Vital Impacts: Development Director

Remote

Contracted

Experienced

POSITION: Development Director with Vital Impacts
COMPENSATION: $120,000 annually for an 80% time commitment (equivalent to a $150,000 full-time role)

LOCATION: Remote (U.S.)

About Vital Impacts

Founded as a grassroots effort to raise funds for conservation through art, Vital Impacts has grown into a globally recognized, women-led nonprofit that harnesses the power of storytelling to drive environmental impact. Through innovative print sales that raise money for photographers and conservation organizations, grantmaking and mentorship for environmental storytellers, and a national youth speaker program, Vital Impacts is mobilizing resources for conservation and accelerating the transition to a more resilient future.

Central to the work is supporting environmental storytellers. Through mentorship and grantmaking, Vital Impacts has supported more than 1,000 journalists across 87 countries, equipping them to report on environmental issues with depth, rigor, and a solutions-driven lens. Their stories bring global visibility to local challenges and to the people working creatively to protect important and vulnerable environments.

This storytelling network is paired with deep, place-based conservation work. Through partnerships, Vital Impacts has raised more than $3.5 million for community-led conservation initiatives, helping safeguard critical ecosystems and support those working closest to the land.

We are also cultivating the next generation of environmental stewards. Our in-person student programs have reached more than 30,000 young people, inviting them to see themselves as active participants in shaping a healthier, more compassionate world.

Vital Impacts is a small, founder-led organization with significant momentum and an ambitious vision for the future. As we enter our next phase of growth, we are seeking our first senior development leader to help us build a sustainable fundraising strategy that matches the scale of our impact and the urgency of this moment.

The Opportunity

Vital Impacts is seeking a Development Director to lead and execute our fundraising strategy during a pivotal growth phase.This is a hands-on, entrepreneurial role for an experienced fundraiser who thrives in early-stage environments, loves building systems from scratch, and is excited to grow major individual and corporate support.

The Development Director will partner closely with our Founder/Executive Director, who brings deep relationships, strong visibility, and a compelling public presence. This role will take ownership of day-to-day development operations, donor stewardship, and revenue growth — helping move Vital Impacts from a small grassroots organization to a more professional, scalable operation.

This is not a role for someone who needs a highly structured, large-organization environment. It is a role for a go-getter who sees the vision, isn’t afraid of an evolving organization, and wants to help build something meaningful.

Key Responsibilities

Major Gifts & Corporate Partnerships (35%)

Lead corporate outreach, pitches, and deal-closing with mission-aligned brands (e.g., creative, technology, youth education sectors)
Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and major donors
Develop tailored sponsorship opportunities tied to Vital Impacts’ programs
Create compelling proposals, pitches, and donor materials in collaboration with leadership and marketing support

Donor Stewardship & Relationship Management (35%)

Take ownership of donor communications and stewardship, ensuring timely, thoughtful, and personalized engagement
Preserve and scale Vital Impacts’ “secret sauce”: fast, human, heartfelt donor follow-up
Develop strategies to increase donor retention, repeat giving, and average gift size
Translate program impact and storytelling into donor-facing narratives that inspire giving

Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Growth (10%)

Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with organizational growth goals
Lead revenue generation across:
- Major individual gifts
- Corporate sponsorships and partnerships
- New foundation and family foundation relationships
Design and manage fundraising campaigns (e.g., Giving Tuesday, program-specific campaigns)
Partner with the ED on donor strategy while independently managing and growing a donor portfolio

Systems, Infrastructure & Process Building (10%)

Select and implement a CRM to track donor relationships and fundraising activity
Build and maintain clear development systems, pipelines, and reporting processes
Bring visibility and structure to donor data currently spread across platforms and personal relationships
Partner with leadership to professionalize fundraising operations while maintaining flexibility

Organizational Growth & Strategic Support (10%)

Support long-term fundraising planning, including exploration of sustained major donor growth and endowment strategies
Advise on future development staffing and team structure
Collaborate with leadership on organizational strategy as Vital Impacts scales
Help document and communicate impact to funders, partners, and supporters

What Success Looks Like

In the First 90 Days

Assess current fundraising efforts, donor base, and systems
Develop a donor segmentation and portfolio strategy
Identify priority corporate and/or major gift prospects and initiate outreach
Deliver a clear development roadmap with opportunities and next steps

Ongoing

Implement a CRM and migrate donor data with the help of other staff and contractors. Vital Impacts currently uses Donorbox
Growth in major individual and corporate revenue
A well-managed donor pipeline with consistent reporting
Strong donor retention and stewardship
Successful execution of fundraising campaigns

Who Thrives Here

You might be a great fit if you:

Love building from the ground up
Are energized by growth and possibility
Are not afraid of ambiguity or fast-paced change
Believe deeply in the power of storytelling, art, and human connection
Want to help shape the future of an evolving and growing organization

Qualifications & Experience

7+ years of senior-level fundraising or revenue leadership experience, with clear ownership of results; experience in small, founder-led, or early-stage organizations strongly preferred
Proven success securing and growing 5- and 6-figure gifts from major individual donors and/or corporate partners; candidates do not need equal depth in both, but must bring strength in at least one
Exceptional relationship builder with the ability to engage and steward a wide range of constituencies, including high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, foundations, creatives, journalists, board members, and senior leaders
Demonstrated experience building fundraising strategy, relationships, and processes from the ground up, rather than inheriting a fully built development operation
Strong track record translating mission, programs, and impact into compelling proposals, pitches, and donor communications
Comfortable operating in a startup or growth-stage environment, with the judgment to prioritize, adapt, and move work forward amid evolving structures
Highly self-directed and accountable; able to own day-to-day fundraising execution while partnering closely with executive leadership
Experience fundraising across multiple channels or audiences, rather than working exclusively with a single donor type
Former Executive Directors, Deputy Directors, or senior leaders who have personally led fundraising for small or growing organizations are strongly encouraged to apply
Appreciation for journalism and storytelling, including an understanding of how high-quality reporting is developed, supported, and funded; experience working with journalists, media, or storytelling-driven organizations is a plus
Conservation or environmental background is not required

Details & Compensation

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 hours per week on average. Time commitment may fluctuate based on fundraising cycles and organizational needs.
Compensation: Approximately $10,000/month
Travel: Occasional travel for donor cultivation (depends on home location; once/month likely)
Location: Remote, U.S.

Application and Selection Process

To apply, please submit a resume and answer the questions. The application deadline is February 20, 2026.

This search is being led by NRG Consulting Group. Reach out to Jaclyn Jones at [email protected] with any questions.

If you wish to nominate someone else for the role, we are accepting referrals here.

We hope to select a Development Director in March.

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Describe a major individual or corporate fundraising effort where you were the primary driver. Please include an example from a smaller organization ($1 million operating budget or less).
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This role works closely with a Founder/Executive Director who is a strong public storyteller and external-facing leader. Tell us about a time you served as a #2 or close partner to a leader like this. This experience may come from serving as an Executive Director or senior leader in a small organization where you worked closely with a board chair, founder, or other public-facing leader to translate vision into action.
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Over the past 5 years, I’ve developed a company and a nationwide progressive talent network to meet the dynamic hiring needs of our clients, all of whom I’m happy to report are repeat customers with whom we have long-standing relationships.

If you are a candidate with a question, feel free to contact [email protected] and we will get back to you ASAP. You should also check out the NRG careers page to see even more roles we are hustiling to fill.