The Live Like Lou Foundation is looking for a Development Director who will lead strategic fundraising initiatives to expand the reach and revenue. This individual will play a central role in cultivating sponsorships and partnerships with college and professional baseball organizations, securing individual and corporate donors, supporting signature regional fundraising events, and engaging Phi Delta Theta chapters and members to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. Reporting to the Live Like Lou Foundation Senior Stewardship and Development Director, this position plays an integral role in growing Live Like Lou’s donor base and in contributing to the attainment of annual goals.

Location: Remote (preference given to candidates living in the South, Southeast or Southwest); regional and national travel required.

Who We Are

The Live Like Lou Foundation was established in 2017-18 after experiencing success with its grassroots efforts in western Pennsylvania to honor its namesake, Lou Gehrig, and advance research and support of those impacted by Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Founded by Neil and Suzanne Alexander, Neil—like Lou Gehrig—was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and both men courageously lived with ALS.

Who We Serve

The Live Like Lou Foundation is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and connect communities to uniquely support families affected by Lou Gehrig's disease and stimulate ALS research. We do this work in honor of our namesake, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, and Luckiest Man, Lou Gehrig, and the more than 20,000 people living with the 100% fatal disease of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) each day across North America. Our vision is to leave ALS better than we found it and we do this in three main ways:

1. Provide meaningful support to people living with ALS and their families through our volunteer program, Connect & Serve, matching volunteers with families for one-time or short-term projects in and around the home; Iron Horse Scholarships for dependents of ALS warriors to pursue higher education; Quality-of-Life Grants to offset the burden that often comes with a of Lou Gehrig’s disease diagnosis; access to accessible communication tools.
2. Invest in ALS research to find treatments or a cure by attracting and retaining early-career ALS researchers and encouraging novel and pre-clinical scientific collaborations through our partnership grants, career development awards, postdoctoral fellowships, graduate fellowships, and biennial ALS Research Symposium.
3. Amplify Lou Gehrig’s story, his legacy, and what it means to Live Like Lou, through meaningful philanthropic partnerships, including Lou Gehrig’s Fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, with 170,000 living members, 14,000 undergraduates on nearly 200 college campuses; and our growing communities of support through ALS families, ALS researchers, and industry partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Donor Cultivation: Build and manage relationships with individual, corporate, and foundation donors through personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
  
• Event Support: Provide leadership and fundraising strategy for live and virtual events, including donor experiences, baseball activations, and regional/national awareness campaigns.
  
• Revenue Strategy: Contribute to the development of an annual fundraising plan with measurable goals and tracking systems for sponsorship, donor metrics, and event performance.
  
• Phi Delta Theta Engagement: Collaborate with Phi Delta Theta chapters, alumni, and volunteers to grow philanthropic participation and chapter-led events supporting Live Like Lou.
  
• Collaboration: Partner with communications, operations, and programs staff to ensure cohesive messaging, reporting, and donor recognition.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in development, nonprofit management, marketing, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in fundraising, sponsorship development, or partnership management
• Proven success in securing gifts, sponsorships, or partnerships in a nonprofit or sports-related environment
• Fundraising database/platform experience preferred, preferably Bloomeran
• Excellent relationship management, communication, and presentation skills
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities/activities in an independent and unstructured work setting
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while meeting deadlines in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.
• Ability to maintain confidential information with discretion
• Strong writing, copy editing, and analytical skills with experience preparing reports and making effective and persuasive presentations to internal and external constituents
• Proven ability to successfully work remotely and independently
• Willingness to travel regionally and nationally, occasionally working evenings or weekends to support events
• Proficient computer skills: Microsoft Office suite

What We Offer

• To provide maximum value and enhance employee experience, Live Like Lou partners with Lou Gehrig’s Fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, for employee management services. Phi Delta Theta Fraternity is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization that is annually recognized as a certified Great Place to Work.
• Salary offers will be determined by the candidate’s creditable years of experience in conjunction with internal equity considerations based on the organization’s current compensation practices and market research for similar positions.
• Traditional benefits package includes 100% employer-paid health insurance, health reimbursement arrangement, 401k retirement plan with a 4% match and additional performance-based contributions, paid holidays, paid vacation days, paid health & wellness days, additional paid time off for office closures at calendar year-end, short- and long-term disability insurance, and life insurance.
• Non-traditional benefits include flexible workspaces, a personalized travel benefits program, technology stipends with mobile phone plan reimbursements, holiday events, and employee recognition.

Work Environments and Physical Requirements

• This is a full-time position based remotely with preference given to candidates in the South, Southeast, or Southwest
• Must have ability to initiate and manage distanced communications/events through Zoom
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer

Application Process

Interested candidates should provide a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Myra Duritsch, Senior Director of Volunteer Support and People, at mduritsch@phideltatheta.org, by January 4, 2026.

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