Director of Development

Location: Remote with occasional travel required

Employment Type: Full-Time (Exempt)

Compensation: $125,000

Reports to: President

About Us

American Families for Vaccines (AFV) is a fast-growing, mission-driven organization mobilizing families, clinicians, and communities to support pro-vaccine policy and defeat anti-vaccine extremism. Our state chapters defend strong vaccine policy, fight misinformation, and advocate for evidence-based public health. As we scale both our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities, we are expanding our national infrastructure and growing the number of state-based Families for Vaccines chapters.

Position Summary

AFV seeks an entrepreneurial Development Director to build and lead a high‑performing, multi‑channel fundraising program across major gifts, foundations, corporate partnerships, annual giving, and events. This leader will design the national development strategy, manage a portfolio of principal and major donors, partner closely with organizational leadership and state chapters, and build the systems and team to sustain rapid growth. The role requires strong data and operational discipline, excellent donor communication skills, and comfort navigating 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Revenue Leadership
  • Develop and execute a 12–24 month development plan and revenue model spanning major gifts, institutional giving, corporate partnerships, and annual/digital programs.
  • Set annual targets, pipelines, and KPIs; forecast revenue; manage the development budget and quarterly forecasts.
  • Align development strategy with AFV’s communications, legal/policy work, and state‑chapter growth.
• Major Gifts & Donor Relations
  • Manage a personal portfolio of ~75–100 prospects and donors; lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship with clear next steps.
  • Craft compelling cases for support and gift opportunities (restricted/unrestricted; c3 vs. c4 as appropriate).
  • Prepare leadership and board for high‑stakes meetings; coordinate briefings, proposals, and follow‑through.
  • Build a robust prospecting engine (screening, research, referrals, partner networks) and a disciplined moves‑management cadence.
• Institutional Giving (Foundations & Government)
  • Own the grants calendar (prospecting → LOIs → proposals → reports).
  • Ensure program budgets, outcomes, and evaluation plans are funder‑ready; collaborate with policy/legal/communications to package fundable work.
  • Maintain compliance and timely reporting; track restricted revenue and deliverables with Finance/Ops.
• Corporate & Strategic Partnerships
  • Develop values‑aligned strategies (sponsorships, philanthropic gifts, cause marketing, employee giving) that protect AFV’s brand and adhere to c3/c4 and lobbying rules.
  • Negotiate agreements, manage benefits, and steward multi‑year partnerships.
• Annual Giving, Digital & Events
  • Build scalable annual/digital giving programs (email, SMS, web, social, peer‑to‑peer) with Communications.
  • Plan and execute donor briefings, salons, and signature events (virtual and in‑person) with clear revenue goals and follow‑up plans.
  • Launch a donor recognition program and giving societies.
• Systems, Data & Reporting
  • Own the CRM (e.g., EveryAction/Bonterra) and development operations: data hygiene, gift processing/acknowledgments, pledge tracking, reporting, and dashboards.
  • Establish weekly/monthly/quarterly reporting on pipeline health, activities, and revenue.
  • Integrate development with Finance (revenue coding, reconciliations) and Operations (policies, audits, state fundraising registrations).
• Team & Vendor Management
  • Hire, coach, and develop a small team (e.g., Major Gifts Officer, Grants Manager, Development Operations Associate).
  • Manage consultants and vendors (grant writers, event planners, designers) against clear scopes, budgets, and outcomes.
• Board & Leadership Partnership
  • Partner with the President and Board to strengthen a culture of philanthropy; staff Development/Governance committees as needed.
  • Build a board‑giving and board‑getting program; train and support members to open doors and make/close asks.
• Compliance & Ethics
  • Ensure legal, ethical, and compliance standards, including donor intent, restricted funds, gift acceptance, privacy, and 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) separation.
  • Coordinate with counsel and Operations on state charitable registrations and lobbying/non‑lobbying distinctions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive nonprofit development experience, including personally closing five‑ and six‑figure gifts.
• Demonstrated success managing a sophisticated portfolio and producing year‑over‑year revenue growth.
• Excellent writing/storytelling with a track record of winning proposals and donor communications.
• Strong project management and operational discipline; expert use of a nonprofit CRM.
• Familiarity with 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) fundraising boundaries; comfort partnering with legal/finance.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial, remote environment and collaborate across functions and states.
• Willingness to travel ~20–30% for donor meetings and events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public health, healthcare, science/education, or policy advocacy.
• Start‑up/scaling experience building teams, systems, and playbooks.
• Comfort with data‑driven marketing, digital acquisition, and revenue analytics.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $125,000 annually
• Benefits:
  • Comprehensive health insurance for employee, partner and dependents, retirement contribution, generous PTO, paid holidays, and remote work flexibility.
  • Flexible work hours and fully remote work environment with opportunities to travel and engage colleagues in-person a few times per year.

How to Apply

Submit a resume, cover letter, and two writing samples (ideally policy-related) to jobs@familiesforvaccines.org with the subject line: Development Director Application – [Your Name]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity

American Families for Vaccines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including but not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people with diverse life experiences.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local laws.

Work Authorization

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. AFV is not able to sponsor employment visas at this time. AFV participates in the e-Verify system to determine employment eligibility.

Reasonable Accommodation

If you require reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at jobs@familiesforvaccines.org

Employment Status

All positions are considered at-will unless otherwise stated in a written employment agreement and are subject to background and reference checks where applicable.

Pay Transparency

This position is offered with a salary range of $125,000 per year, depending on experience and location. The position includes comprehensive benefits. This disclosure is in compliance with applicable state laws including those in California, Colorado, New York, and Washington.

• Comprehensive health insurance for employee, partner, and dependents, retirement contribution, generous PTO, paid holidays, and remote work flexibility.
• Flexible work hours and fully remote work environment with opportunities to travel and engage colleagues in-person a few times per year.