Development Director

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt 

HOURS AND WORK SCHEDULE: Full-Time. Hours are typically Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Occasional evening and weekend hours. 

REPORTS TO: CEO 

SALARY RANGE: $95,000 to $112,500. Compensation will be based on experience and education. 

SUPERVISES: Grants Lead 

BENEFITS: Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) is a Family Forward Certified Workplace by North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) and meets the standards outlined by the Family Forward NC initiative by offering policies and practices that support the health and well-being of North Carolina’s children and families. The benefits package includes health, dental, vision, group life insurance, a 401(k) contribution, paid parental leave, a generous holiday schedule, paid time off, a remote work stipend, and a flexible work schedule. A computer, monitor, docking station, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and printer will be provided. Ready Ready values professional development and offers opportunities for staff to strengthen and further develop their individual skill set. 

ABOUT READY FOR SCHOOL, READY FOR LIFE 

Ready Ready is committed to building a connected, innovative system of care that ensures every child in Guilford County is set up for lifelong learning and success. As a backbone organization, Ready Ready is not a direct service provider, but instead provides strategic and programmatic support to more than 300 community-based organizations, including educators, healthcare providers and social service agencies, serving our youngest children and their families—from prenatal through age 8. 

Ready Ready was born in 2007 from a community effort focused on reducing poverty in Guilford County. In 2018, The Duke Endowment and Blue Meridian Partners joined this effort to promote economic and social mobility. Together, we are creating a long-term, comprehensive, evidence-based approach for systemic change that builds the capacity of community partners and fundamentally improves the lives of children in Guilford County. 

Today, Ready Ready is entering a pivotal and exciting new chapter. Under new leadership, we are moving with renewed focus, innovation, and passion for the future of Guilford County and the state. We are building on strong momentum, expanding our reach, and deepening our impact. With clarity of vision and commitment, we are strengthening the collective system that connects families to the right services at the right time, using data to inform decisions, and measuring outcomes to ensure lasting impact. 

We are excited to expand our team with mission-driven individuals who want to take this work to the next level and contribute to meaningful change for families and young children across Guilford County. 

WHAT WE DO 

With an entrepreneurial spirit, forward-looking vision and a $4M budget, Ready Ready works to ensure that all Guilford County children enter school with the skills, supports and opportunities they need to thrive in life. For parents, families and caregivers, we streamline the process for accessing support services so that their children have the foundation to start school strong and developmentally on track.    

Specifically, we support partner organizations and public agencies providing direct service with the following:  

• Expansion and integration of evidence-informed and evidence-based programs.  

• Design and execution of an integrated data system. 

• Design and execution of a family-friendly navigation system. 

• Implementation of capacity building practices among service providers. 

• Rigorous evaluation of implementation and impact.  

Ready Ready enhances this direct service through its collective impact backbone (intermediary) role in guiding vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy, and mobilizing funding. 

Please note that while we are deeply committed to supporting young children and their families, our work does not involve direct interaction with children with the exception of a few roles. Instead, we focus on equipping our partners with the tools and resources they need to make a lasting impact in the community. That includes state agencies, medical home providers, education systems, and community-based organizations. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Development Director leads Ready Ready’s fundraising strategy to support its mission of ensuring every child in Guilford County enters school developmentally on track. This role oversees the design and implementation of a comprehensive development program that includes individual giving, major gifts, grants, corporate and foundation partnerships, and special campaigns. The Development Director works closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior staff to cultivate relationships and secure resources that advance organizational priorities. The position also supervises the Grants Lead to ensure a cohesive and effective approach to grant development and management. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan aligned with Ready Ready’s strategic priorities. 

• Establish annual revenue goals and monitor progress toward meeting them. 

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, foundations, corporations, and other funding partners. 

• Engage the CEO and Board members in donor cultivation and stewardship activities. 

Donor Engagement & Stewardship 

• Build and sustain strong relationships with donors and prospects through personalized engagement strategies. 

• Develop compelling cases for support, donor communications, and stewardship reports in partnership with communications staff. 

• Ensure a high-quality donor experience that reflects Ready Ready’s mission and values. 

Grants & Institutional Giving 

• Provide leadership and direction to the Grants Lead, including prospecting, proposal development, and grant reporting. 

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with foundation and corporate funders. 

• Align grant development with organizational goals, data, and program needs. 

Organizational Support 

• Partner with leadership and implementation staff to align fundraising strategies with programmatic priorities. 

• Prepare reports, updates, and presentations on fundraising progress for the CEO, Board, and funders. 

• Support the Board of Directors in fulfilling their fundraising responsibilities through training, resources, and engagement opportunities. 

Team Leadership 

• Supervise, coach, and support the Grants Lead to ensure strong performance and professional growth. 

• Foster collaboration across teams to support a culture of philanthropy within the organization. 

General 

• Document, synthetize, and analyze job-related data to use for learning and improvement, to track progress, and to report to funders and other stakeholders.  

• Provide regular reports on progress to Ready Ready leadership team and liaise across other partners/consultants.  

• Perform other duties as assigned by the CEO and/or supervisor.   

QUALIFICATIONS 

This is an outstanding opportunity to play a critical role in building a system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families. Therefore, first and foremost, the Development Director must be committed to the mission of Ready Ready. Additionally, the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate: 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, or related field; Master’s degree preferred. 

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, including individual giving, major gifts, and institutional giving. 

• Proven track record of securing significant philanthropic investments from diverse funding sources. 

• Strong leadership and management skills, with experience supervising staff. 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and engage donors, staff, and community stakeholders. 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. 

• Flexibility and the ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed. 

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. 

• Knowledge of the early childhood, education, and/or healthcare systems.  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and comfort with digital collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom, shared drives). 

• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and Ready Ready’s mission of improving outcomes for children and families. 

Desired 

• CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) credential or equivalent professional certification. 

• Familiarity with Guilford County’s philanthropic landscape and/or early childhood sector. 

• Experience working with Boards of Directors to advance fundraising goals.