Vice President of Development

About the role

The Vice President of Development is an executive leadership team member responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure financial support for the organization’s mission. This role oversees and executes major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, grants, annual giving, planned giving, special events, and donor stewardship. The position builds and maintains a strong donor pipeline, with a focus on donor retention, alumni engagement, and sustainable contributed revenue growth. This role partners with the Chief Revenue Officer to translate fundraising goals into practical plans and uses data to monitor progress. The Vice President provides coaching and leadership for development team members who support grant writing, annual fund activity, donor communications, gift entry, and fundraising operations.

The successful candidate is a mission-driven, relationship-centered, and metrics-oriented development professional who can grow contributed revenue, strengthen donor relationships, supervise team members, and operate effectively within an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Governance
  • Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising plan aligned with the organization’s strategic plan.
  • Partner closely with the CEO and Chief Revenue Officer to identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors.
  • Serve as an active member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, budgeting, and operations.
  • Staff the Board Development / Fundraising Committee and empower board members to act as effective fundraisers.
• Fundraising and Revenue Generation
  • Major & Planned Gifts: Manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individual donors; oversee major gift solicitations and planned-giving strategies to achieve a minimum of $1M.
  • Institutional Giving: Direct foundation and corporate grant proposals, ensuring rigorous reporting, compliance, and donor stewardship.
  • Annual & Digital Giving: Oversee direct mail, online campaigns, monthly giving programs, and peer-to-peer fundraising.
  • Capital Campaigns: Lead strategy, feasibility assessments, and execution for capital or endowment campaigns when applicable.
  • Events: Oversee major fundraising events, galas, and donor appreciation initiatives to maximize ROI and donor engagement.
• Donor Engagement, Stewardship and External Relations
  • Serve as a visible ambassador for the organization and communicate a compelling case for support rooted in youth outcomes, community impact, and organizational need.
  • Build authentic relationships with donors, families, volunteers, community leaders, businesses, civic groups, and funding partners.
  • Create donor stewardship practices that deepen engagement, demonstrate impact, and improve retention.
  • Partner with program leaders to translate youth services outcomes into strong donor communications, proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Team Leadership & Operations
  • Manage, mentor, and build a high-performing development team (e.g., Development Managers, Grant Writers, Event Coordinators).
  • Oversee donor database (CRM) management, gift processing, donor research, and data integrity.
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for fundraising metrics and track team progress against annual targets.
  • Manage the department budget, ensuring cost-effective operations and optimal return on investment.
• Equity & Community Integration
  • Apply GSRV’s equity framework to fundraising strategies, donor communications, stewardship practices, and community engagement.
  • Build relationships with donors and partners in ways that reflect community voice, remove barriers to participation, and support belonging across the GSRV service area.
• Key EOS Accountability
  • Execute the Development function’s annual contributed revenue goals.
  • Maintain a healthy donor pipeline.
  • Supervise assigned development team members.
  • Use EOS tools to improve focus, accountability, communication, and results.

Success Metrics

• Contributed Revenue: Progress toward annual fundraising goals across assigned revenue streams.
• Donor Pipeline: Number and quality of active prospects, donor visits, solicitations, renewals, and stewardship touchpoints.
• Grant and Proposal Activity: Timely completion of grant applications, reports, proposals, and funder follow-up.
• Donor Retention and Stewardship: Renewal rates, stewardship completion, acknowledgement timeliness, and donor engagement quality.
• Team Execution: Completion of team Rocks, scorecard measurables, development operations tasks, and cross-functional deliverables.

Requirements

• Experience: 8–10+ years of progressive non-profit fundraising experience, with at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or management role.
• Track Record: Proven success in closing 5- to 6-figure major gifts, securing major grants, and achieving multi-million-dollar annual fundraising goals.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in donor management software/CRMs (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Bloomerang) and data analytics.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional oral and written communication, persuasive storytelling, and strong interpersonal and emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism as a practice.

Leadership Competencies

• Team Engagement: Act as a culture carrier within the development team and across the broader organization. Show up prepared, participate actively in meetings, and build productive relationships across departments and with community stakeholders.
• Communication & Accountability: Communicate with clarity and intention across audiences. Set expectations, meet deadlines, and recalibrate when needed. Practice open and timely communication.
• Professional Growth: Actively seek feedback, invest in personal and team development, and create growth opportunities for team members.
• Innovation & Impact: Bring data-driven ideas to the table, focus on outcomes, and support continuous improvement. Understand how development decisions affect the broader organization.
• Equity-Focused Practice: Integrate GSRV's equity framework and anti-racism guidance into work. Remove barriers, build belonging, and ensure the revenue strategy reflects the community served.
• Work Performance & Problem Solving: Know your responsibilities and deliver outcomes. Regroup and re-strategize when falling short, and coach your team with directness and care.
• Strategic Mindset: Use data to measure against goals, build partnerships, and bring stakeholder perspective into strategic conversations. Help advance the organization’s mission.
• Transformational Leadership: Represent GSRV’s story compellingly to donors, partners, volunteers, and community members. Create space for team members to grow and contribute.

Benefits

Hiring range: $120,000–$140,000.

Schedule

• Full-time, exempt leadership position.
• Hybrid or onsite schedule based on organizational needs.
• Some evening and weekend work required for donor meetings, board activities, community events, and fundraising events.
• Local travel required; occasional regional or national travel may be required.

Working Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Operates across office environments, community settings, donor meetings, and external events.
• Must be able to travel regularly throughout the GSRV service area (southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and surrounding region).
• Frequently required to speak, present, read, and use a computer.
• Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Noise levels may vary by location.