Development Director: What is the cost of hiring?

2025-10-0120000.00103942.80255000.00YEARLY

Development Director: What is the cost of hiring?

• Common salary in US:
• Typical salaries range from -
• Find more information on Indeed Salaries

COMMON

LOW

HIGH

*Indeed data (US) –

Why hire a Development Director?

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your bottom line. A great Development Director hire can help your non-profit by:

• Planning, overseeing, and executing annual fundraising initiatives
• Maintain relationships with your core of donors
• Create marketing collateral focused on fundraising

Skills to look for in a great Development Director

A great Development Director candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Communication
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Grant writing experience
• Developing meaningful donor relationships
• Hard selling non-profit initiatives to corporations
• Delegation and team management

Writing a Development Director job description

A thoughtful description is important in finding qualified Development Director candidates. A Development Director job description includes a compelling summary of the role, detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

Consider including keywords that job seekers are using to search for Development Director jobs, such as:

• Development Director
• Director of Development
• Senior Development Director

Interviewing Development Director candidates

Strong candidates for Development Director positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Previous fundraising campaign efforts
• Developing a portfolio of high-dollar donors
• Proven methods of raising awareness and funding for annual budgets

See our list of interview questions for more examples.