Director of Development and Philanthropy (Contract, Freelance)

The Director of Development and Philanthropy is an embedded fundraising leader who owns both the strategy and execution of Save Sight Now’s fundraising program. This role is responsible for designing, operating, and personally driving the organization’s revenue engine across major gifts, events, sponsorships, grants, and evergreen giving.

While this role is part-time in hours, it is not an advisory or consulting engagement. Save Sight Now is seeking a leader who will make the organization a primary professional priority, consolidate their focus across no more than one or two organizations, and be personally accountable for fundraising outcomes.

This is a hands-on operator role suited for an experienced development leader who is equally comfortable setting strategy, making asks, running events, and executing day-to-day work.

Core Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Ownership

• Develop and own SSN’s annual fundraising plan and revenue targets

• Set priorities and make tradeoffs across major gifts, events, grants, and campaigns

• Report progress and risks to the Executive Director and Board

Major Gifts & Donor Strategy

• Build, manage, and personally advance a major donor pipeline

• Coordinate donor outreach and solicitation with the Executive Director and Board

• Own donor follow-through, stewardship, and relationship progression

Events & Sponsorships

• Own SSN’s annual flagship fundraising event end-to-end

• Design event revenue strategy (tickets, sponsorships, live asks, follow-up)

• Execute additional events as appropriate

Grants & Institutional Funding

• Identify and prioritize aligned grant opportunities

• Manage calendars, submissions, and follow-up

• Coordinate with scientific leadership and external grant support as needed

Team & Operations

• Build and manage fundraising execution support (communications, ops, grant writing)

• Ensure donor records, reporting, and stewardship systems function reliably

Ideal Candidate

• 10+ years of senior nonprofit development or fundraising leadership

• Proven experience owning fundraising strategy and execution

• Demonstrated success closing major gifts and running flagship events

• Comfortable operating as an embedded leader in a founder-led organization

• Able to make Save Sight Now a primary professional commitment

• Mission-driven, with interest in science, healthcare, or rare disease preferred

Apply here.

Source: Idealist