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.)
REPORTS TO: Founder and Executive Director

About Vital Impacts

Vital Impacts was founded as a women-led nonprofit to raise funds for grassroots conservation efforts through the power of fine art photography. Today, we are a globally recognized organization harnessing visual storytelling to inspire action for a more resilient and equitable world.

Through innovative print sales that support both photographers and conservation organizations, grantmaking and mentorship for environmental storytellers, and a national youth speaker program, Vital Impacts mobilizes resources to protect ecosystems, amplify solutions-driven environmental reporting, and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.

At the heart of our work is support for environmental storytellers. Through mentorship and grants, we have empowered more than 1,000 journalists across 87 countries to report on environmental issues with depth, rigor, and a solutions-oriented perspective. Their stories elevate local challenges, celebrate the creativity of conservationists, and connect global audiences to the people and ecosystems most at risk.

This storytelling network is closely paired with place-based conservation efforts. Through strategic partnerships, Vital Impacts has raised over $3.5 million for community-led conservation initiatives, directly protecting critical habitats and supporting the people who care for them.

We also cultivate the next generation of environmental leaders. Our in-person youth programs have reached over 30,000 students, inspiring 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. As we enter our next phase of growth, we are seeking our first senior development leader to help build a sustainable fundraising strategy that matches both the scale of our impact and the urgency of the environmental challenges we face.

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.

This role will steward an existing base of committed supporters while also playing a key role in expanding Vital Impacts’ donor community. While there is a strong foundation to build on, this is not a role with a large, fully built donor pipeline or a heavily fundraising-oriented board. The Development Director will be expected to actively grow new relationships and help shape how the organization expands its funding base over time.

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
Steady incremental 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
Direct conservation or environmental expertise is not required. However, successful candidates will bring a demonstrated track record of fundraising success and an existing network in fields adjacent to Vital Impacts’ work—such as environmental journalism, media, conservation, climate, arts and culture, or related mission-driven sectors

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.

Apply for this position

Required*

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Resume*

We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

LinkedIn Profile URL:

How should we refer to you (name pronunciation and pronouns)?

How did you hear about this role?*

This is a remote position and we will only consider candidates who are living and working in the U.S. Where are you located (name the state or territory)?*

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).
Please include:
-The type of donor or partner (individual, corporate, foundation)
-Your role in identifying, pitching, and closing the opportunity
-The outcome (dollars raised, partnership secured, or growth over time)
-One decision or approach you took that made the biggest difference*

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.
Please share:
-How you supported and complemented their leadership style
-How you helped translate vision, relationships, or visibility into concrete outcomes
-What made the partnership effective—and what you learned from the experience*

Human Check*

Submit Application

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.