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