Colorado Nonprofit Association

Director of Development, Local Markets

Civic News Company, parent company to Votebeat, the growing nonprofit news organization committed to reporting the nuanced truth about elections and voting, Chalkbeat, the growing nonprofit news organization telling the story of education in America, and Healthbeat, a launching newsroom covering health and health policy issues at the national and local level in the United States is seeking a Director of Development, Local Markets  to join our team and focus on fundraising strategy in three local markets, Colorado, Detroit, and Tennessee. All three markets have established donors and portfolios with plenty of growth potential. Working closely with Civic News Company’s Chief Revenue Officer and VP of Philanthropy, the Colorado, Detroit, and Tennessee Director of Development will oversee the individual and institutional funder relationships to support our Chalkbeat programming. 

The right candidate will be thoughtful, organized, and entrepreneurial, with a track record of fundraising success from individuals and institutions. A passion for journalism and understanding its importance to democracy is preferred.

This position will report to the Vice President of Philanthropy and achieve their portfolio goals through a fundraising pod, made up of a grant writer, prospect researcher and development operations coordinator. While there are no direct reports, leadership is certainly required to manage the portfolio and champion the team members of the pod model.

The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Using a team-based approach, achieve your annual fundraising goals and establish key performance indicators
• Meet portfolio goals of approximately $2M-$3M with an estimate of 75-100 prospects
• In partnership with the VP of Philanthropy and Director of Prospect Research, develop strategies to move relationships forward with an emphasis on individual giving 
• Lead the development of long- and short-term plans to meet assigned revenue goals for programmatic funding priorities
• Leverage the moves management system for major gift donors and prospects within the portfolio, with the goal of increased and new giving
• Work with board members to develop personalized solicitation and stewardship touchpoints
• Develop and oversee the planning and execution of one-on-one meetings and events (intimate gatherings, not galas) with the goal of creating targeted cultivation and stewardship opportunities
• Work with the Development Communications team to develop meaningful stewardship and communication strategiesAssist in the development of research strategies and targeted areas for research, working closely with the Development Operations team and Prospect Research
• Establish strong relationships and lines of communication with other staff, working together to create accurate and informative messaging, increased donor awareness of key initiatives, and engaging donor cultivation events

What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!):

• At least 5 years of front-line fundraising experience, preferably managing an active portfolio made up of mostly foundation and individual donors
• Proven track record of securing annual gifts of $10,000 to $100,000
• Entrepreneurial and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to apply creativity and initiative in achieving gift goals
• Experience working with volunteer boards and committee members and coordinating volunteer-led fundraising activities
• Experience meeting revenue goals
• Self-starter with the ability to get up to speed quickly and work independently
• Highly motivated, organized, flexible, and proactive
• Proven project management and task management ability in a deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work in an environment where multitasking is the norm, the pace is fast, and priorities will evolve
• Excellent communication skills—both oral and written
• Ability to work and collaborate with colleagues within and across departments
• Demonstrated ability to articulate the vision and mission of the organization
• Proficiency with office software, we primarily use Google Suite and Salesforce
• Passion for equity and the future of journalism is a must
• Bachelor’s degree or significant and relevant work experience in the field of philanthropy

About Civic News Company

At Civic News Company, our mission is helping people understand how America works so they can make it work better. Committed to equal employment opportunities, Civic News Company welcomes applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and contribute to our shared vision.

Civic News Company participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Civic News Company is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before Civic News Company can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Civic News Company can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.