Director of Development

Originally formed in 1965 by a small group concerned with the preservation of the natural habitats of the island of Martha’s Vineyard, today VCS takes a broad view of conservation. In addition to traditional land protection, addressing the Island’s current and future environmental challenges increasingly requires an informed and mobilized public. Through public education, local political advocacy, and legal defense work, we promote community action in pursuit of a healthy environment and sustainable future.

There is a widespread sense of urgency for this work, but the challenges are complex.

Martha’s Vineyard's extraordinary natural resources attract so many admirers that the population swells more than tenfold during the summer months, leading to singularly difficult threats to the island’s natural resources and to affordable year‑round living.

VCS has long recognized that the island must manage a delicate balance of human and environmental needs, and the organization takes a thoughtful approach to conservation, paired with a patience and passion for navigating the interpersonal complexities within a diverse island community.

While the VCS mission includes a wide range of environmental work, there are currently specific focus areas: open space protection; curbing growth and development; habitat health; climate change; and single use plastic reduction.

VCS seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial director of development to design, lead, and grow a dynamic fundraising program that reflects the distinctive character of Martha’s Vineyard, providing strategic leadership and direction in financial development to advance the VCS mission through major gifts, annual giving, grants, bequests, special events and capital campaigns.

This is an ideal role for a mission-driven leader who thrives in a small, high-impact organization; understands the nuances of an island community with seasonal rhythms; and is energized by relationship‑building, experimentation, and strategic storytelling that sets VCS apart in a deep field of local charitable organizations.

• Build and implement a comprehensive development plan that includes annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, foundation relations, and special campaigns.
• Understand and be responsive to Martha’s Vineyard’s seasonal patterns—maximizing VCS’ summer visibility while sustaining engagement with donors and the community throughout the off‑season.
• Design creative, data‑informed fundraising experiments and pilot new approaches to broaden VCS’s donor base and deepen loyalty.

• Identify, cultivate, and steward a portfolio of major donors, both seasonal and year‑round, ensuring personalized and meaningful engagement.
• Develop compelling donor communications that highlight VCS’s impact, conservation leadership, and connection to Island life.
• Plan and execute events—large and small that resonate authentically with the Vineyard community and attract new supporters.
• Collaborate with staff on outreach, communications, to reinforce VCS’s brand and message.

• Work closely with the executive director and board to cultivate a culture of philanthropy, building their fundraising capabilities and engagement.
• Develop systems, processes, and metrics that help VCS assess what works, learn from experimentation, and scale successful approaches.
• Oversee development operations, including CRM management, gift processing, and reporting.

• 10+ years of fundraising experience, with a strong preference for background in major gifts and relationship‑based fundraising and demonstrated success in one‑to‑one solicitations and relationship building, specifically in six‑figure+ gifts.
• A proven track record of designing and executing successful fundraising strategies, managing donor portfolios and cultivating relationships, particularly for small or entrepreneurial organizations.
• Experience supporting the executive director and board leadership in closing gifts and the ability to do the same independently as needed.
• Creative, iterative approach to testing new engagement…