Executive Search
Senior Director of Development
Remote – Residing on the west coast, periodic travel to corporate HQ in San Francisco
Position Overview
Sterling Search Inc. has been exclusively retained to recruit for the Senior Director of Development (SDOD) for Glaucoma Research Foundation.
About Glaucoma Research Foundation
Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) is a national non-profit organization with a global impact dedicated to finding a cure for glaucoma. For more than 45 years, GRF has funded groundbreaking laboratory and clinical research that is changing the course of glaucoma treatment and care. Founded in 1978 in San Francisco, GRF was created to encourage innovative research to find better ways to care for people with glaucoma — the leading cause of preventable blindness. It funds glaucoma research worldwide and impacts the global community. GRF works to advance sight-saving research and provide essential educational resources for patients.
By 2040, 111 million people around the world are predicted to have glaucoma. GRF understands the power of that enormous number. They believe the most important number is 1. That’s where its work begins: with each individual and every family affected by glaucoma, with each scientist driven to discover a cure, with every doctor dedicated to preserving a patient’s vision, and with every philanthropist who shares its mission to cure glaucoma.
Glaucoma Research Foundation Commitment
Discovery: GRF seeks a cure and solutions that prevent glaucoma, slow its progression, and restore lost vision.
Collaboration: GRF brings everyone affected by glaucoma — patients, families, caregivers, doctors, researchers — together to learn from and support each other.
Innovation: GRF provides seed funding for creative research projects that might not otherwise move forward, attracting new talent to the field of vision science. Funding is typically $55k for a one-year grant.
Empowerment: GRF shares knowledge, insight, resources, and inspiration, empowering people affected by glaucoma.
GRF’s multidisciplinary consortium of researchers is working together to speed the cure for glaucoma and restore vision. https://glaucoma.org/research/catalyst-for-a-cure
Catalyst for a Cure principal investigators report on their latest challenges and progress. https://glaucoma.org/understanding-glaucoma/articles?articles_type=14&keyword_search=
Glaucoma Research Foundation provides seed money for creative pilot research projects that hold promise. https://glaucoma.org/research/shaffer-research-grants
Website: https://glaucoma.org/
Financials: https://glaucoma.org/about-us/financials
The Opportunity
GRF is led by President and CEO, Tom Brunner who joined Glaucoma Research Foundation in 2003 after a successful 30-year career in the ophthalmic laser business. He helped introduce major advances in eye care including laser photocoagulation to prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, laser treatment of secondary cataracts, and laser treatment for glaucoma.
Nancy Graydon, Executive Director of Development and Chief Operating Officer (EDOD) oversees all Glaucoma Research Foundation development programs and activities. Nancy is a development professional who has served in a leadership capacity with GRF for more than 13 years. Throughout her tenure, she has orchestrated a remarkable revenue increase from $3.4M to $7.3M annually while implementing sophisticated fundraising systems and successful strategies, earning the organization widespread recognition for its philanthropic achievements.
Last year the organization raised $1.7M in legacy gifts that were primarily bequests and $3.6M in Major Gifts ($10k+), with 43 gifts greater than $25k. Also of note, 88 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to fund the mission. GRF continues to have a strong balance sheet, finishing last year with total assets of $14.4 million. The organization is proud to have earned Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for an 8th consecutive year, recognizing its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
Reporting to the EDOD, the SDOD will focus on raising major gifts from individuals and family foundations and will inherit a portfolio of 75-100 major donors and prospects from a pipeline of 800+ high priority major gift prospects identified within GRF’s database of 150,000+ donor profiles. The successful candidate will be primarily tasked with leading and managing GRF’s major gift fundraising efforts. The SDOD will personally qualify new donors, cultivate relationships with prospects who have already been identified, and seek to maximize giving potential of existing donors. In addition to making personal solicitations, the SDOD will assist with donor/prospect strategy for the EDOD and the CEO and support their donor engagement efforts. The SDOD functions in a highly visible, externally facing role and will represent the organization by engaging and cultivating donors with the greatest capacity to give and by utilizing leadership volunteers to build connections with potential donors.
The SDOD will have oversight of a development team of 4 FTE’s and will apply best practice fundraising principles. The SDOD will be experienced in stewarding major gift donors and building relationships and will understand best practices in moves management/portfolio management. Glaucoma Research Foundation is in the early planning phase of a $50 million comprehensive campaign that is scheduled to launch publicly in February 2028, in celebration of GRF’s 50th anniversary. The goal of the campaign is to expand multidisciplinary and multi-disease research programs (Catalyst for a Cure consortia, Shaffer Grants for Innovative Glaucoma Research) and Patient Education.
A key initiative is to secure campaign donations from 480+ identified potential major supporters and prioritize them according to ability, affinity, and access, and implement a systematized Grateful Patient program to drive campaign activity and fundraising. Much of the first year will be spent focused on donor segmentation, qualification outreach, and major donor engagement.
Glaucoma Research Foundation traditionally has two major convenings. In February they celebrate the signature Glaucoma 360 event held in San Francisco. The Annual Glaucoma Patient Summit is in June, this year (2025) in Dallas – Fort Worth. It will be imperative that the successful candidate attend these two meetings, as well as other select activities in San Francisco and some additional travel, which will be determined as the SDOD forms a strategy for donor engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship needs.
About the Role
The SDOD will lead the major gifts fundraising activities and will design and lead a comprehensive development program for the organization, establish goals and objectives, coordinate strategies for fundraising, stewardship, cultivation, and communications. The SDOD will personally cultivate, solicit, and steward donors at the major and principal gift levels.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
• Provides leadership and focus to the Development Team and guides the implementation of strategies to meet long- and short-range goals and objectives in the area of development.
• Manages program budgets and supervises and motivates professional and support staff, ensuring their work activities are integrated with and supportive of the total development program at GRF.
• Enhances the resources and opportunities available to GRF constituents by developing and implementing fundraising programs for major gifts and campaign giving to the organization
• Provides for current and long-range needs of GRF by guiding staff who supervise fundraising programs for planned and deferred gifts, annual giving, and special campaigns and events.
• Facilitates charitable giving to meet the needs of donors and GRF by remaining current and proficient on technical and tax code matters affecting donors and charitable giving and by suggesting options for donors to pursue with financial and planning professionals.
• Identifies a stable pool of gift prospects for future giving by researching, cultivating, and solicitating (in conjunction with other professional development staff as needed) prospective donors as well as current donors.
• Develops customized donor communications and materials such as gift proposals, blended gifts, and donor recognition opportunities.
• Creates opportunities for interaction among researchers, ambassadors, and potential donors, thereby enhancing the potential for giving by representing GRF at various functions where there is a significant concentration of potential donors.
• Ensures that volunteer members who serve on the Board of Directors and other advisory groups have a positive experience by serving as a liaison to the Development Committee and by working with the Board in conducting other development-related activities, as directed by the EDOD.
• Contributes to the overall success of the Development Team by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
• At least seven years of increasingly responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, with demonstrated track record of closing 6-figure gifts.
• Working knowledge of high-level, sophisticated Development Office or similarly structured programs in an academic, hospital setting or similarly structured environment, including strong experience with major gifts or solicitations of a similar nature, level, and complexity.
• Demonstrated skill in developing and implementing successful strategies for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals, corporations, and foundations, including the ability to envision and articulate future direction.
• Management and administrative skills to organize, direct, motivate, inspire, and evaluate other professionals and volunteers.
• Ability to grasp and articulate research quickly and effectively across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (both written and oral) to interact effectively with academic leaders, faculty, staff, donors, and volunteers.
• A broad background in managing fundraising professionals and teams.
• Ability to render mature judgments, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to navigate and be effective within a multifaceted environment
• Extensive experience participating in strategic planning.
• Self-starter who works independently while also working well collectively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve common goals.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as required and to travel to achieve stated goals.
• Experience in an academic medical school or hospital setting is beneficial and preferred.
• Graduate degree and/or CFRE preferred but not required.
• Philanthropy experience in the following markets: California, Arizona, Chicago, New York, Texas, and Florida are preferred.
Hybrid Role
If the candidate does not live within a commutable distance to the GRF office in San Francisco, this position can work remotely from a home office with monthly travel into the GRF office. Alternatively, for local candidates there is the opportunity to be in the office more frequently at their own discretion and at the agreement of the supervisor. For events, training, office coverage and other activities, this position may be needed in the office more frequently. Additional travel beyond San Francisco may also be required.
Compensation
A salary range of $160,000 - $180,000, plus a generous benefits package which includes 100% employer paid health plan, a 5% 401k employer match, and generous time off, including a week at the end of December.
Please send resumes to:
Sterling Search, Inc.
Julie@sterlingsearchinc.com or 310 909 4897 / Sarah@sterlingsearchinc.com or 949 903 2891
To apply online, click https://apptrkr.com/5693200.
Direct all correspondence, emails, and telephone calls to Sterling Search, Inc.