Director of Development

Job Description: Director of Development

Who We Are:

• Eye Thrive is a locally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers children to pursue their full potential by delivering essential eyecare across the St. Louis region.
• In June 2025, Eye Thrive launched a second Mobile Vision Clinic, doubling our capacity and our impact on the lives of St. Louis kids.
• This school year, Eye Thrive will provide 25,000+ vision screenings, 8,000+ comprehensive eye exams, 8,000+ prescription glasses, 3,000+ replacement glasses, and 300+ follow-up care referrals, all completely free of charge.

Job Overview:

• The Director of Development is responsible for planning, designing, and executing Eye Thrive’s annual and long-term strategies for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of corporate, foundation, and individual donors. This role leads the development team that assists in implementing the development plan.   The Director of Development is expected to meet/exceed the annual fundraising goal of $1.8 million in the fiscal year 2025-2026 by deepening existing donor relationships and developing new ones to maximize fundraising potential across Eye Thrive development efforts. This position reports to the CEO and collaborates closely with department directors.
• This role leads Eye Thrive’s fundraising, donor cultivation, volunteer engagement, and special events to secure financial support and advance the organization’s mission. It oversees strategic planning, team leadership, budget management, and community outreach to meet annual revenue goals and foster long-term growth
• The Director of Development requires a commitment to the mission, high integrity, strategic leadership, empathy, strong relationship-building, effective communication, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to inspire enthusiasm and consensus around goals.

Job Type:

• Permanent; Full Time; Exempt.
• Expected 40 hours/week; Monday-Friday; Occasional weekends.
• Participation in morning/evening meetings and special events will be required as needed.
• Reports to Chief Executive Officer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Build Relationships, Cultivate and Solicit Donors – 20%

• Collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and all staff to ensure a culture of philanthropy at all levels of the organization.
• Develops and implements prospect strategies, cultivation, solicitation, and follow-up activities for new major donors, individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Leads a moves management system to cultivate major gifts by working with the CEO, developing strategies, and preparing outreach strategies, talking points and other content.
• Plans and executes at least 4 donor cultivation or recognition events each fiscal year.
• Stewards all board members, providing tools/training to support their engagement towards a 100% giving board.
• Oversees the curation and maintenance of a dynamic list of current and prospective donors; regularly vets opportunities with board and staff to identify new funding prospects and strategically solicit support.
• Cultivates relationships with individual donors through in-person meetings at least 3 times monthly.
• Creates and manages appeals, leading the Development Team to determine appeal recipients, tracks donations, tax letters, thank yous, and subsequent touch points.
• Leads the Capital Campaign in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, securing the remaining $1,000,000 of investments to support expansion and future growth.
• Serves as an organizational ambassador, actively pursuing opportunities to spread Eye Thrive’s mission in the community.

Planning and Research – 10%

• Works with the Chief Executive Officer to develop a detailed annual development plan outlining the path to meet fiscal year revenue goals.
• Leads the implementation of the annual development plan and strategically manages the development team’s work towards annual goals, including goal tracking that is measured on a quarterly basis with strategic adjustments as needed.
• Oversees all grant writing and reporting to ensure internal/external deadlines are consistently met.
• Oversees and ensures the strategic, accurate, and consistent use of the CRM to support all fundraising efforts, including donation processing, acknowledgements, donor recognition, reporting, and event data management.
• Collaborates with the Donor Database Coordinator to maintain data integrity, analyze donor trends, and continuously improve donor communications and CRM protocols.
• Works with the Chief Executive Officer and the Development Team to draft the annual budget in support of organizational goals and expenses for the next fiscal year.

Report Outcomes – 5%

• Oversees the accurate tracking and reporting of all revenue in the CRM.
• Leads annual audit preparation by ensuring all financial records are accurately organized, documented, and audit-ready.

Special Events – 10%

• Plans, oversees, and executes all annual fundraising events, including gala/non-event, 24-hour day of giving, and other special events.
• Plans and executes eight Leadership Circle Dinners during the 2025–2026 fiscal year, engaging key donors to celebrate their generosity, strengthen relationships, and cultivate new support, aiming to generate $100,000 in revenue.
• Develops and implements detailed event timelines to ensure event revenue goals are met.
• Manages the coordination of all staff during events for maximum efficiency and donor experience.
• Collects post-event feedback from staff, partners, and guests to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Prepares and shares a debrief with the CEO, including key takeaways and recommendations for future events.
• Participates in the Annual Health Fair by seeking event sponsors and overseeing volunteer participation.

Volunteer and Community Engagement – 10%

• Oversees the recruitment, training, onboarding and engagement of individual and group volunteers.
• Designs and oversees the corporate engagement program.
• Oversees cross-departmental communication to identify and develop meaningful volunteer opportunities.
• Works with development team to create annual volunteer engagement plan, including strategies for corporate, individual and group volunteers.
• Maintains continuous quality improvement and evaluation of volunteer program and management systems.

Leadership – 15%

• Demonstrates strategic leadership by anticipating needs, aligning team efforts with organizational priorities, and fostering a culture of empathy, accountability, and high performance.
• Participates and contributes in regular leadership team meetings to ensure we lead with transparency, respond in real time, and stay connected as one team moving towards our mission.
• Leads and supports professional development for team members to promote skill-building, collaboration, and growth.
• Monitors departmental budget and expenses, reviews monthly budget vs. actuals, and adjusts plans as needed to meet financial goals.
• Prepares bi-monthly board reports summarizing key activities, progress, and updates; participates in board meetings and committees as needed.
• Builds enthusiasm and consensus around team strategies, key initiatives, and long-term organizational goals.

Management – 15%

• Leads high-performing team, ensuring alignment with organizational and departmental goals.
• Schedules and conducts regular one-on-one meetings and team meetings with the team to provide guidance, address challenges, and review progress towards SMART goals.
• Manages team in creation and revision of streamlined processes to ensure timely, efficient, and successful team functioning.
• Provides timely support to address day-to-day logistical needs, ensuring smooth execution across team functions.
• Completes all steps of the established performance evaluation cycle with the team, ensuring timely follow-through, consistency, and alignment with individual development, accountability, and organizational goals.
• Reviews time tracking and keeping records for direct reports to ensure accuracy, and communicates any discrepancies or questions for correction or clarification.

Strategic Planning – 10%

• Advances the strategic plan by holding self accountable and collaborating with the team to ensure organizational priorities, goals, and targets are met as outlined in the work plan.

General Organizational Support – 5%

• Demonstrates a deep commitment to Eye Thrive’s mission by centering kids and families in all decisions and actions. Leads with empathy, compassion, and trust while advancing equity and transformational change in both day-to-day work and long-term impact. Consistently reflects organizational values in relationships, communication, and decision-making.
• Participates in regular one on ones and annual employee evaluation process by receiving and providing constructive feedback, reflecting on performance, review progress towards SMART goals, and identifying growth opportunities for the year ahead.
• Supports organization-wide initiatives, including special events, fundraisers, stewardship activities, and community outreach or operations, as needed.
• Completes other tasks as assigned and required by direct supervisor or CEO.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Skills

• Commitment to the mission and values of the organization.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.

Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of non-profit development experience required.
• Proficient skill level with CRM required, experience with Bloomerang preferred.
• Proficient skill level with Microsoft Office applications, including One Drive.
• Proficient skill level with Google Documents, Sheets, and Calendar.

Abilities

• Ability to manage multiple projects with attention to detail, handle interruptions, maintain focus on tasks and produce accurate work.
• Ability to provide and accept constructive feedback.
• Ability to adjust to changing conditions or priorities.
• Ability to make decisions and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to quickly understand complex information, adapt to new challenges, and take initiative as a proactive self-starter.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

Physical Demands

• Must be able to lift and carry 25 pounds on occasion when supporting Eye Thrive visits and/or events during set-up and tear-down.
• Ability to move up and down stairwells.

Work Environment

• Works at a shared workspace office at Eye Thrive headquarters at the Delmar DivINe.
• Occasionally travels to Eye Thrive warehouse located in Maryland Heights.
• Occasionally travels to Mobile Vision Clinic at various schools and community centers throughout Greater St. Louis.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary of $100,000.
• Competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and Employee Assistance Program services.
• 403b employer matching program.
• Competitive personal time off policy.
• Mileage reimbursement.
• Professional development opportunities.

Submit a cover letter and resume at eyethrive.bamboohr.com/jobs   Priority is given to early applicants; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and position is open until filled.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This job description is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this position.  It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements.