IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA iava.org

IAVA is an equal-opportunity employer. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are highly encouraged to apply.

Director, Development

Full-Time · Remote with Regular Travel · Reports to CEO

Start Date ASAP

Application Rolling — send resume and cover letter to hiring@iava.org with "Development

Director" in the subject line. Applications without a cover letter will not be

considered. No phone calls.

Salary Base $90,000+, commensurate with experience

Benefits Comprehensive health, dental, vision; 403(b) retirement plan; three weeks paid

vacation

ABOUT IAVA

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) connects, unites, and empowers post-9/11

veterans. As the nation's leading nonpartisan 501(c)(3) advocate for the more than 3.5 million

veterans who have served since 9/11, IAVA elevates veteran voices in the media, on Capitol

Hill, and across the country — driving the policy changes and cultural shifts that help veterans

build healthy, successful civilian lives. Though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended,

their repercussions have not. IAVA is on the front lines every day.

THE ROLE

IAVA is looking for a builder. The Director of Development will own IAVA's fundraising operation

end to end. You will work directly with the CEO to set the vision for how IAVA raises money,

build the infrastructure to sustain it, manage the team and external partners who execute it, and

be personally accountable for outcomes.

The right person is already a proven fundraiser who is energized by the opportunity to build

something from the ground up. You have held revenue targets before, you know what it takes to

hit them, and you're ready to own that accountability again at IAVA.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Major Donor Engagement & Stewardship

Own the full major donor pipeline - research, identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and corporate giving programs.

Build and execute the CEO donor engagement strategy, driving both renewals with lapsed donors and conversion of new prospects into committed supporters.

Produce (and hold your team accountable for producing) all donor-facing materials: proposals, impact reports, briefings, and correspondence.

Partner with the Board of Directors to activate their networks and expand IAVA's donor reach.

Lead a deliberate effort to diversify IAVA's donor base geographically, demographically, and by giving type.

Foundation Fundraising

Own IAVA's foundation fundraising strategy. Design and drive a multi-year cultivation plan that produces sustainable, unrestricted, and multi-year grants.

Conduct and direct prospect research. Maintain a prioritized pipeline and know where every prospect stands at all times.

Lead cultivation and initial outreach to prospective foundations.

Write and direct the writing of all grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports.

Collaborate with the CEO, Director of Policy & Advocacy, and Director of Membership Programs to ensure grant proposals accurately reflect IAVA's programmatic impact and priorities.

Event Fundraising

Design and execute IAVA's event fundraising strategy, from intimate donor dinners to large-scale signature events, with a focus on diversifying both event formats and geographic reach.

Identify, secure, and manage relationships with event partners, sponsors, and hosts. Own these relationships, not just the introductions.

Set revenue targets for each event, build event P&Ls, and deliver against budget.

Development Operations & Team Leadership

Build and manage IAVA's development infrastructure incluing CRM systems, prospect tracking, reporting dashboards, grant calendars, and donor communications cadences.

Hire, manage, and develop a development team and external consultants. Set clear performance expectations and hold your team accountable.

Report regularly to the CEO and Board on pipeline status, progress toward revenue targets, and strategic adjustments.

WHAT YOU BRING

Deep commitment to IAVA's mission and genuine passion for improving the lives of post- 9/11 veterans.

8–10 years of progressive development experience in nonprofit organizations, campaigns, or policy-advocacy environments. C3 and C4 experience both valued.

A track record of personally closing major gifts and winning foundation grants — you have held revenue targets and hit them.

Expertise in innovative fundraising strategies, emerging trends, and development best practices across all channels.

Proven experience building development operations and teams from scratch or at an early stage. You are a builder, not just an inheritor.

Experience managing development teams of 5–10 staff and directing external consultants and vendors.

Exceptional writing skills — proposal copy, donor communications, and impact reports that are clear, compelling, and error-free.

Strong presentation and verbal communication skills — equally comfortable pitching a major donor, briefing the Board, or running a staff meeting.

Self-directed and highly organized. You manage complex, multi-track workloads without requiring close supervision.

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion — in how you build the team, cultivate donors, and think about IAVA's reach.

Comfortable in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where resources are lean and results matter.