controls.

NATIONAL FUNDRAISING

• Lead the identification, cultivation, and stewardship of relationships with major donors and foundations at the national level.

• Design and execute strategies to expand BUILD's national funding base

• Create compelling funding proposals and impact reports for national prospects and donors

• Partner with senior leadership to develop and implement strategies for donor engagement and stewardship

DONOR RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Represent BUILD in external-facing work with donors, partners and other stakeholder communities.

• Collaborate with the communications team to develop targeted messaging and materials for donor audiences.

• Serve as a passionate advocate for BUILD's mission in donor meetings and external events.

• Maintain knowledge of educational developments and trends to position BUILD's work with donors effectively

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below. Successful candidates will demonstrate deeply held respect for and understanding of the power of our programming, even if their primary professional background is in another field:

• 7+ years of progressive fundraising experience with demonstrated success in major gifts and foundation relationships