Full-Time Director of Development

Are you a relationship-driven fundraiser who wants to build the funding base for the region's only Black-led literacy organization? Join the dedicated team at Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe and help lead the strategy and systems behind our growth. We are on a mission to help close the race-based opportunity gap through community-powered literacy programming that engages children, families, and community partners!
Location: Asheville, NC

Position Summary Reports to: Co-Executive Directors

At Read to Succeed, we believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates are critical to the success of providing family-centered, culturally competent services in all communities. We seek to recruit, dvelop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

An integral member of the R2S team, the Director of Development leads the organization's fundraising strategy and operations. This is a foundational role: it holds both the revenue strategy behind R2S's funding — deciding which funders and donors need what and when — and the detailed, ongoing administrative work required to secure, track, report on, and steward that funding. The Director of Development takes primary ownership of grants, donor and sponsor relationships, and fundraising campaigns, building systems and institutional knowledge that outlast any one campaign or grant cycle.

This is a primarily in-office position based at our Asheville office, with regular off-site requirements for funder and community partner visits. Remote work options are available following a probationary period.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Grants

• Proactively research and identify new grant opportunities - foundation, corporate, and government - that align with R2S's mission, programs, and strategic priorities, building a pipeline that extends beyond the organization's current funder base.
• Own and maintain the organization's grants calendar, tracking upcoming deadlines, letters of inquiry, full proposals, and reporting due dates so nothing is missed and staff have advance visibility into what's coming.
• Write all grant applications, translating R2S's program model, outcomes, and community impact into clear, compelling proposals tailored to each funder's priorities and guidelines.
• Prepare all grant reports, working with program staff to gather accurate data and outcomes and presenting them in a way that builds funder confidence and supports renewal.
• Track grant requirements, restrictions, and expenditures throughout the life of each award, ensuring funds are used and reported in compliance with funder terms and internal budgets.

Funder and Donor Relations

• Cultivate and deepen relationships with current and prospective funders, individual donors, and sponsors, serving as a consistent and trusted point of contact for R2S's funding community.
• Maintain donor and sponsor records and keep the donor database current, accurate, and organized so that giving history, contact information, and relationship notes are always reliable and accessible.
• Deposit and log all incoming donations promptly and accurately, ensuring gifts are properly recorded and reconciled.
• Send timely, personalized donor acknowledgments and thank-you messages that reflect R2S's values and make funders feel genuinely seen for their support.
• Maintain and document institutional knowledge about funders, donors, and past proposals - history, preferences, prior asks, and relationship context - so that knowledge carries forward and doesn't leave with any one staff member.

Fundraising Strategy and Campaigns

• Oversee the Resource Development Committee, setting agendas, keeping members engaged, and ensuring the committee's work stays connected to R2S's broader fundraising goals.
• Develop and execute fundraising campaigns from concept through close, setting goals, timelines, and messaging in coordination with organizational leadership.
• Research and secure sponsorships by identifying prospective business and community partners, building the case for support, and negotiating sponsorship agreements.
• Conduct proactive donor and sponsor outreach to open new relationships and grow existing ones, rather than waiting for opportunities to come to R2S.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and professional fundraising experience.

Experience

• A proven track record in nonprofit fundraising, including grant writing and grant reporting.
• Direct experience managing a grants calendar and full grant lifecycle (research through reporting).
• Hands-on experience with a donor CRM/database (Bloomerang preferred).
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to translate program impact into a compelling case for funders and donors.
• Experience cultivating and securing sponsorships and donor gifts.
• Highly organized, with strong follow-through and comfort managing multiple deadlines and funder requirements at once.
• Familiarity with Asheville/Buncombe County and Western North Carolina philanthropy, or a clear plan for building those relationships quickly.
• Alignment with R2S's values of equity, asset-based framing, and community dignity.