Development Director

Title: Development Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Based in: Atlanta, GA, USA

Compensation Range: $100,000-$110,000 annually based on experience, plus comprehensive benefits

Organization Overview

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is a philanthropic arts organization and the largest film festival in Atlanta. For 25 years, we have celebrated Jewish identity through world-class programming that inspires dialogue and cultural exploration. Today, we continue to serve Atlanta’s diverse communities with curiosity, conversation, and culture. We bring the highest standards of excellence to every facet of our outward-facing work, and in the way we engage with our most vital constituencies, including donors, audiences, and volunteers.

Position Overview

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), an Atlanta-based nonprofit arts organization, seeks an experienced Development Director to advance our mission of inspiring new and diverse audiences to deeper cultural understanding through film. This leadership role is responsible for ensuring AJFF’s financial health by developing and executing a range of fundraising strategies, including an annual campaign, major gifts, planned giving, grants, corporate sponsorships, donor stewardship, and a rolling capacity-building vision campaign. Success in this role requires creative thinking, exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, and a tenacious, goal- driven approach. The ideal candidate will also be highly organized and able to synthesize information across multiple channels to quickly identify and act on new funding opportunities.

Responsibilities

Define Fundraising Strategies:

• Develop a comprehensive, multi-channel fundraising strategy aligned with long-term vision and annual
• Create annual plans to meet targets across giving levels, sponsorships, grants, and planned
• Use data and metrics to assess progress, adjusting tactics for a diverse and sustainable revenue
• Work with leadership and across departments to align fundraising with mission and audience

Grow Organizational Fundraising:

• Increase average gift size across donor categories through targeted cultivation and engagement
• Enhance efficiency by streamlining systems and workflow to maximize return on time and
• Proactively cultivate new donor prospects while strengthening stewardship to minimize
• Identify new grant and government funding opportunities aligned with programming and other
• Develop and activate a planned giving program with supporting materials, outreach, and processing
• Plan and execute fundraising events in collaboration with internal teams to achieve defined revenue
• Solicit and secure in-kind sponsorships that advance the work of all departments across the
• Manage clear donor engagement timelines to sustain momentum across all stages of the giving

Manage Development Resources:

• Manage development staff and contractors to ensure effective coordination and
• Support board, volunteer leaders and committees to strengthen fundraising and expand donor
• Maintain systems and tools that support efficient, high-performing development
• Prioritize donor prospects using clear criteria to guide strategic time and resource
• Coordinate with communications to ensure timely, well-crafted collateral aligned with fundraising

Increase Knowledge Base:

• Stay current on fundraising trends, tools, and best practices, and share relevant knowledge with
• Engage external experts to support as advisors or volunteers, especially in areas beyond internal

Leadership:

• Act as liaison to the Board and lead staff contact for the Board’s Development
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Skills and Qualifications

• Proven track record of soliciting major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporate
• Innovative and strategic thinker with a proactive approach to evolving fundraising tools and
• Exceptionally detail-oriented with a continuous drive to improve systems and
• Strong communicator with an instinct for tailoring messages to diverse audiences and
• Results-driven, with clear goal-setting and a commitment to mutual
• Demonstrated ability to manage and execute fundraising campaigns independently with minimal
• Accountable for delivering results across a comprehensive development
• Skilled in translating complex information into clear, compelling donor-facing
• Experience with a wide range of funding streams (individual giving, grants, sponsorships).
• Proficient in planning and executing fundraising events, overseeing logistics and donor engagement
• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years experience in development or business affairs, ideally Jewish/arts
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), and tools like Dropbox, Slack, and
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Highly organized and capable of managing multiple priorities with close attention to
• Strong initiative and problem-solving ability in a fast-paced, collaborative
• Experience working with volunteer leaders and committees preferred, but not

Salary and Hours

• Full-time position, generally Monday–Friday, with periodic evenings and weekends for events and
• Additional availability required during the annual festival (typically held February–March).
• Must be able to travel throughout metro Atlanta for in-person meetings and
• Role involves extended computer use and occasional lifting of mid-weight items (e.g., supplies, documents).