Development Director

About the Role Fuse Washington is hiring a Development Director to lead and grow our fundraising program to support innovative election and issue campaigns that engage more people in our democracy and advance progressive change in Washington state. The Development Director will lead Fuse's development department across c3, c4, and PAC entities and serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Director, board, and senior leadership on fundraising matters. What You'll Do

• Develop and implement an integrated fundraising strategy that aligns major gifts, mid-level donors, foundation funding, monthly giving, and events into a cohesive, mission-driven approach.

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and senior staff to track progress toward annual fundraising goals and adjust strategy as needed.

• Lead the development and improvement of fundraising systems, including CRM practices, donor segmentation, and pipeline management.

• Develop and maintain internal and external fundraising tools, including data analysis, donor briefing materials, and training resources.

• Support and train staff and board in fundraising and donor engagement to build a culture of fundraising confidence.

• Manage relationships with key institutional partners, program officers, and major funders.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership on fundraising priorities and organizational sustainability.

• Major Donor Fundraising

• Co-manage, grow, and steward a portfolio of major donors ($2,500+), including cultivation and solicitation meetings.

• Develop and execute strategies to renew, upgrade, and acquire major donors across Fuse's c3, c4, and PAC entities.

• Conduct prospect research and coordinate regular major donor updates with the Executive Director and senior staff.

• Personally make direct fundraising asks and support board and staff in doing the same.

• Lead strategy to retain, upgrade, and grow mid-level donors and craft personalized cultivation and stewardship plans.

• Oversee the revitalization of the mid-level donor program, testing engagement strategies and improving automation.

• Foundation, Grant, & Other Fundraising

• Maintain and strengthen relationships with current foundation partners and oversee grant writing, submissions, and reporting across funding cycles.

• Identify, pursue, and renew foundation opportunities aligned with Fuse's long-term goals.

• Lead GiveBig and other annual giving campaigns.

• Provide strategic oversight for Progress Partners monthly giving program.

• Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise development staff, conduct check-ins and performance reviews, and support professional growth.

• Oversee strategy and fundraising for two annual fundraising events and other cultivation events.\

• Systems, Data & Operations

• Oversee Salesforce (CRM) and ensure accurate tracking of donor communications, gifts, and pipelines.

• Develop and improve automated donor communications using ActionNetwork and Salesforce.

• Maintain systems for tracking major donor portfolios, gift acknowledgment, and tax receipts. What We're Looking For

• Minimum 5 years of nonprofit fundraising experience with a proven track record in major gifts and individual donor fundraising.

• Experience making direct fundraising asks and managing a major donor portfolio.

• Ability to build authentic, long-term relationships with donors, funders, board members, and organizational partners.

• Experience supervising staff and building team capacity.

• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, including donor communications and grant narratives.

• Experience with fundraising databases/CRMs (Salesforce or similar).

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, with rigorous tracking and follow-through.

• Personal commitment to advancing racial, social, environmental, and economic justice.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, campaign-style work environment. Nice to Have

• Familiarity with c3, c4, and PAC fundraising structures and legal distinctions.

• Experience with foundation grants strategy, including program officer cultivation and grant writing. Compensation & Benefits

• Salary not disclosed in the posting.