Development director with 12 years in nonprofit fundraising, leading a 6-person team at a regional housing nonprofit. Grew contributed revenue from $3.5M to $6.2M in four years and led a $15M capital campaign to completion. Brings fundraising strategy, board engagement, major and planned giving and a data-informed approach to team goals.
Experience
Director of Development, Keystone Homes Partnership (Philadelphia, PA)
Mar 2021 – Present
Lead a 6-person team and set fundraising strategy across individual, foundation, corporate and planned giving
Grew contributed revenue from $3.5M to $6.2M in four years while holding cost to raise a dollar at $0.18
Directed a $15M capital campaign that closed 6 months early for a 120-unit affordable housing development
Engage a 22-member board, with 100% board giving and 8 members now actively opening donor doors
Associate Director of Development, Delaware Valley Literacy Council (Philadelphia, PA)
Jan 2017 – Feb 2021
Managed a portfolio of 90 major donors raising $1.2M a year
Launched a legacy society that secured 35 planned gift intentions
Development Manager, Delaware Valley Literacy Council (Philadelphia, PA)
Jun 2014 – Dec 2016
Ran the annual fund and 2 signature events grossing $600k a year
Education
B.A. Political Science, Temple University (Aug 2010 – May 2014)
Skills
Strategy: development plans, capital campaigns, revenue forecasting, gift tables
Giving programs: major gifts, planned giving, foundations, corporate partnerships, events
Leadership: team management, board development, cross-functional work with programs and finance
How to write a Development Director resume
A strong Development Director resume shows the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Skills
Education
Certifications
Length: Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Summary: Lead with your leadership scope and the business outcomes you are known for.
Skills to feature
Case management
Trauma-informed care
Program design and evaluation
Grant writing and reporting
Fundraising and donor stewardship
Volunteer management
Budget management
Community partnerships
Nonprofit CRM and case systems (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, Apricot)
Bilingual and culturally responsive communication
Example bullet points
Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days
Wrote 14 foundation and government proposals that raised $1.3M at a 64% win rate
Recruited and trained 220 volunteers who logged 9,500 hours, the equivalent of 4.5 full-time staff
Tips from recruiters
Put licenses and credentials (LMSW, LCSW, CADC, CFRE) with the issuing state near the top, because many roles screen for them first.
Quantify outcomes funders care about, such as housing placements, retention rates, dollars raised or cost per client, not just activities.
Name the populations, funding streams and systems you know, for example HUD CoC, HMIS, Medicaid billing or Raiser's Edge.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Modern (ATS-friendly): Clean single column with accent headings and rules
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
Development Director resume FAQ
What should a Development Director resume include?
A Development Director resume should show the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education and Certifications. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
What is the best resume template for a Development Director?
Classic, Modern and Ivy work well for Development Director roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Development Director resume be?
Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Which skills should a Development Director put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Development Director roles are Case management, Trauma-informed care, Program design and evaluation, Grant writing and reporting, Fundraising and donor stewardship and Volunteer management.
How do I write strong Development Director resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as clients served, caseload size and program outcomes. For example: "Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days."