Director of Development (Philanthropy)

Corus International
Washington, DC or Remote

Position Title: Director of Development

Position Type: Regular Full-Time

Department: Global Relationships and Resources

Location: Washington, DC - Hybrid or Remote if located outside DMV

Salary Range: $102,000 - $128,000 - $154,000

Application:  Submit application on the Corus International careers page at www.corusinternational.org

Corus International provides a competitive, growth-oriented, yet fiscally responsible compensation program. When determining an offer for employment, multiple factors are considered including relevant years of experience, education, skills, internal equity, and budget. Our overall approach is to target the minimum to midpoint for starting salaries, based on these factors.

Additionally, Corus provides a comprehensive and competitive employee benefit package to protect our valued and dedicated staff and their families. Our benefits include three medical plan options with comprehensive prescription drug coverage, low-cost dental coverage with 100% paid vision insurance. Corus also provides a generous retirement plan and PTO to include vacation, sick, holiday, parental, jury, international travel, and bereavement leave; employer-sponsored basic life/AD&D insurance; employee wellness incentives, and employee work/life balance and assistance programs.

Position Summary:

The Director of Development operates within the Global Relationships and Resources Department and reports directly to the Associate Vice President. The Director will design, implement and lead a new fundraising brand and comprehensive strategy that supports Corus' mission to end extreme poverty. This is a unique opportunity to build a high-impact fundraising program from the ground up within a well-established organization. The Director will be creative, strategic and entrepreneurial with deep knowledge of donor acquisition strategies across multi-channel fundraising.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead the creation and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support Corus' global mission and the launch of a new public fundraising brand.
  • Design, test, and optimize innovative donor acquisition offers and campaigns using a data-driven approach, cultivating new audiences and deep engagement with existing supporters.
  • Build and manage a multi-channel fundraising program (email, web, social, direct mail, and other platforms), with a focus on individual donors and digital engagement.
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including marketing, programs, and executive leadership, to align messaging and integrate fundraising across the organization.
  • Identify and cultivate new donor audiences (domestically and internationally) while building strategies to retain and upgrade existing supporters.
  • Manage relationships with external partners and vendors (e.g., creative agencies, data analysts, digital ad buyers) to deliver on fundraising goals.
  • Analyze campaign performance and donor data to inform decision-making, improve ROI, and scale successful initiatives.
  • Manage annual budget with hyperfocus on performance, ROI and apply an entrepreneurial approach in identifying new opportunities.
  • Contribute to the development of the fundraising team's infrastructure, processes, and tools to support long-term growth.

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, nonprofit management, or related discipline and 8+ years' progressive experience in fundraising, marketing, or donor development; or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience engaging with donors whose philanthropic motivations are rooted in their faith background.
  • Experience in domestic and international fundraising contexts.
  • Creative, strategic and entrepreneurial with deep knowledge of donor acquisition strategies and best practices across digital, direct mail, and multi-channel fundraising.
  • Strong understanding of individual giving trends and techniques, including donor segmentation, journey mapping, A/B testing, emergency fundraising and campaign analytics.
  • Proven ability to develop compelling donor offers and communications aligned with organizational mission and values.
  • Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to inspire donors and translate complex programmatic work into accessible appeals.
  • Experience executing fundraising appeals in multiple languages helpful.
  • Proficiency in fundraising CRM systems (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce or similar), marketing automation platforms, and data reporting tools.
  • Demonstrated creativity and entrepreneurial mindset with a willingness to test, fail, learn, and iterate.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
  • Cultural competency and ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Ability to travel both domestic and international up to 20% annually.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Professional certification such as Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) or completion of recognized marketing and fundraising courses is strongly preferred.