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.

To apply: Use Quick Apply on this site or fill out the online Employment Application on the Careers page of the Canopy Center website, https://canopycenter.org/how-to-help/careers.html, including a cover letter and resume with submission. Questions regarding the position or your application can be sent to [email protected]. The position will be posted until filled.

Canopy Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to fostering a diverse work environment. We firmly believe that teams thrive when composed of individuals with varied perspectives and experiences. Accordingly, we do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and presentation, sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Every member of the Canopy Center team—whether employee, volunteer, or board member—shares the responsibility of upholding a culture free from discrimination and harassment, and of treating others with kindness and respect.