Senior Director of Fundraising and Development
About the role
Senior Director of Fundraising and Development
BES seeks a full-time Senior Director of Fundraising and Development to join our team. This position can be based from a home office anywhere in the United States and requires approximately 10% travel, including donor meetings, conferences, team gatherings, and organizational events.
About BES
BES is a national nonprofit organization that identifies and prepares excellent leaders to transform education in their communities. Over the past two decades, BES has prepared leaders to found 200+ schools in 50 cities across 20 states and Washington DC, educating 72,000+ students – of whom 82 percent qualify for free/reduced lunch, and 94 percent identify as students of color. In all, BES has trained more than 2,700 leaders to found, lead, and grow schools through its leadership development offerings.
About the Position
As BES approaches its 25th anniversary and advances its five-year strategic plan, the Senior Director of Fundraising and Development role is pivotal to ensuring the organization has the resources it needs to sustain and deepen its impact. The person in this role will lead BES’s fundraising strategy, donor pipeline, and revenue growth efforts, ensuring the organization has the philanthropic resources needed to advance its mission and strategic priorities. This position reports to the CEO and directly manages the Director of Partnerships & Regional Research.
Key Responsibilities:
The Senior Director of Fundraising and Development will be a driving force in BES's next chapter — building the philanthropic relationships and revenue infrastructure that allow the organization to deepen its impact as it enters its 25th year. Success in this role means not just meeting fundraising goals, but growing a donor community that is deeply invested in BES's mission and the leaders it develops. The person in this role will be a trusted partner to the CEO, a strategic builder of systems and relationships, and a visible ambassador for BES in the broader philanthropic landscape.
Fundraising Strategy & Campaign Leadership
- Drive annual fundraising revenue goals across all streams, including major gifts, multi-year grants, corporate contributions, and individual giving.
- Design, lead, and evaluate comprehensive fundraising campaigns from inception through close.
- Develop and execute BES’s annual and multi-year fundraising plan, including diversification strategies, donor segment priorities, and cultivation timelines.
- Represent BES at conferences, donor convenings, and external events to strengthen the organization’s visibility, credibility, and relationships within the philanthropic community.
- Serve as the primary development advisor to the CEO.
Donor Pipeline, Relationships & Stewardship
- Manage and grow a strategic fundraising pipeline across all stages of donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Lead major gifts and foundation fundraising efforts through tailored donor engagement and relationship management strategies.
- Develop and maintain strong partnerships with individual donors, institutional funders, and philanthropic partners aligned to BES initiatives.
- Oversee grant proposals, reports, and donor communications to ensure timely, high-quality, and mission-aligned stewardship.
- Use fundraising data and donor insights to forecast revenue, identify opportunities, and strengthen long-term donor engagement and retention.
Team & Organizational Leadership
- Directly manage and develop the Director of Partnerships & Regional Research through clear goal-setting, coaching, feedback, and professional development support.
- Collaborate cross-functionall