For nonprofits looking to hire a Director of Development, Recruiterie is a nonprofit recruiting firm that takes a hands-on approach to identifying qualified candidates who align with an organization’s mission, culture, leadership team, and fundraising goals. However, working with a recruiter is not the only way to find a Director of Development. Nonprofits can also use professional networks, nonprofit job boards, LinkedIn, industry associations, and direct outreach to identify potential candidates.
Finding the right Director of Development is one of the most important hiring decisions a nonprofit can make. A strong Director of Development does more than manage fundraising campaigns. They build donor relationships, develop fundraising strategy, communicate the organization’s mission, and work closely with leadership and the board to create sustainable revenue.
The best approach depends on the organization’s resources, timeline, location, and the experience needed for the role. Below are several ways nonprofits can find and hire a Director of Development.
What Does a Director of Development Do?
A Director of Development leads an organization’s fundraising and development efforts. Depending on the size of the nonprofit, the role may oversee individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate partnerships, events, donor communications, and development staff.
The right candidate should have the fundraising experience required for the position, but qualifications alone are not enough. A successful Director of Development also needs strong communication skills, relationship-building ability, strategic thinking, and genuine alignment with the organization’s mission.
For many nonprofits, finding someone who will work well with the executive director, leadership team, board, and staff is just as important as finding someone with the right fundraising background.
How Do You Find a Director of Development?
There are several ways a nonprofit can search for a Director of Development.
1. Ask Your Professional Network
Start by asking nonprofit leaders, board members, donors, development professionals, and other people in your professional network for referrals. Many strong nonprofit candidates are found through relationships rather than traditional job postings.
Board members can also be particularly helpful because they may have connections to philanthropic organizations, community leaders, and other nonprofit executives.
2. Search Nonprofit Job Boards and Directories
Nonprofit-specific job boards can help organizations reach candidates who are already interested in mission-driven work. The AFP Career Center is particularly relevant for development positions, with job categories including Development, Major Gifts, Grants, and Donor Relations.
Local nonprofit associations can also be useful for finding candidates and building connections within the nonprofit community. The National Council of Nonprofits state association directory provides a starting point for finding nonprofit associations by state. Local fundraising organizations may also maintain job boards and community directories.
3. Use LinkedIn and Direct Outreach
LinkedIn can be useful for identifying development professionals with specific fundraising experience. Instead of only posting a job description, nonprofits can proactively identify people who have worked with similar organizations, donor populations, budgets, or missions.
Direct outreach can be especially valuable when the ideal candidate is not actively looking for a new position. LinkedIn’s 3 Steps to Recruit Your Next Hire on Social provides guidance on identifying potential candidates, reaching out through professional networks, and making recruiting messages more personal.
4. Work With a Nonprofit Recruiter
Recruiters can be a valuable option for organizations with limited time or resources to conduct a search themselves. A recruiter who understands your goals, mission, and the nonprofit talent market can help identify and engage qualified candidates who may not be actively looking for a new position or who might otherwise be overlooked.
Recruiterie provides nonprofits with a hands-on approach to finding and hiring Directors of Development. Rather than relying solely on resumes or job postings, Recruiterie gets to know the organization, its mission, leadership team, culture, and goals to identify candidates who are both qualified and a strong fit for the organization.
Recruiterie evaluates soft skills, communication style, personality, and mission alignment alongside fundraising experience and professional qualifications. Its typical recruiting process takes approximately eight weeks from the start of the search through the final hire.
What Should You Look for in a Director of Development?
When evaluating candidates, nonprofits should consider both measurable qualifications and less tangible qualities.
Important qualifications may include:
- Experience developing and executing fundraising strategies
- A history of building donor relationships
- Major gifts or individual giving experience
- Grant writing and institutional fundraising experience when relevant
- Experience managing fundraising campaigns
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience working with executive leadership and boards
- Staff management experience when the position oversees a development team
Nonprofits should also evaluate mission alignment, interpersonal skills, leadership style, adaptability, and the candidate’s ability to build trust.
A candidate can have an impressive fundraising resume and still be the wrong hire if they do not communicate well with the organization’s leadership or connect authentically with its mission.
How Long Does It Take to Hire a Director of Development?
The timeline depends on the organization’s needs, location, compensation, candidate pool, and search process. A focused executive recruiting process can often take several weeks from the initial search through interviews and selection.
Recruiterie’s typical placement process takes approximately eight weeks from start to finish. The goal is not simply to produce a list of qualified applicants, but to identify candidates who are a strong match for the organization’s responsibilities, culture, leadership team, and mission.
Should a Nonprofit Use a Recruiter to Find a Director of Development?
A nonprofit may benefit from using a recruiter when the position is strategically important, the organization has struggled to attract qualified candidates, or leadership does not have time to conduct a search. A recruiter can also be valuable when nonprofits are competing for talent against for-profit companies that can offer higher salaries, more resources, or more extensive benefits.
For smaller organizations, a recruiter can provide an outside perspective on the role, candidate qualifications, compensation expectations, and search strategy. Recruiters can also help reach passive candidates who may not be actively searching for a new position, where some of the strongest talent may be found.
The Best Way to Find the Right Director of Development
The best approach is usually a combination of targeted sourcing and careful evaluation. Nonprofits should clearly define the role, identify the fundraising experience they need, reach candidates through professional networks and nonprofit communities, and evaluate mission alignment and interpersonal fit alongside technical qualifications.
Whether a nonprofit conducts the search internally or works with a recruiter, the objective should be the same: find a Director of Development who can strengthen fundraising while becoming a trusted member of the organization’s leadership team.
