Director of Development

Bible Center Church is a community-focused ministry that operates The Oasis Project, its community and economic development arm, to transform the community. It aims to create “oases” of safety and prosperity through education, employment, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Through outreach programs like The Makers Clubhouse Early Learning Center and out-of-school time work, Everyday Café, Own Our Own Business Development Center, Oasis Farm, CHAPEL (Community Health Assistance, Programming & Engagement Leadership), Oasis Community Kitchen, and Oasis Transportation, Bible Center strives to make the community more like heaven.

Position Summary

The Director of Development provides strategic leadership for the fundraising, grant development and administration, donor relations, capital campaign management, and resource development initiatives of Bible Center Church. This position is responsible for building and sustaining a diversified funding portfolio that advances the organization's mission, supports its programs, strengthens its financial sustainability, and expands its impact within the community.

The Director leads all phases of fundraising for Bible Center Church and The Oasis Project, from prospect research and grant writing to donor cultivation, stewardship, and reporting. Grant development is the heart of the role. You will work hand in hand with our Communications team to shape the stories we tell investors, with Finance to build sound grant budgets, and with program managers to identify funding needs and make sure the data is there to prove our results.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, accomplished relationship builder, strong writer, effective project manager, and mission-driven professional who understands how to connect an organization's story, community needs, program outcomes, and long-term vision to the priorities of prospective and existing funders.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Paid Time Off, Paid Training and Development Opportunities, Mileage Reimbursement, and Employee Discount at Everyday Café

Key Responsibilities

Grant Writing and Proposal Development

• Research and identify foundation, corporate, government, and faith-based funding opportunities that fit our mission and capacity, and maintain an active prospect pipeline.
• Write clear, compelling proposals, letters of inquiry, case statements, and budget narratives that connect community needs, program design, and measurable results.
• Manage every application from start to finish: internal timelines, reviews, approvals, attachments, and on-time submission.
• Keep a library of ready-to-use materials, including program descriptions, outcome data, financials, and leadership bios.
• Request feedback on declined proposals and use it to strengthen future submissions.

Partnering Across the Organization

• Program Managers: Work with program managers to identify funding needs and priorities, make sure proposals accurately reflect each program, and put data collection plans in place so outcomes are tracked from day one.
• Finance: Partner with the finance team to develop grant budgets, matching funds, and indirect cost assumptions, and to monitor spending, budget-to-actual reports, and reimbursement requests.
• Communications: Collaborate with Communications to decide what stories we need to tell prospective investors about the purpose and results of our work, and gather the stories, photos, testimonials, and impact data that bring proposals, appeals, and reports to life.

Grant Management, Compliance, and Reporting

• Maintain a central grants calendar and tracking system for all active, pending, and completed awards, including amounts, terms, deadlines, restrictions, and reporting requirements.
• Review award agreements and make sure program and finance staff understand what each grant requires.
• Prepare accurate, timely interim and final reports that show what was accomplished and what we learned.
• Raise compliance concerns, performance shortfalls, or delays with leadership early, and support audits and site visits.
• Plan for renewals and sustainability well before grants expire.

Donor Relations and Fundraising

• Develop and carry out an annual development plan with revenue goals across grants, individual and major gifts, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, events, and campaigns.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and corporate partners alongside senior leadership.
• Lead annual giving, year-end appeals, giving days, and special campaigns, and support capital campaign planning as needed.
• Ensure every gift is acknowledged promptly and every donor stays connected to the impact of their giving.
• Serve as the primary contact for institutional funders: keep them informed, host site visits, and build partnerships that last beyond a single grant.
• Equip pastors, board members, and staff to share our story and take part in fundraising.

Systems and Reporting

• Maintain the donor database with accurate records of gifts, pledges, restrictions, and funder contacts.
• Provide regular reports to leadership on revenue, the grant pipeline, pending proposals, awards, and upcoming obligations.
• Uphold ethical fundraising practices, donor confidentiality, and donor intent.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, nonprofit management, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least five years of progressive fundraising experience, with a proven record of writing and winning grants.
• Exceptional writing skills. You can turn program data and personal stories into clear, persuasive narratives for different audiences.
• Exceptional organizational skills. You manage many deadlines, budgets, and reporting schedules at once without anything slipping through the cracks.
• Experience building grant budgets with finance staff and managing post-award reporting and compliance.
• Proficiency with Bloomerang, Asana, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace.
• A relationship builder who connects easily with funders, pastors, program staff, and neighbors, and who can represent a faith-based organization authentically to both faith-based and secular funders.

Preferred

• Experience securing six-figure and government (federal, state, or county) grants.
• Master’s degree or CFRE certification.
• Experience with community development or faith-based organizations, and knowledge of the Pittsburgh philanthropic community.

How to Apply

Send a resume, a cover letter, and a writing sample (a grant proposal or excerpt you wrote) to careers@bcpgh.org.