Director Of Development
9cb9d439-3278-44d9-aad9-182e55ae4d54
- Employment type
- full_time
- Compensation
- Up to 90000.00 (USD) Annually
- Source
- adp
Maryland
Open until December 9, 2026
Are you interested in working for a mission-driven, team-oriented nonprofit organization with a meaningful and rewarding mission? Join Our Team!
The First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE) is seeking a Director of Development to lead fundraising efforts, cultivate donor relationships, and build strategic partnerships that advance our mission to improve the health, safety, and well-being of first responders.
This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate fundraising professional to make a lasting impact by engaging donors, securing philanthropic support, and helping expand FRCE’s programs and initiatives that serve the first responder community.
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POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Development will lead fundraising and revenue growth for the First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE). This role focuses on building relationships with donors and corporate sponsors, developing strategic partnerships, and creating new revenue opportunities through FRCE’s Health & Wellness programs and educational resources. Responsibilities also include identifying grant opportunities that support FRCE’s mission and strategic priorities.
The position requires travel to meet with current and prospective donors and corporate partners, attend events, and represent FRCE while building relationships that expand the organization’s reach and impact.
A key goal is to grow sustainable revenue through individual and corporate giving, sponsorships, and FRCE programs while reducing the organization’s long-term reliance on large government grants.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Fundraising & Revenue Development:
- Develop annual and multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with FRCE’s goals.
- Build a diverse revenue pipeline through corporate sponsors, individual donors, foundations, events, planned giving, and strategic partnerships.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors, sponsors, and partners across FRCE’s national network.
- Create sponsorship packages, funding proposals, donor appeals, and campaigns aligned with FRCE’s priorities.
- Grow unrestricted revenue to support operations and mission-driven programs.
Corporate Sponsorships & Strategic Partnerships
- Build corporate sponsorships and strategic partnerships aligned with FRCE’s mission.
- Develop sponsorship opportunities for FRCE programs, training, education, and events.
- Collaborate with FRCE leadership on partner outreach, solicitations, and stewardship.
- Represent FRCE at events, in the community, and through national fundraising initiatives.
Health & Wellness Program Development
- Lead revenue development and national expansion of FRCE’s Health & Wellness programs.
- Develop sustainable funding through sponsorships, partnerships, contracts, program fees, and grants.
- Generate revenue from FRCE’s learning management system (LMS), online training, educational content, and other assets.
- Evaluate opportunities based on mission alignment, market demand, scalability, costs, and revenue potential.
- Build partnerships to sponsor, purchase, host, or expand FRCE programs.
- Collaborate with program and operations teams to implement funded initiatives.
Strategic Grant Development
- Identify and evaluate grants aligned with FRCE’s mission, programs, and revenue goals.
- Research opportunities and maintain a pipeline of prospective funders.
- Prioritize grants that support sustainable programs, cover overhead, and diversify revenue.
Development Operations & Reporting
- Maintain donor, sponsor, partner, and prospect records, including commitments, stewardship, and renewals.
- Track development opportunities from prospecting through funding and renewal.
- Prepare monthly dashboards and quarterly Board reports on fundraising performance, pipeline activity, revenue forecasts, and progress toward goals.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
Success in this role will be measured by progress toward FRCE’s fundraising and revenue goals, including growth in non-grant fundraising, donor and sponsor acquisition and retention, development pipeline conversion, and revenue generated through Health & Wellness programs and educational assets. Additional measures include strategic grant development, net program revenue, overhead recovery, and progress toward annual and multi-year revenue targets. The Director of Development is expected to build a sustainable revenue portfolio that increasingly supports the cost of the development function while strengthening FRCE’s long-term financial stability and mission impact.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, sponsorships, business development, or a related field, with proven success generating revenue and building donor, sponsor, and partner relationships.
- Experience developing and managing fundraising pipelines, including cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and moving opportunities from concept to commitment.
- Ability to develop sponsorship packages, proposals, presentations, and other funding materials.
- Strong written and verbal communication, relationship-building, organizational, project-management, and follow-up skills.
- Ability to work independently and evaluate revenue opportunities from both mission and financial perspectives.
- Experience with CRM, donor-management, or comparable relationship-management systems.
- Ability and willingness to travel as required.
Preferred:
- 5+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, or nonprofit business development, with demonstrated success generating significant revenue.
- Experience developing revenue-generating programs, educational products, training, or other earned revenue opportunities.
- Experience in grant research and proposal development.
- Experience with national nonprofits, associations, public safety, or mission-driven organizations, with familiarity with the fire and emergency services community.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- Salary Range: $90,000
- Fully remote position (organization headquartered in Emmitsburg, Maryland; candidates nationwide are welcome to apply)
- 401(k) with employer match
- Generous paid time off
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications are accepted through 11:59 PM ET on December 9, 2026. Reviews begin immediately upon receipt.
Please submit the following materials via our online application portal:
- Resume highlighting relevant work experience
- Cover Letter describing your interest in this role and your relevant experience, including a brief summary of your corporate fundraising background identifying the total number of corporate gifts secured or helped to secure and the size and scope of the overall corporate portfolio managed.
- References: one personal and two to three professional
The decision process will be comparative and include the following steps:
- Review of submitted documents
- Phone screening interview
- Virtual interview(s)
- Reference checks
- Successful background check
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The First Responder Center for Excellence is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve.
Learn more about how we impact the first responder community and our mission at www.firstrespondercenter.org.