Join Our Team

Director of Development

About Save Sight Now

Save Sight Now is a Bay Area-based nonprofit funding translational research to develop treatments for Usher syndrome type 1B—a rare inherited retinal disease and the leading genetic cause of deaf-blindness in children.

Founded in 2019, the organization has raised over $3 million and currently generates approximately $400K annually, with the majority driven by a flagship fundraising event. We are now entering a critical phase as our work advances toward clinical readiness and are focused on scaling revenue to support the path to human trials.

The Role

The Director of Development will lead and execute Save Sight Now’s fundraising efforts, with a primary focus on major gifts, sponsorship, and event-driven revenue.

This role is responsible for scaling annual revenue from approximately $400K toward $1M+ and carries clear ownership of outcomes during a critical stage of the organization’s growth.

This is a hands-on role for someone who can translate relationships into revenue, manage donor engagement directly, and follow through consistently. Working closely with the co-founders and Board, this person will take ownership of day-to-day fundraising execution while building a focused and effective development function.

Core Responsibilities

Own and Scale the Annual Gala

  • Take full ownership of planning and execution

  • Increase sponsorship revenue, table sales, and donor conversion

  • Strengthen follow-up, retention, and overall event performance

  • Identify and implement opportunities to grow event revenue year over year

Build and Drive Major Gifts

  • Build and manage a focused major donor pipeline

  • Lead outreach, follow-up, and relationship development

  • Convert event attendees and supporters into major donors

  • Personally ask for and close gifts

Expand Revenue Beyond Gala

  • Develop and lead 1–2 additional high-impact fundraising opportunities

  • Lead sponsorship strategy, outreach, and closing

  • Plan and execute small, targeted donor events that drive relationships and revenue

Drive Execution and Take Work Off Founders

  • Own donor follow-up, outreach, and pipeline tracking

  • Develop and own the annual fundraising plan and revenue targets

  • Maintain consistent communication with leadership and Board

  • Bring structure, accountability, and follow-through to fundraising efforts

  • Reduce day-to-day fundraising burden on co-founders quickly

Secondary Responsibilities (as needed)

  • Coordinate with external grant writers or advisors

  • Maintain reliable donor tracking and reporting systems

  • Recommend and implement lightweight tools or support where helpful

Who This Role Is For

  • 10+ years in nonprofit development or fundraising

  • Demonstrated track record of personally closing major gifts, including gifts in the five- and six-figure range

  • Experience owning fundraising events or comparable revenue-generating initiatives

  • Comfortable making direct asks and leading donor conversations

  • Able to operate independently in a lean, founder-led environment

  • Strong organization, communication, and accountability

  • Interest in healthcare, science, or mission-driven work preferred

Details

  • Time Commitment: Full-time (~40 hours/week)

  • Structure: Contract, embedded role

  • Compensation: $11,500–$13,500 per month, with performance-based bonuses tied to revenue growth

  • Location: Remote (West Coast preferred; Bay Area a plus)

  • Tools: ClassyPro, Bloomerang, Google Workspace, Slack; responsible for maintaining donor data, outreach, and pipeline tracking

Contact

If this role sounds aligned — or if you know someone exceptional who might be a fit — please reach out: Email: info@savesightnow.org