Director of Development

Director of Development

Reports to the Executive Director

Head for the Cure is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and highly empathetic Director of Development to expand and diversify our non-event-driven revenue streams. While our signature events are the cornerstone of our community presence, this pivotal role focuses exclusively on building sustainable, long-term philanthropic growth through National Corporate Partnerships, Major Gifts, and Memorial Fundraising. In 2026, Head for the Cure is projected to raise 3.8 million, primarily through 5K run/walks. The Director of Development will be a new position at Head for the Cure, and we are excited to expand our strategic fundraising leadership.

As a senior individual contributor, you will own a robust donor portfolio and design custom cultivation strategies. You will also collaborate closely with our data team to leverage Salesforce for pipeline optimization. If you are a self-motivated fundraising professional with experience navigating cancer- or grief-based philanthropy, we want you on our team.

Responsibilities:

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership (50%)

• Develop and execute a multi-faceted development strategy to increase revenue and diversify funding streams outside 5K events (from $700,000 in 2026 to 2 million within the next three years), focusing on individual giving and corporate partnerships.
• Provide strategic leadership for the organization’s fundraising efforts, including 5K events, ensuring alignment with the Head for the Cure’s mission and long-term sustainability goals.
• Prepare the Executive Director and Board members for high-level solicitations, providing them with briefing materials and strategic guidance for major donor meetings.
• Advise the events team on team captain fundraising, assisting with high-impact team captains within 5K events.
• Regularly assess and adjust fundraising strategies based on donor feedback and evolving trends.
• Assist the Executive Director with grant partnership management, ensuring the 25+ institutions Head for the Cure supports are in compliance with the organization’s grant stewardship model.
• Collaborate with the Strategy and Analytics Director on Salesforce database management, gift tracking, and check processing to ensure accurate

Corporate & Foundation Partnerships (25%):

• Oversee the grant opportunities from foundations, developing proposals that align with Head for the Cure’s goals and mission and ensuring strong grant management once awarded.
• Identify, cultivate, and secure corporate sponsorships and partnerships, fostering strong relationships with corporations aligned with the organization’s mission.
• Develop and manage corporate giving programs, including employee matching gifts and local corporate event sponsorships.
• Leverage corporate relationships to increase financial support and build brand recognition for the organization.

Individual Giving (25%):

• Build out and manage an effective individual giving program, including annual giving, mid-level donor programs, and major donor cultivation.
• Develop and execute a robust donor stewardship program, ensuring donors are kept apprised of and inspired to renew and increase their giving.
• Develop targeted campaigns, including direct mail, online fundraising, and social media efforts alongside the Director of Communications and Programs.
• Assist the Development and Events Coordinator with the development of the memorial giving program.
• Set the strategy for individual donor acknowledgement and stewardship.

Travel & Work Environment

• Travel: This position requires significant travel—up to 25 times per year—to conduct face-to-face donor visits, pitch national corporate partners, and represent Head for the Cure at key organizational initiatives.
• Travel includes 3 visits to Head for the Cure HQ, presence at the annual SNO meeting, donor visits, and travel to up to 5 Head for the Cure 5K events.
• Team Dynamics: This is an autonomous, high-impact role with no direct reports, requiring a professional who loves direct execution and "doing the work" rather than managing a team.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five to seven years of development and fundraising experience
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Takes initiative and actively seeks to deepen current donor relationships and to forge new ones
• Communications: Skilled in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications for fundraising. Ability to convey complex ideas through brief, simple materials. Experience and credibility when presenting materials to external audiences
• Must have a positive attitude and empathetic demeanor
• Have a high level of personal and professional integrity
• Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction
• Work well independently as well as part of a team
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PPT) and Google Workspace
• Familiar with Mac operating systems
• Experience with database management; Salesforce strongly preferred
• Must have a strong desire to support a disease-based nonprofit organization, where empathy, personal understanding and support for brain cancer patients, caregivers, family and other supporters are important personal characteristics.

*This position is remote, but the applicant must be based in the metro area of one of the Head for the Cure 5K cities: Austin, TX | Chapel Hill, NC | Charleston, SC | Chicago, IL | Cleveland, OH | Dallas (Plano), TX | Detroit, MI | Houston, TX | Indianapolis, IN | Jacksonville, FL | Kansas City, MO | Nashville, TN | New York City, NY | Omaha, NE | Orange County/LA | Orlando, FL | Philadelphia, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Pittsburgh, PA | Portland, OR | San Antonio, TX | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA | St. Louis, MO

If the applicant is based in the Kansas City Metro area, this position will be hybrid, requiring two days in the office.

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to Head for the Cure Executive Director Maggie Haynes at [email protected].

The salary range for this position is $70,000 - $80,000.

Benefits Include:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage. The Head for the Cure Foundation offers full benefits, and funds 100% of the premium costs, for each full-time employee. Our benefits provider is UnitedHealthcare, and I believe you will find the medical plan to be comprehensive.

• Life insurance. $50,000 in life insurance coverage.

• 401K Retirement Plan + 3% Match. Available at time of first payroll, the Head for the Cure Foundation offers a retirement plan, matching up to 3% of your salary depending on your personal contributions and also pays for all fees associated with the plan. Vesting is based on years employed.

• Paid vacation. 10 days annual paid vacation after one year of employment.

• Holiday schedule. We follow the following holiday schedule: MLK Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

• Additional holiday/vacation. HFTC provides additional holiday time, closing the office during the period between Christmas and New Year’s Day. We also added a special weeklong “Head for the Cure” holiday in early-November. Timing details pending.

• Work Schedule. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, 8:30 a.m. – 12p.m. Evenings and Weekends as needed.

• Comp time. Accrued in consideration of event travel and other weekend Foundation obligations.

The desired start date for this position is mid September 2026.