Organization: Make-A-Wish® Mississippi
Position: Development Director
Location: Ridgeland, MS
Reports To: CEO
Status: Exempt

Make-A-Wish Mississippi grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Our organization is an independent chapter of Make-A-Wish America, and although it has become one of the world’s most well-known charities, Make-A-Wish has maintained the grassroots approach to the fulfillment of our mission. We value integrity, respect, open communication, loyalty, and gratitude. And, above all, we value improving the lives of others through the magic of a wish. We seek like-minded candidates to apply for the Director of Development position.

Position Summary

The Development Director drives the organization’s revenue generation strategy by managing a personal portfolio of donors/events while leading a development manager to meet annual fundraising goals. This position is responsible for cultivating major gifts, overseeing grant pipelines, implementing annual appeals, and mentoring development staff.

Primary Responsibilities

Portfolio Management & Donor Relations (40%)

· Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of 75-100+ individual major donors, corporate partners, and foundation prospects.

· Develop personalized cultivation strategies (moves management) to move donors from identification to solicitation.

· Personally, solicit major gifts ($5k+) and sponsorships to meet annual revenue targets.

· Build and maintain long-term relationships, ensuring high-quality stewardship and donor recognition.

· Maintain and grow our annual Season of Wishes campaign.

2. Staff Supervision & Team Leadership (30%)

· Supervise, mentor, and coach development manager, including setting performance goals and conducting evaluations.

· Provide strategic direction and delegate fundraising tasks efficiently, event logistics, database management, and donor stewardship.

· Foster a collaborative, donor-centric environment within the development department.

3. Strategic Planning & Fundraising Operations (30%)

· Develop and implement an annual comprehensive fundraising plan with the leadership team.

· Oversee grant calendar, proposal submissions, and reporting to foundations and government sources.

· Analyze fundraising metrics, report on progress to the Board of Directors, and forecast revenue.

· Manage the development budget, ensuring cost-effective, productive activities.

*Other duties as assigned or requested by the President & CEO

Key Competencies

· Relationship Building: Ability to quickly build credibility and rapport with diverse stakeholders.

· Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate data into actionable fundraising plans.

· Organization: Strong project management skills, capable of managing multiple priorities under pressure.

· Communication: Excellent verbal, written, and public speaking skills.

· Volunteer Recruitment and Management: Ability to recruit and motivate volunteers to lead our events.

· People Management: Ability to guide, motivate, support and develop employees to achieve both individual and organizational goals.

Desired Background and Attributes

Experience: 2–5+ years of progressive fundraising experience, with at least 1 year of supervisory or management role.

· Fundraising Success: Demonstrated success in securing major gifts ($5k+) and managing corporate relationships.

· Leadership Skills: Proven ability to manage, inspire, and mentor a small team to contribute to a strong organizational culture.

· Technical Skills: Proficiency with fundraising databases (e.g., One Cause, Salesforce) and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.

· Education: Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience.

· Personal: Displays self-motivation, forward thinking and a high level of professionalism. Ability to deal with sensitive information with a high level of trust and confidentiality.

COMPENSATION

Compensation includes a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive package of employee and health benefits.

TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references.

No calls or office visits, please. Applications will be accepted until a qualified candidate is identified.

Make-A-Wish® Mississippi is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Are you willing to work full-time, on-site in Ridgeland, MS?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Fundraising: 3 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person