Director of Development

About the Position:

Finding Our Stride (FOS) seeks an energetic, motivated individual with a passion to serve youth to join our small team as Director of Development. The Director of Development will collaborate closely with the Executive Director and be responsible for strategizing, implementing, and managing all development efforts and operations supporting FOS’ continued growth. This position will also be the staff lead for the Board of Director’s Development Committee and work closely with the Committee’s Chair and members in supporting FOS’s development goals. 

The successful candidate will be a highly organized, collaborative, self-starter with strong communication skills and experience in development, proposal writing, or related work. They will be a thought partner and natural collaborator who loves working for organizations that are mission-based with clear visions and impactful values responsive to the communities they serve. They believe in teamwork, are agile, and bring high energy, flexibility, strong writing skills, and attention to detail to their work. They strive when given opportunities to move strategic thinking and planning to concrete steps, processes, and actions. They will have a demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and accessibility. A belief that all youth deserve opportunities to thrive physically, emotionally, and socially is required.

We are a small, fully remote team, based in the Upper Valley with scheduled in-person meetings several times per month. During the spring and fall program seasons, frequent local travel is expected for school site visits. This is a part-time (50% full-time), salaried position. FOS provides flexibility in staff schedules and hours and supports a healthy work-life balance. The Director of Development will report to the Executive Director. 

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Individual donor cultivation, stewardship and giving

• With Executive Director and Development Committee members, identify and implement strategies to expand donor base.
• Oversee individual donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Develop and implement annual calendar of donor cultivation and fundraising events.
• Manage seasonal and annual appeals supporting the annual fund.
• Maintain FOS’s donor database and develop systems for tracking individual acknowledgements, contacts, and donor communications.

Corporate relationships and sponsorships

• Lead relationship building with local businesses and corporate sponsors.
• Implement strategies to deepen relationships with corporate sponsors, including opportunities for engaging corporations and small businesses in FOS activities.

Foundation relations and grant management

• Share proposal preparation, writing, and submission responsibilities with Executive Director.
• Manage portfolio of foundations, grant applications, tracking and reporting needs.

Support Board of Director’s development committee

• Coordinate activities and goals with BoD development committee.
• Provide guidance, resources, and support needed for committee’s and staff success in individual giving, major gift solicitation, and corporate relations.

Organizational Operations, Communications, and Outreach

• Participate and support community-based activities, including school site visits, programmatic activities, and community engagement events.
• With Program Director, co-manage needs for special events and support for external partners.
• With Executive Director and communications consultant, actively participate in strategizing communication plans, social media posts, and other communication needs to various stakeholders.

Essential Skills and Experience:

Required: The successful candidate will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications: 

• At least 3 years of experience in non-profit development and fundraising, or foundation relations, proposal preparation and writing, or other relevant and transferable experience.
• Possess a considerable degree of initiative, excellent organizational skills, and demonstrated project management experience with attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication and research skills.
• High degree of computer literacy and technological savvy, including ample experience with databases, CRM’s, and spreadsheets.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with an adaptable and collaborative approach.
• Ability to work with discretion, maintain confidentiality, and build trust with donors.
• Strong project management and time management skills and ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Willingness to work outside of your job description and work collaboratively with the team on changing priorities and a variety of projects simultaneously.
• Adaptability and openness to evolving job description as the organization grows.

Preferred: The ideal candidate will have experience and skills in one or more of the following areas: 

• A track record of meeting fundraising goals and building donor base; experience in fundraising event planning and execution.
• Success in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors.
• Familiarity of non-profit landscape and giving in Vermont, New Hampshire, and/or Upper Valley.
• Familiarity with business community and corporate giving in greater Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.
• Personal or professional experience relevant to the work of Finding Our Stride, such as experience in community engagement, expertise in youth development, youth mentorship, youth health and risk behaviors, event management, etc.
• Skills to support marketing and communication needs (such as experience in social media, photography and other media, writing program descriptions and content).

Compensation & Benefits

This is as a 50% part-time (0.5 FTE) position, without benefits. The salary range for this position is $32,500 to $37,500 annually (compensation calculated at 50% of $65,000 to $75,000 Full Time Equivalent salary). FOS provides a generous vacation policy, paid sick days, flexible work schedules, and a home office stipend for technology and equipment.

Work Schedule and Conditions

All FOS staff work remotely, with periodic in-person meetings. FOS provides flexibility in staff schedules and hours and supports a healthy work-life balance. Position requires use of a personal vehicle for school site visits in VT and NH. This position includes occasional weekend and evening work. The individual filling this position will need to stay active for up to three hours at a time.