Rosemary Miller, an accomplished journalism fundraiser, has joined The Trace as director of development.
In her post, Miller will oversee donor relations and revenue generation, collaborating with managing director James Burnett on strategies for increasing philanthropic support for The Trace, the only media organization focused on reporting on gun violence.
Miller came to The Trace after four and half years at VPM, Virginia’s widest-reaching NPR/PBS station, where she secured significant gifts for its newsrooms and implemented strategic shifts that enhanced donor engagement and increased donations.
“Through my work, I’ve seen how essential trustworthy journalism is to addressing the issues facing our country,” said Miller. “As a development officer, it’s been incredible to help funders who are passionate about truth, understanding, and accountability find ways to make a difference. And as both a citizen and a parent, of course I felt a huge motivation to be part of a team that’s using journalism to shine a light on how to make our communities safer for everyone.”
Miller’s hiring coincides with a period of growth and evolution for The Trace. With the organization’s investigative journalism continuing to generate significant impact, The Trace has recently invested in a local reporting initiative, a forthcoming Gun Violence Data Hub, and expanded coverage of gun violence solutions. Since 2022, The Trace has gratefully received grants from 14 new institutional funders, adding to its strong base of grant revenues; during the same period, the number of individual donors making gifts to The Trace increased by more than 20 percent. As development director, Miller will work to sustain those gains while securing new sources of financial support for The Trace’s independent coverage of an issue that Americans cite as a top concern.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of people believe in The Trace’s unique mission, recognize the power of journalism to spark change, and provide the resources that enable our newsroom to create impact,” said Burnett. “In Rosemary, we now have a fundraising leader who can take us to the next level.”
Prior to VPM, Miller held development positions at Carnegie Hall and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. She has also raised funds for the Charlottesville Free Clinic, which provides no-cost health care to residents of her home city, and serves on the boards of several nonprofits, including the Hummingbird Fund, which supports research on treatments for ALS. She remains based in Charlottesville and started at The Trace on September 18.
The Trace maintains a firewall between funding and coverage decisions and discloses all donors who contribute $1,000 or more. To join the more than 1,200 funders who’ve supported The Trace’s journalism, please visit our donation page.