Development Officer

Location: Washington, D.C.

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To: Katie Feldman

Like to talk on the phone? Prefer a coffee meeting to another Zoom call? Enjoy getting to know people—and hearing the stories behind why they care about animals?

About the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA)

For more than 150 years, the Humane Rescue Alliance has championed the protection of animals, support for people, and service to the community. With campuses in the District of Columbia and New Jersey, along with the nation’s leading pet transport initiative, HRA stands as one of the largest and most comprehensive animal services providers in the region.

Each year, HRA transforms the lives of tens of thousands of animals through rescue and adoption, humane protection, access to veterinary care, innovative community programs, transport partnerships, and legislative leadership.

Job Summary

As a Development Officer at the Humane Rescue Alliance, you’ll spend your days building genuine relationships with people who want to make a difference for animals and the people who love them. You might meet a longtime donor for coffee and hear about their dog’s latest vet visit, give a prospective donor a tour of our campus, call a supporter to thank them for a recent gift, meet with a company about sponsoring an HRA event, or sit down with a donor to talk about making a larger gift.

You’ll manage a portfolio of approximately 120–150 donors, corporate partners, and prospective supporters, getting to know what matters to them and finding meaningful ways for them to connect with HRA’s work. You’ll build relationships over time, make thoughtful asks, bring donors closer to our mission, and help turn their generosity into lifesaving care.

This is a hands-on, relationship-driven fundraising role for someone who is naturally curious, organized, comfortable picking up the phone, and genuinely enjoys talking with people. You don’t have to have every conversation figured out in advance—you just need to know how to listen, build trust, follow through, and recognize when it’s time to ask.

The Role: What You’ll Do

Individual Giving & Portfolio Management

• Manage and grow a portfolio of approximately 120–150 individual donors, corporate partners, and qualified prospects.
• Develop personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies based on donor interests, capacity, and engagement.
• Conduct regular donor meetings, calls, campus tours, cultivation visits, and other meaningful relationship-building activities.
• Solicit significant philanthropic gifts and prepare written proposals or donor materials in partnership with internal teams when needed.
• Identify opportunities to retain, upgrade, and deepen relationships with existing donors.
• Qualify new prospects and build a strong pipeline of donors with the potential to increase their philanthropic support.
• Identify principal or transformational gift opportunities and partner with the Chief Advancement Officer and CEO on strategy and solicitation.
• Recognize potential planned giving opportunities and connect donors with appropriate resources when needed.

Corporate Philanthropy

• Manage and grow assigned corporate philanthropic relationships.
• Build relationships with corporate decision-makers and solicit charitable gifts, sponsorships, matching gifts, and other philanthropic support.
• Secure sponsorships for major fundraising events and organizational initiatives.
• Partner with Public Affairs and other departments when volunteer activities or community engagement are part of a broader corporate relationship, while maintaining responsibility for the fundraising relationship.

Stewardship & Collaboration

• Create personalized stewardship experiences that demonstrate the impact of donor support.
• Connect donors and prospects with HRA programs, staff, leadership, animals, and mission.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for assigned donors participating in events and cultivation opportunities.
• Collaborate with Development Operations, Marketing and Communications, Public Affairs, program teams, and organizational leadership to advance donor relationships.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, strategies, contact reports, solicitations, and next steps in the fundraising database.
• Participate in regular portfolio reviews and use moves-management practices to advance donor relationships.

About You: Skills & Qualifications

• Strong relationship-building, listening, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward significant donor or client relationships.
• Ability to confidently make philanthropic asks and develop individualized relationship strategies.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple relationships, priorities, and deadlines.
• Understanding of portfolio management, stewardship, moves management, and pipeline development.
• Ability to identify donor capacity, engagement, and readiness for solicitation.
• Experience with corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, or corporate relationship management strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with planned giving concepts preferred.
• Experience using fundraising databases or CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, or similar platforms.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
• Passion for Humane Rescue Alliance’s mission.

Qualifications – Education & Experience

• Five or more years of progressive experience in fundraising, development, donor relations, sales, or another relationship-based revenue role.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors, prospects, clients, or other high-value relationships.
• Demonstrated success securing significant philanthropic gifts, preferably at the$5,000+ level.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Experience in animal welfare or another mission-driven nonprofit environment preferred.

Where You’ll Work: Physical Requirements & Work Environment

This position is based at Humane Rescue Alliance’s Washington, D.C. campus and is designed to build philanthropic relationships throughout the Washington metropolitan region.

This is a location-based, relationship-focused role. Regular onsite presence is required to host donor meetings and tours, participate in cultivation and stewardship opportunities, engage donors with programs and staff, and build a strong understanding of the organization’s work.

After successful onboarding, demonstrated performance, and development of a strong understanding of the organization and portfolio, a hybrid work arrangement may be available based on organizational policy and the needs of the role. Regular onsite availability will remain required.

• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.
• Limited regional travel may be required.
• Regular use of computer, phone, and office equipment.
• Must be comfortable working in proximity to cats, dogs, small animals, reptiles, fish, and wildlife.
• May be exposed to deceased, fractious, or aggressive animals; allergens; zoonotic diseases; unpleasant odors, noises, or sights.

Ready to Make an Impact?

Apply today and help build the philanthropic relationships that sustain HRA’s work for animals and the people who love them.

Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. A salary premium may be offered for multilingual candidates who demonstrate proficiency in written and oral testing.

HRA is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals requiring them.