Development Director

Overview

Development director
About Canary Media Canary Media is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. We report on how the U.S. is decarbonizing — in electricity, transportation, buildings, and industry — with a focus on finding out what works and what doesn’t. Through uncompromising reporting, our journalists dig into the ways policymakers, businesses, investors, advocates, and communities are moving toward a clean and equitable energy future.

About the position Are you a people person who is energized by building relationships, shaping fundraising strategy, executing on a plan, and ultimately advancing climate solutions? Then this could be the job for you.

Canary Media is seeking to hire our first development director. This is an opportunity to help take our mission-driven nonprofit to the next level, building on a strong base of existing foundation and individual donor support and catalyzing the next phase of growth. The development director will design and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy across multiple channels including foundations, family offices, major gifts, and small donors.

Canary Media is nimble and ready to try new approaches, so we’re looking for someone who’s ready to roll up their sleeves, get creative, and make things happen. Reporting to the executive director, the development director will be a key player on the senior leadership team, working closely with the executive director, the board, and other staff to set fundraising goals, build capacity, and steward relationships that fuel the growth and sustainability of our mission-driven nonprofit.

This is a full-time position. Canary Media’s staff is dispersed, so employees can work remotely from anywhere in the U.S. Some travel is required, as is occasional evening or weekend work for donor meetings and events. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

• Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy to support organizational growth and sustainability
• Lead all fundraising functions and build a high-performing development pipeline
• Work closely with executive director to prioritize development activities and guide fundraising efforts
• Build and refine systems for moves-management, donor communications, and grant tracking
• Engage the board of directors in fundraising strategy and donor cultivation, and report to them on progress
• Collaborate on events with the leadership team, aiming to deepen engagement with donors and prospects
• Oversee proposal development, grant writing, and report submission in partnership with the director of impact
• Collaborate with director of impact to ensure we’re effectively collecting and sharing evidence of our impact
• Develop materials that effectively showcase our work and achievements to attract new donors and deepen relationships with existing supporters
• Represent Canary Media externally, establishing and maintaining relationships with philanthropic partners, potential supporters, and peer organizations
• Manage and coach the development specialist who maintains our Hub Spot database and executes other fundraising projects
• Participate in strategic planning and budgeting as a member of the leadership team

• At least 10 years of nonprofit development experience, with demonstrated success in securing foundation funding and major individual gifts
• An understanding of the ever-shifting fundraising landscape
• Experience with a wide range of fundraising techniques
• Ability to think strategically and proactively about new opportunities and risks
• A collaborative work style combined with the inclination to be self-driven and take ownership of projects
• Experience managing teams
• Excellent project-management and organizational skills, with the ability to multitask and prioritize tasks
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills
• Strong writing skills
• In-depth experience using donor databases / CRMs. (We use Hub Spot.)
• Interest in building and improving systems for tracking fundraising data, goals, and progress
• Skilled at managing data,…