Development Director at BrightSpark Early Learning Services – Renton, Washington
About This Position
Position: Development Director
Hiring Salary Range: $106,245.00-$132,806.00
FLSA Status: Exempt
Report To: External Affairs Officer
AGENCY SUMMARY:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services has been at the forefront of the early learning landscape for over 30 years, ensuring that all children have equitable access to safe, engaging, and positive early learning experiences that promote school readiness and lifetime success. With a staff of over 140 and a budget of $60 million (99% publicly funded), BrightSpark Early Learning Services provides a broad array of services for families and childcare providers so that they can support the development and well-being of our children.
OPPORTUNITY:
The Development Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of fundraising and revenue-generation efforts to ensure long-term organizational sustainability. This role is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive, diversified fundraising plan and strategy that includes major gifts, annual giving, grassroots campaigns, corporate and foundation support, and special events. This position owns the organization’s culture of philanthropy.
Working closely with program, finance, communications, and executive leadership, the Director sets annual and multi-year revenue goals, establishes performance metrics, and monitors progress to ensure fundraising targets are met. The role integrates fundraising strategy with organizational planning and positions the organization to proactively respond to shifts in the funding landscape.
A significant portion of the role focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and expanding the donor pipeline to increase both giving capacity and long-term engagement. The Director also leads institutional fundraising efforts by developing competitive proposals, managing funder relationships, ensuring compliance, and maintaining a proactive grants calendar.
In addition, the Development Director manages a Development Staff Person who oversees donor systems and stewardship processes, ensuring accurate tracking, reporting, acknowledgment, and evaluation of fundraising effectiveness. The role provides leadership and management to department staff, supports board engagement in fundraising, and partners with external stakeholders to strengthen event-based revenue strategies.
Overall, the Development Director serves as a strategic leader and relationship builder who drives sustainable growth, strengthens philanthropic partnerships, and ensures the organization’s financial health through diversified and well-executed development efforts.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
**BrightSpark is currently conducting an assessment of its Fund Development Department. This assessment is expected to provide insight and recommendations to the responsibilities of this position and other development positions. This job description may change slightly, but BrightSpark does not expect it to change drastically as this details the foundational expectations of the role.
Development Leadership, Strategy, & Sustainability (35%)
- Partner with the Early Learning Services and Finance Directors to identify annual and mult-year revenue goals and fundraising targets.
- Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising plans and strategies to diversify revenue streams that include foundations, corporations/businesses, mid-level and major donors, grassroots fundraising, campaigns, and events
- Lead the Fund Development team in the coordination of donor segmentation strategies and ensure alignment between institutional fundraising and individual donor cultivation.
- Establish performance measures, key performance indicators, and evaluation tools to regularly monitor, assess risk, identify opportunities, and report on progress toward fundraising goals.
- Research funding sources and trends to suggest steps to move BrightSpark ahead of major funding changes.
- Collaborate with staff to integrate fundraising goals into program planning and communications and work with the executive team and board to achieve set goals
- Contribute to organization sustainability planning, ensuring that development strategies align with long-term financial health
- Provide leadership, performance management, and professional development to direct reports and/or interdepartmental teams, if applicable.
- Maintain departmental and organization-wide policies and procedures
Major Donors & Individual Giving (30%)
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major donors and high-potential prospects, deepening engagement and advancing long-term philanthropic relationships.
- Develop and execute strategies to expand and diversify the donor pipeline with an emphasis on sustained donor growth and increased giving capacity.
- Oversee annual fund strategies and grassroots fundraising initiatives, including online giving, direct mail, workplace giving, and other broad-based campaigns that strengthen community support.
- Collaborate with communications staff to develop compelling donor appeals, storytelling assets, and engagement campaigns that inspire giving and strengthen donor connection to the mission.
- Partner with the External Affairs Committee of the board and organizational leadership to support their participation in donor outreach, cultivation, and solicitation.
- Work with the External Affairs Officer to research and propose planned giving and legacy contribution opportunities, and work to design and implement these strategies to build long-term organizational sustainability.
Institutional Giving: Foundations, Corporations & Government (30%)
- Lead the development of strong, competitive funding proposals, clearly articulating how BrightSpark’s mission and programs align with funder priorities.
- Build, steward, and expand relationships with institutional funders; represent BrightSpark in meetings, convenings, and strategic conversations that deepen funder engagement.
- Partner with program, finance, and communications staff to develop compelling cases for support, accurate budgets, and high-quality reports.
- Maintain a proactive grants calendar to ensure timely submissions, compliance with funder requirements, and effective internal coordination.
- Monitor trends and emerging opportunities in the funding landscape, positioning BrightSpark to increase its visibility, diversify funding streams, and strengthen long-term institutional support.
Systems & Stewardship (5%)
- Manage donor database, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting of gifts, pledges, and acknowledgments.
- Oversee donor stewardship, ensuring timely and personalized thank-you communications.
- Maintain development policies, procedures, and systems for evaluation and accountability.
- Establish and refine systems to evaluate fundraising effectiveness, donor engagement, and long-term trends.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Minimum Qualifications
- 5+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience with demonstrated success in multiple fundraising streams (major gifts, grants, events, and campaigns).
- Proven track record of personally soliciting, securing, and stewarding major gifts.
- Exceptional interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate a compelling case for support.
- Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple deadlines.
- Ability to think strategically and proactively about new opportunities and risks.
- Experience supervising staff, contractors, and vendors.
- Experience managing donor databases.
- Collaborative leadership style and ability to work effectively with diverse staff, board members, and stakeholders.
Desired Qualifications
- 8+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience.
- Relationships and familiarity with the Washington state philanthropic, corporate, and civic landscape.
- Relationships and familiarity with the national philanthropic landscape, especially in human services, education, and community development.
- Experience designing a fundraising strategy for an organization, program, or campaign.
COMPETENCIES:
- Core Competencies -
- Mission-driven: Demonstrates commitment to the mission and values of the mission.
- Equity mindset: Demonstrates the values of anti-racism; fosters an inclusive environment that facilitates diversity.
- Communication: Uses skillful written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening.
- Adaptability: Adapts and responds to change; proactively seeks opportunities to be supportive of change that serves our mission
- Ownership and quality of work: Manages own work and work of teams when relevant, ensuring delivery of successful outcomes.
- Leadership Competencies -
- Decision-making: Structures and facilitates decision-making processes; makes decisions responsibly to improve organizational health and impact; gathers and weighs all sorts of data (qualitative, quantitative, historical, etc.)
- Supports the development and motivation of others: Actively supports the development and motivation of others to maximize individual, team, and agency impact.
- Continuous-improvement mindset: Identifies strategies to improve the organization’s impact; sets course and drives implementation.
- Director & Officer Competencies -
- Manage Vision & Purpose
- Political & Organizational Savvy
- Leveraging Resources
- Organization & Strategic Alignment
COMPENSATION:
- Hiring Salary Range: $106,245.00-$132,806.00
- FLSA Status: Exempt
- This is a full-time salaried position requiring work during BrightSpark Early Learning Services Business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm, and requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends.
BrightSpark will determine the specific salary for the successful candidate based on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, skill, and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications and internal racial equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total compensation package.
Other components of the total compensation package may include participation in group life, health and dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program(s), paid time off, and paid holidays.
BENEFITS:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services’ benefits package includes employer-paid top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees, 21 days of PTO per year in addition to 11 paid holidays, 3 paid floating holidays, birthday holiday, and one week-long office closure at year-end, Refresh Fridays in July (BrightSpark Early Learning Services Closure Days), flexible work environment, employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability/illness leave accrual, and 401k with 3% employer match.
WORK LOCATION:
- This position is a Hybrid.
- Hybrid positions at BrightSpark require at least two days in the office per week. These days may change based on individual position and department needs.
- BrightSpark Early Learning Services employees in all types of work positions (hybrid, community, etc.) must attend training, meetings, events, or other work commitments at various BrightSpark Early Learning Services office locations or off-site locations in Washington State, including the New Employee Orientation in Renton, Washington.
EQUAL EQUITY EMPLOYER:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity among our staff. We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants and refugees, people from the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, and people from other historically marginalized groups to apply.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
- To learn more about BrightSpark Early Learning Services, please visit www.BrightSpark.org
- BrightSpark Early Learning Services is a grant-funded nonprofit organization. This and all positions are contingent on grant funding being in place and can end based on the expiration of funding.
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Job Location
Job Location
This job is located in the Renton, Washington, 98057, United States region.