Director, Development

KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ensuring that every kid in every community has an amazing place to play. Our mission is to end playspace inequity – the reality that playspaces are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. We unite with communities to build kid-designed playspaces that can spark joy and foster a sense of belonging for the kids who are often denied opportunities to thrive.

As Director of Development at KABOOM! You are an experienced fundraising leader interested in making transformative change addressing the inequities for kids in communities across the country. In this position, you are responsible for building meaningful partnerships with a variety of funders, including local and national corporations, national, regional, and state-focused foundations, and individual philanthropists within a robust portfolio of new and existing prospects. In collaboration with the VP of Development, the Director will play a vital role in expanding the funding base of KABOOM! by presenting compelling cases for support and shepherding prospective funding partners through every phase of the move management cycle. The Director will steer and grow a portfolio of relationships toward large-scale partnerships, strategic initiatives, and other sustainable growth strategies to support our 5-year organizational strategy. Equity and community responsiveness are at the center of our work, and the ideal candidate can lead and co-create partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

• As part of a National Development team, develop and secure the necessary resources to advance KABOOM!’s mission to close the playspace equity gap and reach annual revenue goals of $50M+.
• Help shape and implement our coalition-building strategy to galvanize local partners to address playspace disparities in targeted geographies/markets.
• Cultivate a portfolio of prospective partners inclusive of targeted geographies and aligned with organizational priorities, including racial equity, child development outcomes in health, learning, and resiliency, and exciting climate-forward innovations for playspace design and construction.
• Serve as a thought partner with the VP of Development in specific areas of subject matter expertise.
• Stay abreast of philanthropic trends and proactively explore partnerships with mission-aligned organizations and funders in the public and private sectors.
• Collaborate with KABOOM! peers and leadership in developing compelling proposals and presentations, managing partnerships, providing impact reports to funders, and identifying new prospects.
• Actively contribute to our equity-informed and inclusive work culture by taking an active role in promoting practices that support diversity, inclusion, and belongings.
• Engage in mentoring and peer mentoring within the Development team and across the organization.
• Ability to travel approx. 30% within the United States and Canada.
• Fully embrace our organizational values of partnership, humility, equity, play, and accountability.

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree and at least 7-10 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified. Proven experience in large-scale, new philanthropic revenue generation, managing funder relationships, and growing a portfolio of multi-year gifts.
• Deep understanding of the current funding environment, with an exceptional ability to build strong cases for support that aligns with KABOOM! and funder priorities and illuminate a common purpose across multiple stakeholders.
• Significant experience cultivating and growing existing funder and/or strategic partner relationships with executive-level stakeholders.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting with aggressive deadlines; management of multiple priorities and projects while balancing long-term goals.
• Exceptional and persuasive written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills with the ability to effectively interface with staff, community leaders, and senior-level executives.
• A sharp mind, top-notch critical thinking, and organizational capabilities, adept at quickly absorbing information from various angles, always keeping an eye on the big picture while maintaining superior attention to details.
• High level of integrity, trust, and accountability along with excellent judgment, intuition, and common sense, as well as the right blend of professional confidence with a keen sense of diplomacy.
• Collaborative, team-oriented work style with self-motivation and drive to get the job done.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite, Database management experience – Salesforce preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills; A sense of humor and a positive attitude.

To apply:

Submit a resume and cover letter that narrates the alignment between your background and KABOOM!’s fundraising goals. Also include with cover letter 2-3 writing samples demonstrating donor strategy and written case-building capabilities.

Other Position Details

• This position is full-time
• Location: This is a national search with a focus on major metropolitan cities
• Salary: $120,000 - $145,000

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation. We have a market-based compensation approach which means that we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates.

We value our employees and provide competitive benefits and perks which include but not limited to the following:

• Annual bonus based on team and individual goal attainment
• Robust benefits package, including options for medical, dental, vision, and health/wellness
• Generous 403(b) match of up to 6% of employee contribution
• Flexible time off inclusive of PTO, floating holidays and special days
• Opportunities for professional development

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain fully inclusive workspaces. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Additional Requirements

Individual has the ability and willingness to build relationships across differences and discuss issues of structural and institutional racism.