Date Posted: December 12, 2025
Job Title: Director of Development
FLSA Classification: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: President & CEO
ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Celebrating 50 years of service, PBS Fort Wayne is the only public television station in northeast Indiana and the region’s only locally owned and operated full-power television station serving Fort Wayne and more than 800,000 people in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio with a beloved mix of drama, culture, news, nature, science, lifestyle, documentary and children’s educational programming 24-hours a day on-air, online and on multiple digital platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, PBS.org, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, the PBS App, PBS FW App & PBSFortWayne.org.
PBS Fort Wayne is embarking on an exciting new chapter as a 100% community supported non-profit media organization. We are looking for a mission-driven Director of Development to lead membership, fundraising, grants, and major gift giving initiatives that sustain PBS Fort Wayne’s mission to create media for the public good.
JOB DESCRIPTION: Reporting to the President & CEO, the Director of Development will lead the strategy, implementation, and continuous improvement of PBS Fort Wayne’s annual fundraising and membership programs. This role is part of the Leadership Team and is critical to strengthening acquisitions, deepening engagement, advancing donor retention, upgrading annual donors, building a strong major donor pipeline, and cultivating major gifts, bequests, and grants to secure long-term revenue growth and sustainability.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Currently supervise one full-time employee (Membership Operations Manager) and fundraising volunteers. Supervision of up to 2 more roles may be required as fundraising capacity grows.
- Provide guidance, training, and performance feedback to employee(s) to ensure donor stewardship and operational excellence.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Fundraising and Donor Engagement
- Lead and enhance fundraising initiatives to deepen donor relationships and improve retention.
- Plan and execute multiple annual fund drives, including scripting on-air messages, sustainer campaigns, and matching gift challenges.
- Research, write, and track grant proposals in alignment with organizational priorities, in collaboration with leadership and program staff.
- Develop and manage structured membership systems, including segmented acknowledgments, impact reports, and recognition programs.
- Maintain a portfolio of donors for personalized engagement through calls, notes, and visits.
- Oversee the thank-you pipeline and multi-tiered stewardship program supporting renewals and upgrades.
- Analyze donor trends to identify and execute upgrade and re-engagement strategies.
- Support major giving efforts by assisting with proposals, briefings, and cultivation plans.
- Collaborate across teams to integrate sustainer, mid-level, and major donor strategies and launch new initiatives such as peer-to-peer and Next-Gen campaigns.
- Partner with social media and Marketing teams to improve digital engagement, evaluate trends, and share impact stories.
- Organize and coordinate member incentives, premiums, testimonial campaigns, and workplace giving outreach.
- Work with digital and marketing teams to deliver targeted email, social, and retargeting campaigns that acquire, retain, and upgrade donors.
- Manage donor communications and collateral, including newsletters, upgrade messaging, welcome materials, impact updates, and appreciation events.
Engage and Cultivate Major Donors
- Develop an annual plan for the cultivation and solicitation of major gifts including an appropriate budget for the program.
- Direct research to identify major gift prospects and obtain information concerning financial capability, special interests, history and current connections with the institution, close friends and advisors, and financial contributions to other causes.
Operations & Collaboration
- Manage donor data, tracking, and reporting in CRM (Allegiance).
- Collaborate with leadership to build the major donor pipeline.
- Communicate fundraising activities and results to the Board of Directors and Fund Development Committee
- Support donor and community events and represent PBS Fort Wayne as an ambassador in public and partner settings.
- Develop an excellent understanding of the organization, its programs, goals and vision, and be able to articulate these in a compelling and ethical manner to donor prospects
- Represent PBS Fort Wayne professionally and adhere to confidentiality and ethics procedures
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit fundraising, donor relations, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in annual fund management, donor stewardship, or major gift fundraising
- Proven success in managing annual giving programs and supporting major gift development
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor correspondence and proposal writing
- CFRE or similar credential preferred but not required.
- Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities
- Proficiency in donor CRM systems and digital fundraising platforms
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams and build donor relationships
- Donor-centered approach with a passion for relationship-building
- Analytical mindset and data-driven decision-making
- Creativity and innovation in donor engagement strategies
- Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through
- Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic nonprofit setting
- Competency with Microsoft 365 suite of products: Word, Excel, Power Point
Why work at PBS Fort Wayne?
At PBS Fort Wayne, you’ll join a mission-driven team dedicated to serving and inspiring our community through public media. We value our employees and offer a supportive, inclusive workplace where your contributions make a real impact. Our comprehensive benefits package includes a:
- 403(b) retirement plan eligibility from day one (with employer matching after one year of employment
- Paid health, dental, and vision insurance (with an affordable employee contribution)
- Health savings account (HSA)
- Life insurance coverage
- Generous Managed Time Off: Starting out with an accumulated 18 Days for first year employees; and increasing over time
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Employee assistance program (EAP) for wellness and support
Compensation: The salary range for this position is $70,000 to $80,000 per year.
Work Environment: This is an in-office position, located at 2501 E Coliseum Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46805.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee must be able to sit for several hours and be able to lift up to 25lbs.
Travel Requirement: Occasional local travel to events and networking is an on-going aspect of this position.
Other Duties and Information: A clean drug screen and background check is required. A valid driver’s license is required. Additionally, a credit check is required for the Director of Development position.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
PBS Fort Wayne is committed to fair and equitable hiring practices. We carefully evaluate each applicant’s qualifications, background, experience, and employment history when filling job openings. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, PBS Fort Wayne considers all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Working for PBS Fort Wayne is about joining a culture of openness, collaboration, trust, and the invitation and expectation to have a voice. We strive to continually lead with our values and beliefs that enable everyone at PBS Fort Wayne to develop their potential, bring their full self to the workplace, and engage in a workplace of collaboration and respect.
How To Apply:
To express interest in this position, please direct your résumé to: