Role search
Get an Interim Director of Development who can own major gift pipeline solicitations.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: Your fundraising calendar keeps moving even when the director's seat is empty. Donors still need an answer, pledges need follow-up and the board wants to know which gifts are actually committed.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Interim Director of Development
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
Your fundraising calendar keeps moving even when the director's seat is empty. Donors still need an answer, pledges need follow-up and the board wants to know which gifts are actually committed. The finance team can record donations. It cannot take over the relationships behind them. We ask which campaigns are active, who owns the major gift pipeline and where prospect notes are kept. Then we separate work the interim director must do personally from work already owned by staff or board members. That distinction matters when you interview someone whose last role had a much larger support team. Their title does not tell you what they can carry here.
The effectiveness of this hire rests on their ability to work with current data structures rather than changing them. An interim director should be able to handle your existing CRM to generate board reports and track gift restrictions without requiring a month of orientation. Success looks like a stable pipeline where grants are submitted on schedule and donor stewardship activities remain consistent with your organization historical engagement standards.
We also ask who approves restricted gifts and who can commit the organization to a donor condition. The incoming director needs the fundraising records before taking responsibility for a campaign. Missing access belongs in the brief, not in a surprise after arrival.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify recent experience with capital campaigns of similar scale. We look for specific evidence of managing multi-year pledges and the administrative procedures used to track donor restrictions during those periods.
- We review how candidates have handled board-level communications in previous interim assignments. You need a leader who reports financial data objectively and clearly without needing a deep internal history of the organization to understand the context.
- We confirm that the candidate has worked with your specific fundraising CRM. We require proof that they know how to audit gift records for accuracy and can extract the necessary reports for upcoming board meetings or grant audits.
- We evaluate their comfort with donor stewardship transitions. We look for individuals who understand how to introduce themselves to major stakeholders while positioning the upcoming permanent hire as the long-term solution for the mission.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We find these leaders among senior development professionals who have moved into independent advisory work. These individuals often transition into interim roles because they prefer project-based contributions over the permanence of a single institution, yet they maintain the same high level of operational rigor required for executive leadership.
We also look for career fundraising leaders who are between major tenures or those who have retired from full-time service but choose to stay active through interim assignments. These professionals are motivated by the challenge of solving immediate organizational gaps and enjoy the task of maintaining stability in mission-critical operations.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Expecting an interim leader to overhaul your entire fundraising strategy. An interim role is for maintenance and execution, not for restructuring the long-term goals or changing the fundamental donor outreach philosophy of the board.
- Ignoring the need for technical proficiency in your current CRM. Hiring a leader who needs time to learn your software tools will result in a lost quarter, as they will spend their tenure focused on technical training rather than relationship management.
- Failing to define the boundary between the interim and the eventual permanent hire. If the interim director tries to rewrite the role description or hire their own staff, it creates conflict that confuses both the team and the donor base during the search process.
The search
How the Interim Director of Development search runs
- The first step involves auditing your current gift records and grant calendars. We identify the specific financial cycles and donor deadlines that will occur during the interim period, ensuring the candidate has the exact experience to meet those specific milestones without supervision.
- The second step is checking their technical fluency with your board reporting requirements. We interview candidates on how they build donor summaries and track restricted funds, ensuring they can produce the documentation your board expects at the next meeting regardless of their tenure length.
- The final step requires aligning the candidate with your current stewardship protocols. We confirm they can adopt your existing communication style and donor touchpoints, allowing them to step into current relationships and act as a reliable steward until a permanent replacement is appointed.
Questions
How quickly can an interim director start?
Once we identify a candidate with the right CRM and capital campaign history, onboarding is usually limited to one week of document review. They focus on existing donor lists and upcoming grant deadlines.
Do I need to change my fundraising software for an interim?
No. The goal of this hire is to use your existing infrastructure to maintain operations. We only select candidates who already have expertise in your specific CRM environment.
Can the interim lead the search for their own replacement?
It is better to keep those roles separate. The interim director manages current operations while your board or search committee focuses on the long-term strategic needs of the permanent hire.
What happens if a major donor expects a permanent contact?
The interim director provides consistent, professional communication that reinforces your organizational stability. They frame the transition as a planned part of your institutional growth.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
Interim Director of Development by industry and related roles
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The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.