Description
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Position Overview
Healthy Humor seeks a strategic and operationally excellent Development Officer to help drive the execution of an ambitious $1.3-1.5 M fundraising strategy in 2026. This role is critical to the organization's 10th anniversary year, requiring a professional who can manage multiple revenue channels and scale the organization's development capacity. The Development Officer is responsible for leading the operational execution of Healthy Humor's $1.5M fundraising strategy across seven revenue workstreams: 10th Anniversary Gala, Institutional Grants, Major Donors & Corporate Giving, Running of the Noses peer-to-peer charity race, Annual Fund & Digital, plus Infrastructure and Asset Creation.
This role reports to the CEO and works in close partnership through non-negotiable weekly development meetings. By Day 60, the DO owns 90% of fundraising operations, with the CEO focusing on major donor cultivation and strategic leadership.
Start Date: March 30, 2026 | Reports to: CEO | Location: Remote with NYC presence
Primary Responsibilities
INSTITUTIONAL GRANT WRITING (35-40% of time)
- Manage all aspects of proposal development: research, writing, budget narratives, evaluation frameworks, CEO input and evaluation coordination
- Maintain and grow a master prospect list of 100+ foundations (national and regional)
- Manage grants calendar with all deadlines, reporting requirements, and renewal dates
- Steward foundation relationships through timely reports, updates, and acknowledgments
CAMPAIGN MANAGMENT (25-30% of time)
10th Anniversary Gala (October 2026)
- Assist in all gala operations: sponsor outreach, materials creation, logistics coordination, vendor management
- Support CEO in closing top 10-15 sponsors; own remaining 20+ sponsor relationships
- Execute invitation mailing, RSVP tracking, seating, program book production
Running of the Noses (March-July 2026)
- Assist campaign launch, execution, and follow-up
- Manage City Captains across 10 cities, track runner recruitment (target: 100+ runners)
- Execute Match Week in May, and provide support to runners and committee
Annual Fund & Digital (ongoing)
- Manage Monthly donor program and email campaigns (April-December), Giving Tuesday, year-end campaign
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS (15-20% of time)
- CRM management (Bloomerang): donor database, pipeline tracking, reporting dashboards
- Weekly Development Meetings with CEO: pipeline review, strategic planning, decision-making
- Donor stewardship: e.g. acknowledgment letters, impact reports
- Board and committee support: materials preparation, meeting facilitation when needed
CEO PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT (10-15% of time)
- Prepare CEO for key donor meetings: briefings, materials, talking points, follow-up coordination
- Assist CEO's major donor pipeline
- Coordinate cultivation dinners, thank-you calls, and stewardship touches
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Org Revenue Targets (2026):
- Total revenue: $1.3M-$1.5M across all workstreams (Institutional grants, Gala, Running of the Noses, Annual Fund)
Operational Metrics:
- Take full ownership by Day 90 (90% of fundraising operations)
- Write and submit 25-40 grant proposals annually (target: 2-3 per month)
- Target: 50+ monthly donors by year-end, 2,000+ email subscribers
- Post-ROTN: convert 20-40 runners to monthly donors, identify 10-20 major donor prospects
- CRM data accuracy and pipeline visibility maintained weekly
- Donor acknowledgments within 72 hours of gift receipt
- Compensation
Compensation
Salary: $80,000-$90,000 depending on experience, plus access to health coverage and ability to contribute to retirement plan
Location: Remote with regular NYC presence for meetings and events
Start Date: March 30, 2026
IDEAL NON-PROFIT CANDIDATE
Experience Level: 5-7 Years
We're looking for a mid-level professional who has moved beyond entry-level fundraising and is ready to own a complex, multi-workstream development operation. This person has 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience, ideally including roles where they've taken increasing ownership of revenue generation and donor management.
Desired Qualities
- Mission-Aligned: Genuinely connects with HH's work
- Systems Thinker: Will use CRM religiously, not build workarounds
- Action-Oriented: Doesn't wait for perfect info, executes quickly
- Storyteller: Can write compelling emails and proposals
- Relationship Builder: Cultivates donors, not just transactions
- Organized & Detail-Oriented: Tracks every interaction, follows through
- Comfortable Asking; Can make asks (with training)
- Coachable: Takes feedback, improves quickly
Specific Core Competencies
Institutional Grant Writing
- Track record of securing $500K+ in foundation funding annually
- Experience writing significant grant proposals per year (12+ per year)
- Strong proposal writing, budget narrative, and evaluation framework skills
- Understanding of foundation research, cultivation, and stewardship
Campaign Management & Execution
- Experience managing peer-to-peer campaigns or grassroots fundraising
- Track record of hitting revenue targets across multiple channels simultaneously
- Strong project management skills with ability to juggle 5-7 active workstreams
Systems Thinking & Infrastructure Building
- CRM proficiency (Bloomerang, Salesforce, DonorPerfect, or similar)
- Experience building donor pipelines, tracking systems, and reporting dashboards
- Strategic mindset: can translate big-picture strategy into operational tactics
Communication & Storytelling
- Excellent writer who can translate clinical impact into compelling narratives
- Experience developing donor-facing materials (decks, one-pagers, impact reports)
- Strong interpersonal skills for working with volunteers, committees, and others
Personal Attributes
- Mission Alignment: Passion for healthcare, pediatrics, or therapeutic arts.
- Ownership Mentality: This role requires someone who takes initiative, problem-solves independently, and thrives with autonomy. By Day 60, you own 90% of fundraising operations.
- High Standards: Attention to detail, commitment to excellence in every donor touchpoint.
- Resilience & Adaptability: Comfortable with intensity, able to handle rejection, willing to iterate and improve based on results.
- Collaboration: Strong partnership with CEO through weekly development meetings. Ability to prep CEO for donor meetings, provide strategic counsel, and manage up effectively.
What We're NOT Looking For
Entry-level professionals (0-3 years) - This role requires proven fundraising results and operational experience
Major gifts specialists only - We need grants + campaigns + systems, not just relationship fundraising
Event planners - While gala execution is part of this role, we need a fundraiser who manages events, not an event manager who does fundraising
'9-to-5' mindset Q3 (July-September) is peak season requiring higher intensity. We need someone who understands and embraces fundraising cycles and can flex accordingly.
Requirements
Experience Level: 5-7 Years
We're looking for a mid-level professional who has moved beyond entry-level fundraising and is ready to own a complex, multi-workstream development operation. This person has 5-7 years of progressive fundraising experience, ideally including roles where they've taken increasing ownership of revenue generation and donor management.
Desired Qualities
- Mission-Aligned: Genuinely connects with HH's work
- Systems Thinker: Will use CRM religiously, not build workarounds
- Action-Oriented: Doesn't wait for perfect info, executes quickly
- Storyteller: Can write compelling emails and proposals
- Relationship Builder: Cultivates donors, not just transactions
- Organized & Detail-Oriented: Tracks every interaction, follows through
- Comfortable Asking; Can make asks (with training)
- Coachable: Takes feedback, improves quickly
