Mohawk Hudson Humane Society seeks Director of Development

Sophie Moss

To apply, please email cover letter and resume to HR(at)mohawkhumane.org

Learn more about Mohawk Hudson Humane Society: mohawkhumane.org

Job Title: Director of Development
Reports to: Vice President for Development
FLSA Status: Exempt; Salary
Employment Status: Full-time; Regular

Salary: Starting at $62,000 annually

Benefits: Health and dental insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with employer match, employee assistance program, supplemental insurance, employee discounts

Summary of Responsibilities
The Director of Development supports the mission and strategic goals of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS) by planning, implementing, and growing a comprehensive fundraising and donor stewardship program. Reporting to the Vice President for Development, this role provides both strategic direction and hands-on execution across individual giving, major gifts, events, and donor communications. This role collaborates extremely closely with the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications on special events and collateral materials, and with the Director of Institutional Relations on corporate and foundation support. The ideal candidate for this position is a strong team leader, strategic thinker, and collaborative partner who is passionate about the MHHS mission to transform the lives of animals and the people who love them.

Essential Duties

A. Fundraising Strategy
• In partnership with the Vice President for Development and senior staff, achieve an annual contributed income goal of approximately $4mil through a diversified fundraising portfolio including individual giving, major gifts, community and general giving, recurring gifts, bequests, tributes, grants, sponsorships, and special campaigns.
• In partnership with the Vice President for Development and senior staff, develop, implement, and monitor the annual development plan with clear revenue goals, timelines, and metrics.
• Maintain current working knowledge of industry trends and best practices, applying professional knowledge to strengthen MHHS fundraising efforts.
• Support special fundraising initiatives including capital projects, specialized veterinary procedures, and humane law enforcement actions.

B. Organizational Leadership
• Exemplify and promote the MHHS core values: Compassion, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence, and Stewardship.
• Supervise and mentor a team of three donor services staff, providing clear expectations, feedback, and professional development opportunities.
• Collaborate across an overall team of 9 development and marketing staff, working together on strategic initiatives.
• Partner with program staff to gather stories, content, and data that deepen donor understanding of the MHHS vision and core values.
• Recruit, train, and engage fundraising volunteers strategically in events and stewardship activities, ensuring they are well-supported and aligned with MHHS values.
• Understand diversity is a strength, equity is non-negotiable, and inclusion is our obligation, and embody this understanding in all interactions with internal and external stakeholders.

C. Individual Giving
• Develop and manage a portfolio of major donor prospects, including oversight of the donor life cycle and moves management process from cultivation to solicitation and stewardship.
• Coordinate donor meetings, site visits, and impact experiences with the Vice President for Development, President & CEO, program staff, and board members as appropriate.
• Oversee the MHHS general individual giving, including direct mail strategies, telefundraising, digital media, and relations with third party vendors and work in collaboration with the Senior Manager of Annual Giving & Digital Engagement on direct mail and annual giving outreach.
• Oversee donor stewardship practices, including timely thank-yous, personalized outreach, donor recognition, and impact updates.
• Oversee the cultivation and stewardship of recurring donors.
• Support the growth of planned giving opportunities, including bequest strategies, tribute and legacy giving pathways, and donor recognition.
• Oversee the management and processing of all different methods of giving and payment platforms including DAF, IRA, stock, electronic fund transfers, third-party donation platforms, and corporate matching gift programs.

D. Donor Data & Communications
• In collaboration with the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications and Senior Manager of Annual Giving & Digital Engagement, implement donor-focused communications across print, digital, and social channels, ensuring mission-centered and consistent fundraising messaging.
• Work in collaboration with the marketing and communications team to integrate fundraising priorities into social media, ensuring consistent storytelling, coordinated campaign rollouts, and strong visibility for donor impact and engagement opportunities.
• Oversee the donor content and user experience across the MHHS website, ensuring pages are accurate, accessible, compelling, up to date, and aligned with current campaigns and organizational priorities.
• Lead the oversight of the donor management system (Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT), including the accuracy and integrity of donor data, gift entry, acknowledgments, and reporting.
• Use data to segment donors, monitor giving trends, and evaluate the performance and ROI of events, appeals, and campaigns.
• Produce regular dashboards and reports for the Vice President for Development, President & CEO, and Board of Directors.

E. Special Events & Institutional Support
• Work hand-in-hand with the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications on the two primary annual fundraisers, the Gala for Animals and Oktopurrfest, ensuring revenue performance and exceptional experience.
• Oversee strategy and staffing for all other fundraising events, including smaller-scale events, community fundraisers, donor cultivation events, and any new event opportunities that arise.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Institutional Relations on the identification, cultivation, proposal preparation, and stewardship of corporate and foundation partners, including grant reports and sponsorship materials.

Qualifications
• Prior Experience: Two or more years of consistent work experience in fundraising, including direct experience with individual giving and at least one additional area: major gifts, events, annual giving, or donor stewardship; prior supervisory experience strongly preferred
• Education: Bachelor's degree preferred
• Credentials: No specific credentials required
• Hard Skills: Exceptional writing, editing, and presentation skills; strong understanding of nonprofit funding models; comfort and proficiency with donor cultivation and solicitation; strong relationship-building and negotiation skills; proficiency with donor database/CRM systems and strong data literacy
• Soft Skills: Skilled relationship builder who is warm, approachable, and authentic; excellent emotional regulation; empathy; conflict resolution; strong communication; team focus; flexible and creative problem solving; decisiveness; dependability; organization; time management; strong focus on ethical fundraising practices and donor confidentiality
• Other Preferred: Experience in animal welfare; experience as a lead fundraiser or second-in-command supporting a comprehensive development shop; familiarity with basic planned giving and campaign structures; knowledge of the Capital Region’s philanthropic landscape
• Availability: Five days per week, eight hours per day with limited evening and weekend duties for fundraising purposes; this is an in-person position with the option to work from home up to 16 hours per week, with direct supervisor approval; in-person attendance is required at all-staff meetings, the annual Gala and Oktopurrfest and other special fundraising events

Physical Requirements
The physical demands 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 functions. The person in this position is regularly required to:

• Use hands and fingers, talk and hear
• Stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, or crouch
• Lift and/or move up to 40lbs
• See clearly, with or without corrective lenses, up close, at a distance, peripherally, and perceive depth and color

Working Conditions
• Working hours are subject to change based on the needs of the organization
• Alternate schedules, nights, and holidays may sometimes be required
• Work will take place in a variety of environments including medical offices, administrative offices, operational areas, and offsite, including outdoors
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, and hearing protection is available where noise exceeds acceptable levels
• While performing the duties of this job, the position will be exposed to animal odors, animal wastes, chemical cleaning agents, and airborne particles