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.  

At The Trace, we are committed to producing and sustaining journalism that is equitable and inclusive. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.

Team Trace