Director of Development at The Trace, Nonprofit Journalism

The Trace is looking for a director of development to help
sustain and expand our high-impact, award-winning reporting on gun
violence.  

At our growing nonprofit media organization, we’re building the
only team of journalists dedicated to reporting on one of the most
critical issues facing our country. Our stories are making a
difference, and our financial support has increased during these
uncertain times. As we plan for the future, we’re seeking a
talented development leader to accelerate our fundraising,
particularly in major gifts.  

We hope you’ll consider applying if:  

You believe in the power of
journalism and storytelling to drive positive change 

You enjoy building relationships to
support organizations you’re passionate about 

You love spotting new opportunities —
and making them happen  

In this full-time position, you’ll collaborate with The Trace’s
Managing Director on establishing and expanding revenue programs
essential to our long-term sustainability and impact. Ideally, you
both excel at strategically raising funds for mission-driven
organizations and are comfortable with the nitty-gritty of
nonprofit development work — we’re a small shop, and this is a
hands-on role.  

The Trace has been successful in diversifying its revenue
sources across roughly 35 institutional funders and a growing
membership base. The person in this role will work to further
cultivate these sources but will focus first on expanding The
Trace’s major donor program.  

Core Responsibilities 

Creating and implementing a
comprehensive development strategy and fundraising plan.
You’ll use your experience and historical data from The Trace to
create and maintain a development strategy and actionable
fundraising plan that leads to increased revenue. Essential to this
task is building streamlined systems to accurately track and report
progress and make adjustments when necessary.  

Scaling up a major giving
program. For most of its nine years in operation, The
Trace has been funded primarily by grants from institutional
donors. In partnership with the Managing Director, you’ll develop a
strategy for steadily increasing the share of our $5.25 million
operating budget funded by major gifts. Working from an initial
list of prospects, you’ll facilitate the outreach,
relationship-building, and requests that increase our revenues from
individual supporters. As our major gifts program gains momentum,
you’ll identify and research new prospective donors and help add
them to our growing community of patrons.  

Expanding our membership
program. More than a thousand of The Trace’s loyal readers
help to sustain our journalism by making one-time or recurring
donations. You’ll organize the digital marketing and email
campaigns that lead to new members and renewals, conduct capacity
screenings, and ensure every gift is promptly and warmly
acknowledged. You’ll also work with our audience team, membership
consultants, and development coordinator to expand our donor funnel
and track key conversion and retention metrics.  

Coordinating with our
successful grants program. You’ll contribute to the
continued growth of our grant revenues by coordinating with our
grant-writing firm, Managing Director, and other colleagues to
strategize new institutional funding opportunities and track the
progress and outcomes of grant-funded projects.  

Testing new revenue
lines. The development director will scope opportunities
in new revenue streams (e.g., sponsorships, events, consulting
services) and run pilot projects to assess their ROI and
scalability.  

Required Skills and Qualifications 

At least 5 years of experience as a
fundraising professional in a nonprofit organization, and at least
10 years of overall work experience  

Demonstrated success in setting
fundraising strategy, leading a comprehensive and efficient
development program, and preparing work plans to achieve
goals  

Experience leading and managing
coworkers and/or consultants and ability to coach, support, and
advise others in becoming more effective fundraisers 

Ability to see opportunities, think
creatively, and execute new approaches for development 

Excellent communication and writing
skills, with an ability to connect with people virtually,
in-person, and in thoughtfully composed letters and
emails   

Track record of taking initiative and
working independently  

Excellent organization,
prioritization, and time-management skills, consistently leading to
deadlines met and goals achieved  

Attention to detail  

Familiarity with optimizing
Salesforce as a CRM 

Willingness to travel and
occasionally work during the evenings or weekends for donor
meetings and events  

Preferred Skills and
Qualifications  

Availability for in-person work at
The Trace’s Charlottesville, Virginia business office 2 to 3 days a
week. Outside of the Charlottesville area, preference will be given
to candidates from locations where The Trace has staff (New York,
Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago) or that are home to
significant philanthropic communities.  

Experience managing a portfolio of
major donors, including making substantial asks and securing
transformational gifts    

Direct experience in raising funds
for nonprofit journalism or public media  

Compensation and Benefits 

$100,000 – $140,000 annually,
depending on experience and location 

Full medical/dental/vision paid by
employer 

20 PTO days, 10 sick days, and 2
personal days annually, plus federal holidays 

401(k) with employer
match  

12 weeks of fully paid family
leave 

Professional development
funding 

To Apply 

Please
fill out this application form. In lieu of a cover letter, we
ask that you answer a few questions to showcase your skills and
experience, as well as submit your resume.  

The deadline for applying is July 26,
2024. We will review materials on a rolling basis and encourage
interested candidates to apply without delay.  

Questions about this opportunity?
Email [email protected]. Please do not contact us to ask about the
status of your application before we have contacted
you.