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.

About us:

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.

Position summary:

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.

Qualifications:

• 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

An ideal candidate values:

• Meaningful relationships
• Community engagement
• Mission-driven growth

Official duties:

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Planning

• Develop and execute an annual, multi-channel development plan to meet or exceed budgetary goals across individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate sponsorships, 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.

Donor Base Expansion & Major Gifts

• 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.

Donor Stewardship & Retention

• 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.

Grant Writing & Institutional Giving

• Oversee the full lifecycle of institutional funding, including prospecting, grant proposal writing, narrative development, submission, and reporting.
• Maintain a comprehensive calendar of grant deadlines, submission requirements, and reporting milestones for foundation, corporate, and government sources.
• Collaborate with program and administrative teams to gather outcomes data, impact metrics, financial information, and client stories to craft compelling grant narratives.

Special Events Management

• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of signature fundraising events, donor receptions, and community engagement activities.
• Secure event sponsorships, auction items, and in-kind contributions from corporate partners and local businesses.
• Oversee event budgets, logistics, marketing, vendor relations, and volunteer coordination to maximize net revenue and attendee engagement.

Attend Program Coordination and full agency staff meetings

Other duties as assigned

Schedule & work location: Position is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. Some evening and weekend hours are required for fundraising events and other organizational activities. The position is primarily on-site, with occasional opportunities for remote work.

Other requirements: Valid driver’s license and reliable access to a vehicle, as the position requires travel for various work-related responsibilities.

Salary and benefits: $72,000-$80,000 annually based on qualifications. Paid vacation, holiday, and sick time for employees working 20 hours per week or more. Health insurance, with single coverage paid 90% by the agency. Long-term disability and life insurance policy premiums paid in full by the agency. SIMPLE IRA enrollment available with agency match of 3%. A full Benefits Summary is available on our website.