Head of Development

Forest Forward

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To: President & CEO 

As Forest Forward enters its next phase of growth, the organization seeks an accomplished and visionary Head of Development to lead a comprehensive fundraising program capable of generating transformational philanthropic investment and long-term sustainability. 

Position Summary 

The Head of Development serves as a key member of Forest Forward’s Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing the organization’s comprehensive fundraising strategy and revenue growth initiatives. This leader will oversee all aspects of philanthropy, including major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation relations, capital campaigns, planned giving, donor stewardship, special events, board engagement, and fundraising communications. 

The Head of Development will partner closely with the President & CEO, Board of Directors, philanthropic partners, corporate executives, foundation leaders, and community stakeholders to secure transformational investments that advance Forest Forward’s mission and strategic priorities. 

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in capital campaign leadership, transformational fundraising, and major gift development. Given Forest Forward’s continued investment in the Forest Theater, educational programming, housing initiatives, and community revitalization efforts, this leader must have the ability to secure and steward six- and seven-figure gifts while building long-term philanthropic partnerships that create generational impact in South Dallas. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Fundraising Leadership 

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with Forest Forward’s strategic plan and revenue goals. 
• Build and manage a diversified fundraising portfolio that includes major gifts, annual giving, corporate partnerships, foundation funding, capital campaigns, planned giving, sponsorships, and special events. 
• Establish annual fundraising goals, revenue forecasts, and key performance indicators. 
• Lead fundraising initiatives supporting education, arts and culture, housing, workforce development, economic mobility, and community revitalization. 

Major Gifts & Individual Giving 

• Manage a portfolio of major, principal, and transformational gift prospects. 
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward high-net-worth donors and family foundations. 
• Expand annual giving programs and donor recognition societies. 
• Develop personalized stewardship strategies for key donors. 
• Partner with the President & CEO and Board members on donor cultivation and solicitation efforts. 

Corporate Partnerships & Foundation Relations 

• Develop and secure strategic partnerships with corporations and institutional funders. 
• Lead sponsorship efforts for programs, events, and strategic initiatives. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local, regional, and national foundations. 
• Pursue multi-year philanthropic investments and institutional funding opportunities. 
• Oversee grant strategy, proposal development, reporting, and compliance. 

Capital Campaign Leadership 

• Lead planning and execution of capital campaign strategies and fundraising efforts. 
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward principal gift prospects. 
• Develop campaign cases for support, naming opportunities, and donor engagement strategies. 
• Partner with campaign volunteers, leadership committees, and board members to maximize fundraising success. 
• Support the long-term fundraising needs associated with the Forest Theater and broader community transformation initiatives. 

Board & Community Engagement 

• Partner with the Board of Directors and Development Committee to build a culture of philanthropy. 
• Support goals for board giving, donor engagement, and fundraising participation. 
• Equip board members to identify, cultivate, and solicit new prospects. 
• Represent Forest Forward at donor meetings, community events, and strategic partnership opportunities. 

Marketing, Communications & Stewardship 

• Oversee fundraising communications and donor engagement strategies. 
• Collaborate on organizational marketing and communications efforts to elevate Forest Forward’s visibility and impact. 
• Ensure donors receive meaningful and timely stewardship, recognition, and reporting. 
• Oversee the development of annual reports, impact reports, proposals, presentations, and donor communications. 

Team Leadership & Operations 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing development team. 
• Oversee development operations, donor stewardship systems, CRM management, reporting, and fundraising analytics. 
• Monitor performance against fundraising goals and provide regular progress reports to executive leadership and the Board. 
• Ensure compliance with fundraising best practices and donor requirements. 

Critical Skills & Competencies 

Major Gifts & Capital Campaign Leadership 

• Proven success securing six- and seven-figure philanthropic gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations. 
• Demonstrated experience leading major capital campaigns and comprehensive fundraising initiatives. 
• Strong track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding transformational donors. 
• Experience developing campaign strategies, prospect pipelines, naming opportunities, and volunteer campaign leadership structures. 
• Ability to secure significant investments supporting community development, educational programming, arts and culture, housing initiatives, and neighborhood revitalization projects. 

Strategic Fundraising Expertise 

• Demonstrated success building and leading comprehensive fundraising programs. 
• Strong understanding of donor cultivation, stewardship, pipeline development, and revenue diversification. 
• Experience creating sustainable fundraising systems and long-term philanthropic growth strategies. 

Relationship Building & Communication 

• Exceptional interpersonal, networking, written, and verbal communication skills. 
• Ability to build trusted relationships with donors, corporate executives, foundation leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders. 
• Strong executive presence and ability to inspire philanthropic investment through compelling storytelling. 

Leadership & Management 

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams. 
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. 

Qualifications 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree required. 
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive nonprofit fundraising leadership experience. 
• Demonstrated success securing major gifts, including six- and seven-figure commitments. 
• Proven experience leading or serving in a senior leadership role for a successful capital campaign or comprehensive fundraising initiative. 
• Experience managing relationships with high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives, foundation leaders, and community stakeholders. 
• Experience working closely with executive leadership, boards of directors, and fundraising volunteers. 
• Proficiency with donor CRM platforms, fundraising analytics tools, and Microsoft Office applications. 

Preferred 

• CFRE certification. 
• Advanced degree in Business, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, or a related field. 
• Experience raising funds for community development, arts and culture, education, housing, or place-based revitalization initiatives. 
• Knowledge of the Dallas philanthropic and corporate landscape. 
• Experience leading capital campaigns exceeding $25 million.