Nonprofit development director: Strategies for the first 90 days & beyond

Reaching the level of development director at a nonprofit is a significant professional milestone. So how do you make the most of this opportunity?

In this guide, we’ll break down the qualities that make for a successful director of development. We’ll also share our top tips on how to approach your first 90 days in the role and how to continue making a difference for the long haul.

What is a development director?

A development director leads a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. Whether heading up a department or flying solo, they are responsible for securing funding for their entire organization, often through a combination of individual giving, grants, corporate partnerships, and other strategies.

Eager to make a positive impact, development directors frequently face challenging fundraising targets while operating with limited resources, especially at small organizations. This high-pressure position is known for increased turnover—in fact, 25% of development roles now go unfilled. 

What does a development director do, exactly?

The development director’s job duties will vary depending on the organization’s mission, goals, size, and fundraising initiatives.

At a small nonprofit, the development director may only work with one other team member, like a grant writer or marketing coordinator. They’ll likely be involved in both the creation and execution of all nonprofit development and fundraising plans. Development directors in these positions are very hands on—preparing direct mail campaigns to long-time donors, applying for grants, and sourcing sponsors for fundraising events, as well as overseeing the fundraising strategy and results.

In a larger nonprofit organization, the development director's role is more high-level. They focus on strategic planning while their development team members tackle everyday fundraising activities. These development directors’ primary responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, preparing reports for the executive director and board, and building relationships with major donors, foundations, and sponsors.

Development directors: The recipe for success

Being the director of development is rewarding but also challenging, so it’s not for everyone. If you’re considering taking the step into a development director role, or wondering whether to make it your future career goal, the following qualities could make you an ideal candidate.

Development director must-haves

✔ ️ Bachelor's degree: Most nonprofit development director job descriptions will list a relevant bachelor’s degree as a requirement, for example in business administration.

✔️ Nonprofit fundraising experience: This isn’t an entry-level role, so you’ll need a solid foundation of fundraising and grant management experience to make a powerful impact as a director of development. The amount of required experience varies, but many organizations are looking for three to five years or more.

✔️ Project and time management skills: The best development directors are masters at project planning and time management. You need to be able to understand a project’s requirements, budgets, and resources, and manage them effectively.

✔️ Written and verbal communication skills: You’ll speak or write to internal and external stakeholders in this role, so strong interpersonal skills are essential. You should be equally comfortable presenting to a board of directors, managing development staff, and crafting a personal thank-you note to a donor.

✔️ Passion: Your role as a development director is busy, varied, and demanding at times. Being passionate about your mission yields better results and makes those tough days worthwhile.

Development director nice-to-haves

➕ Advanced degree: Many fundraising professionals pursue a master’s degree in a relevant discipline, like public administration.

➕ Fundraising certification: Becoming a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or receiving a professional certificate in grant writing, fundraising, or project management can help you both within the position and in securing your desired role.

➕ Existing donor and partner relationships: Networking and relationship building are key functions of the job, and having existing connections makes raising those first few donations easier.

➕ Leadership skills: You’re likely to have at least one direct report, so knowing how to lead effectively and work closely as a team makes the process smoother—you’ll continuously develop these skills as you go.

➕ Budget management experience: As a director of development you’ll be responsible for managing the fundraising budget, so experience with nonprofit accounting can help you make smarter financial decisions.

How to make an impact as a development director in your first 90 days

Development directors can feel pressure to make an immediate impact. However, a successful approach is to invest time in understanding how best to affect change in your organization and community.

When Givebutter asked experienced development directors in our community of changemakers what they found to be the most crucial part of setting themselves up for success in the first few months on the job, the overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) chose: “People: Building strong relationships with my colleagues and other stakeholders.”

The best career advice I ever got: Don't go in like a bull in a china shop. Just because you did something that worked amazing at one place, doesn't mean it will work somewhere else. You have to understand the people, the culture, and the content before you can worry about process or product. When you come in and immediately start changing process, you lose respect because you are basically telling your staff that they don't know what they're doing and you know better, even though they have been there. 

- Cheri Parlaman, Director of Development at Perry Hall Christian School

Follow these proactive and practical steps to best utilize the first 90 days in your role. 

Days 1-30: Become an expert on your nonprofit 👩‍🎓

Even if you’re familiar with your new organization’s cause and operations, coming in as the development director requires you to understand everything from a different angle. Use the first 30 days to take in as much information as you can from your board, staff, partners, and community members.

Meet with your executive team, host introductory sessions with staff from across your nonprofit, and schedule calls with long-term donors and partners to gain insight into recent successes and challenges. Also, review your nonprofit business plan, fundraising plan, and annual reports. Familiarize yourself with the situation as it is now so you can shape it into something even better.

Days 31-60: Evaluate your software and processes 🧰

Once you have the history and context, you can start taking a closer look at how your organization does fundraising right now. Consider the workflows and the tools your organization uses—like the donor database, grant management, and fundraising platform—so you can make small improvements to create big change.

Review your current processes for every aspect of fundraising—like writing grant applications, planning events, thanking donors, and running year-end campaigns. Then use your findings to optimize each process.

Days 61-90: Create or update your nonprofit development plan 📝

As you approach the final 30 days of this period, you should have a greater understanding of your mission, the fundraising landscape, and how you can make an impact. Now it’s time to bring all your knowledge together by creating or refreshing your nonprofit development plan.

Analyze the successes and challenges of past years, then start building an annual fundraising plan. Determine your budget and outline how you’ll spend it. Include details on special events or fundraising programs that you’ve planned based on data and donor research. Take every insight from your earlier conversations to craft a plan that’s specific to your mission, goals, and community. 

More to explore

Get the complete guide (and free template!) to nonprofit development planning →

Top tips for staying in the development director game

This is a fast-paced role with a long list of responsibilities, so it’s no surprise that organizations seem to move through development directors more quickly than other staff positions.

If this is your dream role and you’re in it for the long haul, here’s how you can demonstrate your value and secure your future as a director of development professional.

• Set realistic goals 🏆 It’s not uncommon for your and your board members’ ideas of what is realistic to be wildly different. Work with your board to educate them on what’s achievable.‍
• Use data to your advantage 📊 You’re likely to run into competing opinions and plenty of challenges, but it’s hard to dispute cold, hard numbers. Develop a habit of conducting research and collecting data to help increase your fundraising budget (and development director salary), get sign-off on a project, or attract a new sponsorship deal.
• ‍Delegate responsibilities 💼 Almost every director of development has a task list longer than one person can handle. Delegate what you can to other team members. If there isn’t enough full-time staff to support the scope of responsibilities, put forward a case to grow your fundraising team.‍
• Become a leader 🎙️ You have plenty of incredible ideas and years of experience, and it’s time to make your voice heard. Learn and showcase your leadership skills. Champion your expert insights whenever you can to lead your fundraising team toward success.‍
• Nurture your relationships 🎁 Take care of your relationships with donors, partners, and connected individuals, and you’ll develop a strong network to consistently support your fundraising goals.‍
• Invest in professional development 🎓 New social media platforms and engagement tactics pop up all the time. Stay committed to learning about new developments in fundraising technology, marketing, donor engagement, and public relations to stay on top of your game.

Jumpstart your development director success with Givebutter

Good development directors are expert fundraisers, communicators, and leaders. It’s a rewarding role that blends fundraising and donor management skills, ideal for people who enjoy both strategic planning and hands-on donor engagement. Use this guide to help you determine if it’s right for you and learn how you can make an impact in your first 90 days on the job.

When you’ve settled into the role and you’re ready to level up your fundraising game, finding the right fundraising software can increase team productivity and the overall effectiveness of your campaigns. With Givebutter’s free, all-in-one platform you can manage your donor data with a built-in CRM, set up fundraising campaigns, send donor communications, and analyze your impact all from one dashboard—without making a dent in your budget. ‍

Sign up for Givebutter for free today and enjoy a smoother way to manage your fundraising, engagement, and donor management in one user-friendly place.