Development Manager

Job Title: Development Manager

Department: Development

Location: Remote/Virtual within the Continental US

Reports to: Associate Director, Advancement services

Classification: Exempt

Position Type: Full-Time Employee

Anticipated Pay Range at Commencement of Employment: $56,000 - $71,000

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families. 

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

General Description

The Development Manager provides administrative support to the Development Department while learning and performing core fundraising processes and tasks.

The Manager is detail-oriented, deadline-driven, well-organized, and able to stay flexible in a fast-paced environment. They understand the critical importance of a clean donor database and work closely with staff to maintain data integrity. A strong writer, the Manager can learn and apply Blue Star Families' tone and style through editing and revision, and will support the organization's grant writing efforts. The Manager brings genuine enthusiasm for learning all aspects of fundraising within a growing organization serving military-connected families.

As a fully remote organization, we rely on regular in-person gatherings to fulfill core business functions, including strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and culture-building. This role requires the ability to travel overnight several times per year to attend team offsites, leadership sessions, and company-wide events. These events are critical to performing the essential functions of the role, enabling team alignment, effective decision-making, and strong interpersonal connection. Attendance and participation in these gatherings is a non-negotiable component of the position.

Key Job Functions

The Development Manager will focus on the following:

Administrative Tasks

• Accurately create and update Salesforce records to capture all donor interactions and opportunities, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of BSF's donor data.
• Use AI or other tools to take comprehensive meeting notes, and proactively initiate and manage follow-up actions so all tasks and commitments are addressed in a timely manner.
• Efficiently manage appointments and schedules using Google Calendar.
• Assist the Senior Manager of Operations & Stewardship and the Lead Vice President in tracking and creating stewardship reports for corporate and foundation donors.
• Backstop the Senior Manager of Operations & Stewardship on the Development Team's interactions with the Finance Department.

Technical Proficiency

• Use Google Suite (email, calendar, chat) and Google Drive to create, edit, and save Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Utilize Hive to streamline tasks and collaborate efficiently with BSF colleagues and teams.
• Design engaging, impactful donor reports using Canva.

Fundraising Skills Development

• Apply key fundraising techniques, including research/prospecting, grant writing, and donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Support the planning and execution of special events, particularly maintaining invitation lists.

Communication and Research

• Craft clear, effective written communications, including emails, memos, flyers, letters of intent, proposals, and reports.
• Conduct donor research to identify new, appropriate funding prospects (private and public) for BSF's programs and priorities.

Department Coordination

• Maintain the department meeting calendar and agenda.
• Provide updates at department meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills, Background

• 2-4 years of related sales or fundraising experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a discipline such as marketing, social work, English, communications, management, or public relations, or commensurate experience.
• Demonstrated experience effectively managing administrative tasks, including record management, note-taking, and scheduling.
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Canva, Salesforce, and Hive, or a proven ability to quickly learn and master these tools.
• Strong research skills, ideally in contexts relevant to fundraising, business, or similar fields.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Quick learner, adaptable to a variety of tasks and challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• Works and communicates effectively with people from different backgrounds, and fosters collegial teamwork.
• Experience working in a virtual environment.
• Ability to travel out of town overnight several times per year for staff offsites, planning retreats, and company-wide events; these gatherings are essential for connection, brainstorming, and staying strategically aligned across teams, and participation is required as a core part of the role.
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions.

Desired Experience, Skills & Background 

• Familiarity with the military community. 
• Familiarity with membership-driven organizations. 

More About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.

Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.

Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

EEO Policy

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Why Blue Star Families?

• Mission-driven work supporting military service members and their families
• Flexible work options (remote, or hybrid depending on the role)
• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Flexible Spending Accounts, life insurance, and disability insurance
• Communications allowance
• Professional development and career growth opportunities
• PCS leave for Active Duty military spouses