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Careers.

Make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people and families in our community.

Work That Makes A Difference.

We’re always looking to connect with talented, compassionate individuals who want to help young people thrive.

Opportunities may include full-time, part-time, and internship roles throughout the year. Check back often for available positions or reach out to learn more about joining our team.

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Director Of Development.

RBF is entering a new phase of growth and infrastructure development and seeks a Director of Development to build and scale a professional, sustainable fundraising program that ensures our services remain free, accessible, and responsive to community needs.

Reports to: Executive Director / Co-Founder
Works closely with: Co-Founder, Board of Directors

Location: DC Metro Area (Hybrid; local presence required for donor meetings and events)

About The Ryan Bartel Foundation.

The Ryan Bartel Foundation (RBF) is a leading provider of accessible, evidence-based suicide prevention and mental wellness programs for youth ages 12–18 and their families in Northern Virginia and beyond. Unlike emergency or clinical services that intervene during crisis, RBF focuses on prevention, fostering belonging, connection, and resilience before a crisis occurs.

Since 2015, RBF has created safe, welcoming spaces where teens build friendships, develop lifelong skills to manage stress, anxiety, and sadness, and experience a true sense of belonging. These proven programs offer protective factors against depression and self-harm, transforming isolation into community and despair into hope.

Position Summary:

The Director of Development is the senior leader who owns the design, execution, and continuous improvement of RBF’s comprehensive fundraising strategy, with a primary focus on growing unrestricted revenue and building toward a sustainable $1M+ annual fundraising program.

This role is ideal for a hands-on fundraiser who thrives in a growth-stage environment and enjoys both strategy and execution. The Director of Development will lead major gifts, corporate partnerships, grants, sponsorships, and events—personally managing a portfolio of key donors and partners while using the Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Board as strategic partners in cultivation and solicitation.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Develop and execute annual and multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with organizational goals.

  • Personally manage a portfolio of priority donors and prospects.

  • Build and manage a diversified revenue portfolio, including major gifts, corporate
    partnerships, foundations/grants, sponsorships, events, and monthly giving.

  • Set and own revenue targets and maintain direct accountability for fundraising performance.

  • Identify and pursue new revenue opportunities to sustain and grow annual contributions.

  • Build and manage a robust major donor and corporate pipeline.

  • Lead corporate sponsorship and partnership strategy.

  • Personally cultivate, steward, solicit, and close significant gifts, including five- and six-figure contributions, leveraging leadership and board members when appropriate.

  • Serve as senior fundraising advisor to the Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Board.

  • Equip and support board members to participate effectively in fundraising.

  • Cultivate strong relationships with funders, community partners, and key stakeholders.

  • Own development operations, including CRM management, donor pipeline tracking, gift processing, reporting, and forecasting.

  • Ensure compliance with fundraising regulations and ethical standards.

  • Establish clear metrics, dashboards, and accountability systems to support revenue growth.

  • Develop and manage the development budget.

  • Provide clear, data-driven fundraising forecasts and regular performance updates to leadership and the Board.

  • Own revenue strategy and sponsorships for fundraising events.

  • Oversee event planning and execution in partnership with the Co-Founder and contractors.

Qualifications:

  • 7+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, including 4+ years of major donor cultivation.

  • Passion for youth mental wellness and suicide prevention.

  • Proven track record of securing major gifts and managing a diversified fundraising portfolio.

  • Experience building or scaling a development program.

  • Strong strategic, systems, and data-driven fundraising skills; CRM experience required.

  • Experience working with nonprofit boards and supporting board committees.

  • Demonstrated ability to independently drive revenue growth in a lean or growth-stage nonprofit environment.

  • Background in healthcare, behavioral health, or social services strongly preferred.

Success Indicators:

  • Achieves or exceeds annual revenue targets supporting $1M+ in contributions.

  • Demonstrates strong collaboration with leadership and the board.

  • Strengthens donor retention and expands the major-gift pipeline.

  • Builds sustainable systems that support long-term growth.

Compensation & Benefits:

  • Factors that may influence compensation placement include years of relevant experience, depth of major-gift responsibility, prior success and demonstrated experience building or scaling development programs, and familiarity with mission-driven work.

  • Compensation growth and expanded incentive opportunity anticipated based on performance and organizational growth.

  • Hybrid work environment.

  • Performance incentives tied to organizational fundraising outcomes (not individual commissions).

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