Development Manager

We are currently seeking an experienced Development Manager to join our team in Amarillo, TX.

Candidates must reside in or very near Amarillo, TX. Please include a cover letter with your resume for consideration.

Who We Are:

Make-A-Wish North Texas - Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has been creating life-changing wish experiences for children with critical illnesses around the world. Wishes are proven to have a positive impact on a child’s physical and mental well-being and are credited with increased compliance with treatment. When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy, and anxiety with hope, forever transforming the lives of children, their families, and entire communities.

Make-A-Wish North Texas is 100% locally funded and serves 161 counties across the state of Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, and the surrounding areas. Since our chapter’s founding in 1982, we have granted over 14,000 wishes. To learn more about us, visit https://wish.org/ntx.

Our Mission:

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

How We Work:

We understand we have the responsibility—and privilege—of meeting families at the hardest moment of their lives and offering something luminous in return: hope. We know this isn’t just a workplace. It’s not just a nonprofit. It’s a community bound together by the belief that hope has power—and that how we show up for each other, for our donors, for volunteers, and for families determines the impact we can make.

Our cultural values:

• Freedom & Responsibility – we are empowered and trusted to do our jobs with a productive accountability to each other, our donors, and our wish families.
• Community – we are rooted in collaboration, respect, and belonging.
• Unwavering Commitment – to our mission, we pursue excellence with intention, grit, and courage, always mindful of the impact we create.
• Fearless Curiosity – we ask bold questions and innovate with imagination and resourcefulness.
• Celebratory – we spark joy in ways that honor each other and the children we serve.

We believe that our community thrives when we engage with our colleagues and constituents within these tenets:

• Assume best of intentions
• Listen to understand
• Create a judgement-free zone
• All voices get to be heard
• Communicate with curiosity
• Commit to transparency
• Have fun!

If your experience and skills meet the needs outlined in this job posting, and this is the type of work environment you value and want to be a part of, then please apply!

About the Role:

The Development Manager serves as a key ambassador for Make-A-Wish North Texas, embodying our core values while cultivating meaningful philanthropic partnership across the region. This role is critical to expanding our impact in the Panhandle and South Plains, communities where generosity, resilience, and deep-rooted connection shape the culture of giving.

Responsible for stewarding a dynamic portfolio of up to 175 individual households, the Development Manager will strategically engage donors with the capacity to make significant philanthropic investments in our mission. With a special focus on Amarillo and Lubbock, this leader will build lasting relationships, inspire community support, and ensure that more children facing critical illnesses receive the life-changing magic of a wish.

What you’ll do:

Core duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Manage a portfolio of up to 175 households across the Texas Panhandle and South Plains, with an emphasis on Amarillo and Lubbock.
• Secure five-figure and above gifts through proactive in-person engagement, driving event sponsorships, campaign support, and direct mission funding to meet annual revenue goals.
• Build the pipeline by securing annual fund–level gifts from donors not yet ready for major gift solicitation and advancing qualified prospects.
• Secure annual fund–level contributions from donors who are not yet positioned for major gift solicitation, building a pipeline of future major gift prospects through consistent engagement and stewardship.
• Manages, builds and support Regional Councils in Lubbock and Amarillo ensuring members are engaged, aligned with Chapter goals, and contributing effectively to regional fundraising efforts.
• Partner with the CDO, CEO, and key volunteer leaders to strengthen relationships and expand philanthropic support across the region.
• Maintain accurate, timely contact reports and proposal records in Salesforce to ensure data integrity, forecasting accuracy, and effective portfolio management.
• Represent Make‑A‑Wish North Texas as a brand ambassador at fundraising events and in the community to deepen engagement and broaden support.
• Surface and communicate strategic opportunities and partnerships to Chapter leadership that can strengthen fundraising capacity and increase wishes granted.

Our Perfect Candidate

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher or related equivalent experience. CFRE is a plus.
• Minimum of five years’ professional fundraising experience, ideally in individual giving, major gifts, or campaign environments.
• Experience with the philanthropic landscape of West Texas, including Amarillo and Lubbock, and surrounding communities.
• Experience working independently or remotely, with strong self-management, prioritization, and accountability skills.

Required Abilities and Skills:

• Demonstrated understanding of fundraising, communication, and marketing principles, particularly as they relate to donor engagement and nonprofit development.
• Ability and willingness to solicit gifts in-person with donors and prospects, including five-figure and above solicitations.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt messages to a wide range of audiences.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, enabling effective relationships with donors, staff, volunteers, wish families, vendors, and the public.
• Strong organizational skills and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and maintain punctuality and dependability.
• Experience with moves management process, including donor qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• High proficiency in CRM systems, preferably Salesforce, for donor tracking, forecasting, portfolio management, and documentation.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, exercising sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when representing the organization.

Company Offers:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and education
• Comprehensive benefits package available: healthcare, vision, dental and life insurances; 401k company match; paid time off and holidays)

To Apply:

Please submit your cover letter with salary requirements, and resume

to hr@ntx.wish.org

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer!