Director, Development

Who We Are:

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.

What We Offer:

At KABOOM!, we believe in supporting your well-being, financial security, and professional growth. Our total rewards package includes:

• 403(b) retirement plan with up to 6% employer match
• Annual bonus eligibility based on team and individual performance
• Student Loan Assistance Program
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance, wellness resources, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible and generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 12 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays
• Opportunities for professional development

About the Role:

The Director of Development is a high-impact, externally focused fundraiser responsible for securing, cultivating, and growing a significant revenue portfolio through proactive donor acquisition, relationship management, and strategic fundraising. This role plays a central part in delivering on KABOOM!’s national growth goals and scaling our impact across communities.

Reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, the Director serves as a senior frontline fundraiser. We’re seeking a confident, motivated leader with a hunter mentality — someone energized by building new relationships, closing major gifts, leveraging their network, and staying ahead of philanthropic and political trends that influence giving behavior.

You’ll serve as an ambassador for KABOOM! across diverse funder networks and play a central role in driving new revenue streams that advance our mission

What You’ll Do:

Portfolio & Revenue Leadership:

• Secure, cultivate, and grow a portfolio of high-potential corporate, foundation, and individual donors
• Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of six- and seven-figure investments
• Contribute to KABOOM!’s national fundraising strategy to achieve annual revenue goals of $26M

Strategic Fundraising & Trendspotting:

• Proactively identify new partnership opportunities aligned with equity, child development, and climate-forward goals
• Play a key role in coalition-building strategies to galvanize local partners and address playspace disparities in targeted communities
• Support innovation in playspace design and partnership models that advance equity, health, learning, and community resiliency
• Collaborate across teams to develop compelling proposals, presentations, and impact reports

External Relationship Management:

• Represent KABOOM! with credibility and confidence at donor meetings, events, and conferences
• Build authentic relationships with senior-level funders, corporate leaders, and philanthropic networks
• Monitor trends in philanthropy, public policy, and social innovation to inform donor strategy and positioning

Equity and Culture Contribution

• Promote equity-informed fundraising practices and donor engagement rooted in trust and transparency
• Engage in mentoring and knowledge sharing within the Development team and across departments
• Embrace and model KABOOM!’s core values of partnership, humility, equity, play, and accountability

Operational Excellence

• Maintain accurate donor records and revenue forecasts in Salesforce
• Collaborate with internal partners to ensure timely and strategic funder communications and deliverables
• Travel approximately 30% across the United States and Canada to support donor cultivation, events, and partner engagement

What You Bring:

• 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 align 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
• Experience navigating or a demonstrated ability to navigate complex public-private funding relationships
• A strong “builder” mindset with the drive to open new doors, leverage personal and professional networks, and lead with a sales mentality
• 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 detail
• 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 and a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset

To apply:

Please submit your resume and a cover letter that highlights your alignment with KABOOM!’s fundraising goals. We also welcome 2–3 writing samples that demonstrate your donor strategy or case-building experience. These may include proposals, pitch decks, or stewardship communications.

Other Position Details

• This position is full-time

• Location: Bethesda, Maryland/Hybrid

• Salary: $139,000-$161,000

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.

Note: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.