Senior Director, Development

Company: United Way Of Greater Cleveland
Location: Cleveland
Posted on: February 17, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Purpose of Position The Senior Director, Development is both a leader and a front-line fundraiser that plays an essential leadership role on the Revenue Team, overseeing operations of the largest revenue generator for the organization. Reporting to the VP, Development, this role supervises two team members who manage their own corporate partner portfolios. Together, the entire team manages a robust workplace giving program, setting, reporting and achieving annual goals set collectively with the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and VP, Development. The Senior Director will partner closely with Individual Giving team members to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors that participate in the workplace giving program, and the Grants/Foundations Team to strategically grow and diversify fundraising revenue at UWGC, with particular focus on increasing corporate support and partnership activations, as well as converting passthrough workplace campaign donors to direct donors to UWGC. This position is responsible for: Leading the workplace giving program and supporting its volunteer leadership (which may include co-chairs, Executive Cabinet members, and loaned executives) in achieving our annual workplace revenue goals Designing strategies to initiate new, grow current, and renew lapsed corporate annual giving to ensure United Way initiatives and programs are aligned with organizational strategies and priorities and meeting financial goals. Using effective and innovative means to connect donors with serving the needs of the community through the mission of the United Way of Greater Cleveland. Building and maintaining relationships with volunteers, business leaders, campaign managers, and affinity groups that participate in the workplace giving program. Identifying opportunities to implement efficiencies and effectiveness measures, enhancing relationships with current workplace partners, and expanding the base of workplace campaigns. Duties and Responsibilities Fundraising & Donor Relationship Management Set yearly strategies for Corporate Partnership Team to meet or exceed annual revenue and fundraising growth goals. Meet and/or exceed annual revenue goals. Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships necessary for operating an effective workplace giving program aimed at generating increased and new revenue. Support VPs with identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of corporate partners with the capacity to support at the $10,000 level on an annual basis. Secure new corporate partnerships and activations, as well as enhancing current partnerships and reactivating those that have lapsed. Document all portfolio-related activities using the donor database. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Engagement In collaboration with the Individual Giving Team, ensure workplace campaign donors who have membership in the UWGC giving and/or affinity groups are stewarded appropriately. Work closely with the Marketing Communications and Community Impact Teams to coordinate communication strategies for the workplace giving program. Identify prospective individual and foundation donors for UWGC through corporate and workplace campaign and coordinate with Individual Giving Team, Grants/Foundations Team and VP on introductions and collaboration between fundraising efforts with these prospects. Prospect Strategy, Reporting & Operations Manage and report on Corporate Partnerships expense and revenue budget. Track and produce bi-monthly report on Corporate Partnerships Team's progress, utilizing established key performance indicators (KPIs) including overall dollars raised, giving trends over time, and designation percentages. Monitor and institute corporate partnerships best practices in operations, such as workplace campaign administration, CRM utilization, prospect research, acknowledgments, and reporting. Management & Leadership Responsibilities Lead and manage a highly collaborative team in all identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts with corporate and workplace campaign prospects and donors. Support the CEO, CRO, VP and Board of Directors in their corporate engagement efforts, including meeting strategy briefings, peer engagement, fundraising activities, research or background on prospects, coaching/training, materials, day-of/event preparation, etc. Coach and train the Revenue Team for increasingly complex and new corporate opportunities to include sponsorships, point of sale campaigns, cause-related marketing, etc. also activating the national United Way agency network for best practices, strategies and tactics to activate at UWGC. Create and drive collaborative, results-oriented philanthropic culture across all fundraising areas that contribute to the entire Revenue Team's goals. Lead Revenue Team staff training and mentoring for sales/fundraising and relationship management techniques. Supervise front-line team who each manage a portfolio of corporate partners and lead on workplace campaign and partnerships. Community Engagement & Representation Represent United Way of Greater Cleveland at workplace campaign or corporate giving events. Serve as an ambassador for UWGC’s mission, demonstrating deep knowledge of its impact and strategic goals. Other Duties as assigned This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Qualifications Required Education and Experience: Minimum Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Minimum 8 years of fundraising experience, with experience in corporate partnership, and a proven record of accomplishment of securing complex corporate partnerships valued at six-figures-plus. Workplace campaign administration experience preferred. Experience leading and managing a successful fundraising team; including recruiting, managing, evaluating, developing, and training development staff. Preferred Education and Experience Master’s degree is strongly preferred. Specialized Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA) Mission driven. Proven track record in securing and stewarding six- and seven-figure gifts. Knowledge of and connections to the Greater Cleveland corporate and philanthropic community is an asset. Possess a business acumen that entails knowledge and understands general business and financial principles required to effectively lead, manage, and align resources for performance; as well as the ability to read financial statements, understand budgets, etc. is essential. Demonstrated “moves management”, sales or fundraising experience. Strong relationship-building skills with high-net-worth individuals, corporate leaders, and community influencers. Excellent oral and written communications skills including public speaking and presentation abilities with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse external and internal audiences. Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution. Strong project management skills. Ability to work in fast paced environment. Attention to detail and accuracy. High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and donor databases. Work Environment/Physical Demands (if any) The physical demands and work environmental characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Working conditions are normal for an office environment, which includes, but not limited to, the following: Some local travel and occasional overnight travel. Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability and property damage on the vehicle used is required. Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to fingers, hand or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. Employees may need to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal. UWGC is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, disability, veteran status, advanced education, marital status, age, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, and other legally protected characteristics, in accordance with applicable laws.

Keywords: United Way Of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Heights , Senior Director, Development, PR / Public Relations , Cleveland, Ohio