Waco - Development Director

PROFILE

As with all employees at Mentoring Alliance (MA), the Regional Support Specialist (RSS)  is considered a minister of the gospel. The Development Director of Greater Waco is both an ambassador and financial catalyst for Mentoring Alliance. The primary aspects of this role involve leading the region's development efforts while also personally performing engagement activities with current and potential donors for the purpose of advancing Mentoring Alliance's mission by growing donation revenue.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Development Director of Greater Waco serves as both an ambassador and financial catalyst for Mentoring Alliance. This role leads local development efforts and directly engages with donors to grow revenue and advance the mission. 

KEY RESULT AREAS

Minister of the Gospel

The Development Director of Greater Waco is a mission-driven leader who is first and foremost considered a Minister of the Gospel. This role actively advances Mentoring Alliance’s religious mission by modeling a Christ-centered lifestyle, demonstrating a passion for sharing the Gospel, and clearly communicating the message of the Gospel to kids and families. The Development Director is prepared to counsel, shepherd, and disciple kids and families in alignment with biblical principles, articulate Mentoring Alliance’s beliefs and Statement of Faith to families and stakeholders, and confidently lead or participate in distinctly Christian activities, including worship and staff chapel.

Community Engagement & Relationship Development

The Development Director of Greater Waco is a highly visible and relational ambassador for Mentoring Alliance, responsible for building trust, enthusiasm, and long-term partnerships throughout the Waco community. This role actively engages donors, prospective supporters, business leaders, churches, and community partners through consistent face-to-face meetings, events, and presentations. The Development Director persuasively communicates Mentoring Alliance’s mission, vision, and impact to inspire generosity and sustained investment, maintains a strong presence at community and church events, and strategically identifies and pursues new funding opportunities through creative outreach and relationship building.

Lead Greater Waco Fundraising Strategy

The Development Director leads a fast-paced, results-driven fundraising operation with energy, initiative, and accountability. In partnership with the Executive Director and Vice President of Marketing & Development, this role develops and executes an annual fundraising strategy focused on growth through relationship-based giving, sets and achieves ambitious revenue and donor goals, and helps determine and support fundraising events and campaigns that best advance regional priorities. The Development Director also coordinates and motivates account owners and volunteers to meet engagement and fundraising benchmarks, while managing and advancing key donor and stakeholder relationships that impact the region’s success.

Major Gift Fundraising & Donor Management

The Development Director is a persuasive and disciplined fundraiser who personally drives revenue through strong, meaningful donor relationships. This role manages and actively cultivates a portfolio of 100–125 major gift investors and prospects, conducting frequent and intentional donor interactions with a focus on asking, closing, and stewarding significant gifts. The Development Director consistently meets or exceeds individual fundraising goals, maintains accurate and timely records in Salesforce, and ensures thoughtful follow-up, thank-you calls, and stewardship plans that strengthen donor confidence and long-term loyalty.

Execution, Initiative & Collaboration

The Development Director works collaboratively with the Regional Support Specialist to efficiently execute fundraising initiatives and projects while demonstrating a strong sense of ownership by anticipating needs, solving problems, and driving work forward independently. This role contributes to a culture of enthusiasm, collaboration, accountability, and momentum across the Mentoring Alliance ministry by participating in staff meetings, functions, and appropriate committees, and by supporting multi-regional initiatives as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• College degree and 3-5 years of direct fundraising experience required

• Mentoring Alliance program experience preferred

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required

• Excellent organizational skills required

• Computer literacy and proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) required

• Experience in website research preferred

• General clerical/secretarial/administrative experience preferred

• Knowledge of Greater Waco public school systems/districts preferred

• Established Waco connections and relationships preferred