Development Director

Overview

Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving beneficial impact on climate change across the fashion and textile industry. It guides a growing community of brands, manufacturers, and farmers towards more purposeful production from the very start of the supply chain.

Reports to:

Chief Impact Officer
Remote – North America, UK, or EU

By 2030, its goal is to guide the industry to achieve a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within fiber and raw material production. Its focus is holistic and interconnected, accelerating the adoption of practices that improve the state of our water, soil health, and biodiversity. At Textile Exchange, materials matter. To learn more, visit Textile Exchange.org.

The Development Director is an entrepreneurial, hands-on leader who will play a critical role in supporting the growth of a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to addressing climate and nature impacts in the fashion, apparel, and textile industry. This role will lead the strategic design and implementation of Textile Exchange’s fundraising strategy to support its Climate and Nature Impact activities as well as a strategy for broader organizational funding mechanisms to support the organization’s theory of change, focusing on addressing the economic barriers to preferred production systems for raw materials and fibers.

The Development Director will build and develop prospect and donor relations and will articulate Textile Exchange’s programs and value to prospective and current donors in a compelling and strategic manner. They will build and maintain a diversified donor portfolio, and will be responsible for achieving annual revenue targets. This role is currently the sole dedicated development resource within the organization, with the opportunity to build a function over time.

This position reports to the Chief Impact Officer (CIO) and works in close partnership with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team across the organization.

• Climate & Nature Impact Fundraising
  • In partnership with CIO, design and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the Climate and Nature Impact work. Primary fundraising mechanisms:
  • Government and institutional grants
  • Philanthropic grants and gifts from foundations with endowments, or individuals
  • Corporate Sponsor ships
• Funding Mechanisms To Address Economic Barriers At Tier 4
  • In partnership with CIO, CEO, and Senior Leadership Team, explore and execute opportunities to partner with existing grant funding mechanisms to fill current gaps in funding opportunities for tier 4 production systems. Manage external partners to inform fundraising strategy.
  • In partnership with CIO, CEO, and Senior Leadership Team, develop a longer-term strategy for investment mechanisms to support collective action and address barriers at tier 4, ensuring alignment with Textile Exchange’s 5-year strategy, engagement model, and theory of change. This includes familiarity with blended finance, catalytic capital, and transition finance approaches.
• Fundraising & Donor Engagement
  • Cultivate and steward relationships with a portfolio of mission-aligned donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
  • Partner with the CEO, Chief Impact Officer, and senior leaders internally and externally to grow and diversify the organization’s philanthropic funding base.
  • Track grant cycles, deadlines, and deliverables using CRM (Salesforce) and project management tools.
  • Manage stewardship activities, donor briefings, and engagement events.
• Proposal Development & Reporting
  • Draft, edit, and submit letters of inquiry, grant applications, and donor reports; this is a hands-on role, not solely a management role.
  • Prepare compelling grant proposals, donor materials, and impact reports, tailored to diverse funder audiences.
  • Collaborate with program teams to gather relevant data, outcomes, and stories for fundraising materials.
  • Monitor and evaluate progress against grant deliverables and impact metrics, ensuring transparency and accountability to funders.
  • Manage grant compliance and budget reporting requirements for institutional funders, including financial reporting and narrative deliverables.
• Organizational…