HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

Position Purpose

A versatile position within a dynamic nonprofit that helps communities recover after disasters and gets children back in school. With more than 20 years of impact, the organization operates across three complex funding verticals— emergency response, long-term recovery and resilience building, education and humanitarian aid—in some of the most demanding environments in the world. As AH&H has entered its next decade, a world of opportunity is opening up: the global demand for disaster response and resilience services has never been greater, and the organization’s reputation and track record position it to grow at a transformational scale.

The Head of Development is a senior leadership role created to lead the next chapter of growth for the organization. Building on a diversified $20 million revenue base and an established team, this individual will architect the path to $100 million in annual revenue—identifying, cultivating, and securing new sources of funding at a transformational scale while strengthening and expanding existing channels.

This is a role for a proven fundraiser who is most energized by being on the road—traveling to meet donors and partners in person, representing the organization at the highest levels, and turning new relationships into transformational commitments.

This position is based in the U.S., working remotely from home office.

The Candidate

All Hands & Hearts is seeking a seasoned, high-performing fundraiser at the stage of their career where they are ready to apply everything they have learned and built. The right candidate is a prospector, a builder, and above all a doer—someone who has personally identified, pursued, and secured major new funding relationships throughout their career. They are social, easy to connect with, and naturally draw people in. They are relentless, independently driven, and assertive in pursuing what the organization needs to grow.

The following qualities are essential:

• Prospecting instinct. This individual does not wait for leads to arrive. They are insatiable—systematically identifying new prospects, initiating relationships, and energetically pulling opportunities forward. They work with a relentless, proactive approach to filling the top of the funnel with qualified new opportunities.
• An active, high-value network. They bring existing relationships with major donors, corporate partners, and institutional funders that can be activated immediately. Their network is a core part of what they contribute from day one.
• Digital fundraising fluency. This individual knows the online giving world inside and out—from digital donation platforms, peer-to-peer fundraising, and crowdfunding to recurring giving optimization, donor-advised funds, and AI-driven donor engagement. They have deep, hands-on experience building digital fundraising programs and are eager to apply that expertise to accelerate AH&H’s online revenue.
• A builder’s orientation. They have an appetite to create something new and tangible. They are most energized by the opportunity to take a strong foundation and build it into something larger, bringing fresh perspective and innovation to how the organization engages donors. They see a $20 million organization with a $100 million future and are hungry for that growth.
• Creative deal-making ability. They don’t simply make asks. They are comfortable designing new giving products and partnership structures that highlight the value of investing in this organization—creating win-win arrangements where donor interests and organizational mission are aligned for lasting impact.
• In-person presence and travel commitment. This role requires significant time traveling—meeting donors face-to-face, visiting program sites, attending conferences and events. The right candidate has stature, radiates confidence, and is energized by being in the room. They are the kind of person others want to talk to and invest alongside.
• Established authority and credibility. This individual brings weight and authority earned through years of results. They are at a point in their career where their track record speaks before they do. They are equally comfortable presenting to a boardroom, hosting a site visit, or having a candid conversation with a prospective seven-figure donor.
• Resilience and persistence. Major gifts take time. This individual understands that arc and remains fully engaged through every stage of the cycle.
• Urgency. The need for services like those All Hands & Hearts provides has never been greater, and a world of opportunity is opening up. The right candidate works with a sense of urgency because the mission demands it. They carry the reality of communities recovering and children out of school into every donor conversation, and they channel that awareness into action.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to  Chief Engagement Officer
• Roles reporting to position  Senior Director of Development, Director of Grants and Foundation Relations
• Indirect Reports 5

The Mandate

 The Head of Development will be expected to make a visible strategic impact within the first year. The following priorities define what success looks like:

• Revenue architecture. Assess the full revenue portfolio—individual, corporate, foundation, government, and online—and define a clear strategic thesis for how AH&H grows from $20 million toward $100 million. Identify where the greatest growth levers are, which channels are underinvested, and where the highest returns on effort will come from.
• Pipeline and prospecting. Deliver tangible new activity—not just a strategy document, but actual doors opened. New major donor prospects identified and engaged, new corporate and institutional conversations initiated. The pipeline should be visibly fuller and more diverse than before this leader arrived.
• Digital revenue acceleration.
  Define and begin executing a vision for AH&H’s digital fundraising engine. This includes evaluating new platforms, launching or strengthening online campaigns, growing recurring giving programs, and applying AI-driven approaches to donor engagement and prospecting.
• Team direction and alignment. Establish clear strategic direction for the development team, ensuring that roles, responsibilities, and ways of working are aligned with the growth agenda. Build a shared sense of purpose and momentum across the function.
• Donor experience and positioning.
  Sharpen how AH&H presents its case for investment to major donors and partners. Develop new giving products and partnership structures that make it compelling and easy for supporters to invest at a significant level in the organization’s mission.

Essential Functions

Revenue Architecture

• Own the organization’s multi-year revenue growth strategy, defining the path from $20 million to $100 million in annual revenue.
• Evaluate the full revenue portfolio—including but not limited to: individual, corporate, foundation, government, and online—to identify where the greatest growth levers are and where effort should be prioritized.
• Set annual and multi-year fundraising targets in partnership with the Chief Engagement Officer and hold the development function accountable to those goals.
• Present revenue strategy, growth progress, and key opportunities to organizational leadership and the board as needed.

Pipeline and Prospecting

• Personally identify, cultivate, and close new major gift donors and institutional partners at the $1 million+ level.
• Build and maintain an active prospecting pipeline of new funding opportunities across revenue channels.
• Develop and execute targeted prospecting strategies that expand the donor base beyond existing relationships, leveraging research, networking, and in-person engagement.
• Represent All Hands & Hearts at conferences, donor events, and program sites with the full authority of a senior organizational leader.

Digital Revenue Acceleration

• Own the digital fundraising strategy, including online giving platforms, peer-to-peer campaigns, recurring giving programs, and AI-driven donor engagement.
• Evaluate and implement new digital tools and channels to expand online reach and convert donor interest into revenue.
• Set measurable online revenue growth targets and build the systems and workflows to track and optimize digital fundraising performance.

Team Direction and Alignment

• Lead and guide the development team towards new ways of operating—providing strategic direction and ensuring alignment between growth strategy and operational execution.
• Design the organizational architecture—roles, capabilities, and systems—required to support a $100 million fundraising operation.
• Mentor and develop senior fundraising leaders, building a bench of talent that can grow with the organization.
• Use data and donor analytics to inform strategic decisions, assess pipeline health, and identify emerging opportunities.

Donor Experience and Strategic Partnerships

• Sharpen how AH&H presents its case for investment to major donors and partners, ensuring the organization’s impact story is compelling at every touchpoint.
• Structure creative, high-value partnership arrangements across revenue channels that align donor interests with organizational priorities.
• Develop new giving products and partnership structures that make it compelling and easy for supporters to invest at a significant level in the organization’s mission.
• Serve as the organization’s primary external relationship holder for the highest-tier donors and prospects.

Position Requirements

Required Related Experience

• Extensive senior-level experience leading development at a complex organization, with a verifiable record of personally securing major gifts and building new revenue streams.
• Demonstrated success in both prospecting new donor relationships at scale and growing existing revenue channels.
  • Experience leading and developing high-performing development teams in organizations with multiple programs or funding verticals

Required Qualifications

• An established and active network of major donor, corporate, and foundation relationships that can be leveraged immediately.
  • Deep experience in digital fundraising and online giving—including donation platforms, peer-to-peer campaigns, recurring giving programs, and emerging digital channels—with a track record of translating that expertise into measurable online revenue growth.

Preferred Special Competencies

• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) is a plus

• Fluency in CRM platforms and donor analytics, with the ability to use data strategically rather than operationally.

• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to compellingly represent the organization’s mission to any audience.
  • High proficiency with content and project management tools including Google Workspace, Notion, Slack, Canva, and Zeck.
• Demonstrated comfort operating in fast-moving, unpredictable environments. Experience in disaster relief, humanitarian aid, or international development is a strong advantage.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands 

• Home office environment
• Constantly operates computer
• Travel up to 50% of the time,  with preference for in-person relationship building. Willingness to work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, when donor engagements and events require it.
• Living in communal environment while on program

Compensation & Benefits 

• Compensation: Salary range $110,000 - $160,000 commensurate with experience
• Flexible working hours
• Unlimited PTO
• Opportunity to travel to program
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance plans (US Employees)
• Flex Spending Account (US Employees)
• 401K with safe harbor match for U.S. staff (US Employees)

Diversity is the acknowledgment, promotion and celebration of our differences and similarities. All racial identities, ethnicities, sexes, nationalities, gender identities and expressions, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientations, ages, spiritualities, points of view and socioeconomic statuses can fit in with us. We support individuals from around the world and serve communities affected by disasters with purpose. Response, recovery, resilience and renewal are why we exist. Respect for the value of diversity, inclusion and social justice drives us forward every day. Everyone is welcome. 

All Hands & Hearts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic.