Remote New

Development Director

National 4-H Council
106850.00 To 135850.00 (USD) Annually
United States
Mar 28, 2026
Are you energized by the opportunity to build meaningful partnerships that expand opportunity for young people nationwide? Do you thrive on connecting mission driven work with forward thinking corporations and foundations to unlock transformative investments? National 4-H Council is seeking a dynamic Development Director to lead strategic outreach and partnership development that fuels the growth and impact of 4-H's mission and the Beyond Ready initiative. At National 4-H Council, we empower nearly 6 million young people each year to become confident leaders who are ready for life and work. As the nation's largest youth development organization, we prepare young people to be Beyond Ready through hands-on learning experiences in STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement. As the Development Director, you will play a pivotal role in advancing 4-H's national impact by cultivating and securing transformational partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and leading philanthropic foundations. You will drive new business development, manage a robust pipeline of prospects, and build long term relationships with senior leaders to generate multi year investments that support both national initiatives and system wide impact. Working closely with trustees, executive leadership, and cross functional teams, you will help design compelling partnership opportunities that align corporate and foundation priorities with the power of the 4-H network. Join us in helping expand the reach of 4-H and ensuring even more young people have access to the experiences, mentorship, and opportunities that prepare them to be Beyond Ready for the future. #4HBeyondReady Mission 4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. In collaboration with the USDA and our network of 110 public universities, we serve every county and parish in the United States in more than 3,000 local 4-H Extension offices. Our programs have a positive impact on young people: 4-H youth are 2x more likely to excel in school, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities, 2x more likely to make healthier choices, and 2x more likely to pursue STEM education or careers. National 4-H Council (Council), 4-H's private sector nonprofit partner, builds public-private partnerships and provides resources and leadership development opportunities that expand the reach and impact of 4-H. With the Beyond Ready Initiative, 4-H has the potential to reach 10 million young people annually to help them lead healthy, productive, and engaged lives. Young leaders will have the experience and mentorship to succeed in an evolving workforce and thrive in their communities. Position Summary National 4-H Council seeks a dynamic Development Director to contribute to the Development and Marketing fundraising goal of over $50M that includes coordinated solicitation of grants ranging from $250K to $5M from major national corporations and foundations to support unrestricted operational efforts as well as major programmatic initiatives. The Director will be responsible for outbound outreach to Fortune 500 companies and top philanthropic foundations to secure funding in support of the 4-H mission and the Beyond Ready initiative. This role will be responsible for researching and contacting C-Suite executives and senior leaders to secure partnership discussions. The Director will work to generate leads, cultivate prospects, build relationships and identify new partnership opportunities. Responsibilities Development Portfolio Duties Drive new business development through outreach and cultivation to support team fundraising goal of $50M, with an individual fundraising goal of $5M annually, with a focus on multi-year, multi-million-dollar gifts. Manage outreach and touchpoints to an active pipeline of 90-100 prospects. Build national partnerships to secure unrestricted funding/system wide support of the 4-H mission. Attend industry conferences on behalf of 4-H for prospecting purposes including conducting pre- and post-conference outreach and follow-up. Work in partnership with Trustees and Executive Team members to facilitate strategies for donor prospecting and cultivation via their networks. Build long-term, trusting relationships with prospects to qualify leads as partnership opportunities. Develop and maintain knowledge of corporate and foundation giving interests, staff and trends. Maintain up to date and accurate tracking and reporting of all outreach in Council's CRM. Other duties as assigned. Development-Program Collaboration Duties Partner with program, marketing, digital, relationship management and finance teams to develop integrated 360-degree proposals and meet deliverables. Work with the research team and Donor Communications Director to develop high-quality prospecting and outreach templates. May manage and mentor a high performing team of 1 or more direct reports. As a team, collaborate to ensure the growth of the portfolio while maintaining excellent donor cultivation and stewardship. Lead and supervise other projects as required by Senior Director, Corporate Development. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, business administration, sales management, or related discipline, or equivalent in work experience. 10+ years' experience or other relevant experience in successful corporate or foundation fundraising with track record for packaging, building and closing mutually beneficial programs that are multi-faceted and multi-year in nature. 8+ of progressively responsible work experience in planning, managing, and initiating relationships between private and/or non-profit sectors. Required Qualifications 10+ years' experience working with high-level donor representatives or similar relevant experience leading relationships. Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Proficiency in Raisers Edge NXT or equivalent fundraising/CRM software. Ability to perform in a team-oriented environment and to successfully navigate a highly complex organization. Ability to collaborate cross-functionally across all levels of the organization. Ability to prioritize and effectively manage multiple project deadlines and deliverables. Preferred Qualifications Experience building and maintaining corporate and foundation partnerships at a national nonprofit. Experience navigating a complex nonprofit system to build comprehensive partnerships that have national and local reach. Travel Requirements: Travel may be necessary, up to 50% of the time (local, regional & national). Would require travel by air, car, rail. ADA Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an Associate must meet to perform the position's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Mostly a sedentary role; however, some movement is required. Role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Requires the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand as necessary. Basic math skills needed to calculate formulas, discounts, and so forth. Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds. Disclaimer: This position description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to include or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required. An incumbent may be asked to perform other tasks as needed.