Director of Development

Position Overview The Director of Development serves the mission of Siena Retreat Center by leading and implementing the organization’s fundraising strategy, with a strong focus on donor engagement, major gifts, and relationship building. This full-time (40 hours/week), year-round, salaried position is responsible for securing philanthropic support to sustain and grow Siena Retreat Center’s programs and operations. The Director plays a key leadership role in managing the Siena Circle major donor program, coordinating fundraising appeals, stewarding donors and corporate sponsors, and overseeing development operations. This position reports to the Executive Director. Essential Duties and Responsibilities 1. Donor Engagement and Fund Appeals (approx. 60%): Cultivates and stewards individual donor relationships to grow major gifts and meet annual fundraising goals. Develops and implements major gift strategies, including donor cultivation, solicitation, planned giving, and stewardship. Works with the Development Committee to evaluate current fund development strategies, plans, and initiatives. Engages the Siena Circle major donor giving group through ongoing relationship-building, quarterly newsletter planning, and coordination of the annual Siena Circle Thank You Dinner. Coordinates the execution of annual appeals, including the End-of-Year Appeal and Spring Into Summer Appeal. Maintains accurate donor records and giving histories in CRM software; ensures data integrity and supports donor segmentation. Makes thank you calls to donors as part of stewardship efforts, with administrative support from the Marketing & Communications staff person for donation processing and thank you letter preparation. Conducts donor meetings and one-on-one outreach in collaboration with the Executive Director; meets with prospective donors off-site as appropriate. Engages with potential donors and sponsors, builds relationships in the community. Collaborates with Program and Marketing staff and Board of Directors to remain informed about programming and Center priorities that can be shared with donors. 2. Fundraising Events and Sponsorships (approx. 30%): Plans and oversees the annual benefit concert and other fundraising events, builds relationships with sponsors, manages event-based giving initiatives; and researches and writes grant proposals in alignment with organizational goals. Leads the planning and implementation of the Annual Spring Concert & Silent Auction fundraising event in partnership with committees, staff, and volunteers. Secures and stewards corporate sponsorships for fundraising events and other initiatives. Identifies and researches foundation, corporate, and other grant opportunities in coordination with the Executive Director. Prepares grant proposals and supporting documentation in alignment with organizational needs and strategic priorities; maintains a calendar of grant submissions and reporting timelines. Oversees the design and coordination of silent auctions or raffles as part of fundraising efforts. Builds relationships with local businesses and organizations to foster community support and in-kind contributions. Collaborates with the Director of Marketing & Communications to promote events and acknowledge sponsors. 3. Additional Responsibilities (approx. 10%): Supports smooth internal operations through participation in meetings, budgeting, and special projects. Stays current with trends and best practices in philanthropy and fund development Attends staff and committee meetings regularly and other meetings as appropriate Participates in budgeting and review of related line items Performs other duties as needed to support the mission and smooth operations Provides additional staff assistance during peak periods and as organizational needs arise