Position Summary
Candid is a nonprofit that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector. We get you the information you need to do good. Candid currently has an opportunity for a Senior Director of Development. The role of Senior Director of Development is a rare opportunity to lead and grow a development program at an organization that sits at the center of it all. Candid is building its contributed revenue function with ambition: adding new donors, diversifying its funder base, and deepening relationships with the institutional partners who make our mission possible. The Senior Director of Development will own that growth — setting strategy, leading a team of four, and playing a central role in ensuring Candid has the resources to do its most important work.
If you're a seasoned fundraiser who is energized by building, thrives on complex donor relationships, and wants your work to genuinely matter for the sector, this role is for you.
Position: Senior Director of Development
Reporting to: Vice President of Influence
Supervises: Senior Development Manager, Senior Development Manager, Senior Development Specialist
Schedule: 35-hour work week, Monday through Friday
Compensation: $120,000 - $200,000 (this range is for the NYC area and will be adjusted for other localities; additionally, factors like skills and experience will be considered).
Location: Remote. In-person attendance is required twice per year during our annual, weeklong all-staff summits. Additional in-person meeting participation is required at least once per quarter for senior leaders and at least once per month for the executive team. Staff not located in the NYC area are required to travel for these meetings.
Benefits: Health insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement contribution with additional option for a match, paid life insurance and AD&D, paid leave time (PTO, compassionate leave, volunteer, holiday, parental), short-term and long-term disability, pre-tax transit, flexible spending accounts, supplemental insurance, summer hours, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program eligible employer.
Responsibilities
Drive contributed revenue growth
- Lead Candid's contributed income strategy in close partnership with the VP of Influence and CEO, spanning general operating support (GOS), Candid Access Sponsors (CAS), and budget-relieving to fund our priority initiatives and priority fundraising campaigns
- Own an ambitious, new money goal — adding meaningful new dollars and new donors year over year while maintaining strong retention across the existing portfolio
- Develop and execute a long-range strategy to diversify Candid's funder base, with particular focus on expanding beyond institutional funders to include new donor types and revenue models
- Directly identify, research, and cultivate a personal portfolio of new donor prospects, as well as prospects for CEO and Executive Team
- Design and test strategies to reinstate lapsed donors and convert pipeline prospects into committed supporters
Cultivate and steward major relationships
- Directly manage relationships with Candid's largest and most strategic funders, with a proven track record of soliciting and closing significant institutional grants
- Oversee a portfolio-based approach across the development team, ensuring each funder relationship is actively managed, renewed, and grown
- Facilitate and support engagement by the CEO and Board of Trustees on major donor prospects
Lead on revenue operations and forecasting
- Work with Finance to set annual targets and maintain accurate monthly revenue projections — bringing the strategic discipline of a business leader, not just a relationship manager
- Optimize Salesforce for effective donor management and pipeline visibility; ensure the team uses it consistently and well
- Provide leadership with a clear, real-time picture of contributed revenue performance and risk
Write and communicate Candid's case for support
- Develop compelling proposals, impact reports, and donor communications that articulate what Candid does, why it matters, and what a funder's support makes possible
- Go beyond transactional grant reporting — help funders understand how their investment advances Candid's mission and strengthens the sector
Lead and develop a high-performing team
- Manage and mentor a team of four development professionals, fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and high standards
- Set annual OKRs in partnership with the VP of Influence and contribute to division-wide and organizational strategy as a member of the Influence Division leadership team
- Represent development in cross-departmental decisions and ensure development priorities are integrated across the organization
Requirements
- Minimum 10 years of fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of soliciting and cultivating gifts from institutional funders — foundations in particular
- Proven success meeting or exceeding ambitious revenue targets, with high donor renewal rates and a growing portfolio to show for it
- Experience managing and developing fundraising staff; you know how to build a team and hold people to a high bar, and support them in succeeding
- Exceptional writing skills — you can make a compelling case for support, and you have work samples to prove it
- Strategic thinker who understands revenue forecasting, pipeline management, and the operational discipline required to run a serious development function
- Strong relationship builder with the interpersonal range to engage donors, board members, senior leaders, and community partners with equal credibility
- Experience working directly with CEOs, boards, and senior leadership on fundraising strategy
- Proficiency in Salesforce or a comparable CRM; comfortable with MS Office
- Willingness to perform other duties and special projects as needed/requested
- Sensitivity and respect for racial, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural differences
- Commitment to Candid's values: driven, direct, accessible, curious, and inclusive
About Candid
Candid’s mission is to get you the information you need to do good. The world’s problems are only growing, and change can’t wait. Nonprofits are needed now more than ever, but all too often their work goes without adequate support.
Candid makes it easier and faster for nonprofits and funders to connect in pursuit of solutions to change the world. Candid is where nonprofits find grants, donors find nonprofits that inspire them, and all can gain insights about the work being done for good.
Candid is a qualifying nonprofit organization as defined by the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. As such, Candid employees may claim their employment time on their PSLF application. We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits. Due to the high volume of applicants we typically receive, we regret that we can only contact candidates we would like to interview. For more information on positions available at Candid, please visit our website: Work with us
Candid is an equal opportunity employer. Candid provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
