Director of Development & Communications

About SheJumps

SheJumps is a national nonprofit with a mission to increase the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. With an annual operating budget of $1.2 million, we create safe and encouraging environments for women and girls of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities to access transformative outdoor experiences.

Our programs and events build confidence, leadership, connection, and belonging in the outdoors. SheJumps' work is powered by a dedicated volunteer network, a passionate staff team, and a board committed to equity, outdoor access, and long-term organizational sustainability. Our community is richly blended — the same person may be a program participant, a volunteer, a scholarship recipient, and a donor. 

Position Overview

Successful fundraising and communications work hand in hand, and their strategies have to co-exist. The Director of Development & Communications is SheJumps' senior leader for both: responsible for growing philanthropic revenue and ensuring that how we tell our story directly serves that goal.

This is a role of dual ownership of development and communication strategy. Success will be measured first and foremost by growth in philanthropic revenue, particularly through major gifts and donor pipeline development. The Director manages two direct reports (a Development & Partnerships Manager and a Communications Manager) and an external grant writing contractor. This person serves as a key partner to the Executive Director on board engagement, donor strategy, and organizational sustainability and works cross functionally with the Program Director to ensure a deep connection between our philanthropic goals and programmatic impact. 

A Successful Director of Development & Communications...

• Is a fundraiser at heart: energized by building donor relationships, moves conversations forward with confidence, and is not afraid to make the ask
• Understands that great communications and great fundraising are the same strategy: and has the technical expertise and vision to build the messaging architecture and donor journeys that make every program touchpoint count
• Brings strategic thinking to a small team environment. This person can set the direction and also roll up their sleeves when needed
• Reads people and organizations well: knows how to move different audiences toward giving and builds systems to make that happen consistently
• Is a natural thought partner to an Executive Director: engages with hard organizational questions, not just execution tasks
• Navigates a complex, volunteer-driven organization with diplomacy and patience
• Builds structure where it doesn't yet exist and is comfortable with ambiguity along the way
• Is genuinely committed to SheJumps' mission of expanding outdoor access for women and girls of all backgrounds
• Has at least 5–7 years of progressive nonprofit development experience, with fundraising as the primary focus
• Brings experience in communications strategy or campaign messaging: understanding how storytelling serves fundraising outcomes

Primary Responsibilities

Fund Development

• Build and manage a personal portfolio of donors and prospective donors, with an emphasis on gifts of $5,000+
• Conduct donor intelligence work to surface and steward high-capacity individuals in the SheJumps database giving below their potential
• Build and manage a Top-50 donor pipeline in partnership with the Executive Director
• Design and implement a moves management system to strengthen donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Design and lead SheJumps' individual giving growth strategy, including donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade pathways
• Own annual fundraising campaign strategy for Give Day, Year-End, and special appeals (including goals, messaging direction, and outcome accountability)
• Develop segmented donor journeys that move community members from first-time participants or volunteers into recurring and eventually major donors
• Oversee foundation relationship strategy and grant writing contractor, with strategic direction on organizational narrative and program framing
• Own the development department budget, including revenue target-setting, expense management, and financial reporting to the Executive Director
• Partner with the Executive Director on revenue forecasting, board engagement, and top funder relationships
• Build and maintain systems to track fundraising performance, campaign outcomes, donor engagement, and pipeline progress in Salesforce
• Support and design volunteer-driven and peer-to-peer fundraising models, including board give/get/connect strategy

Communications Strategy

• Own communications strategy: with 75% of comms time spent on donor journey mapping, messaging architecture, audience segmentation, and campaign narrative development; 25% of comms time spent on brand marketing and program communications
• Set the framework for how program participants are welcomed into SheJumps' broader community and, over time, moved toward philanthropic engagement
• Ensure participant-facing and donor-facing communications reflect a coherent organizational identity and voice across all channels
• Work closely with Program leadership to translate program outcomes, participant experience, and audience needs into fundraising and communications strategy
• Oversee Communications Manager, who executes on program, brand, and fundraising strategy through email, social media, and website

Team Leadership

• Directly manage the Development & Partnerships Manager and Communications Manager, providing leadership, coaching, and clear accountability
• Directly oversee external grant contractor
• Invest in the professional development of both direct reports 
• Develop clear roles, systems, and workflows that support strong coordination between development, communications, and program staff
• Help reduce organizational dependence on the Executive Director for day-to-day campaign execution

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Demonstrated commitment to SheJumps' mission, vision, and values
• 5–7 years of progressive experience in nonprofit development or fundraising, with fundraising as the primary focus
• Budget management and revenue forecasting experience
• Demonstrated experience with major donor cultivation, relationship management, and direct solicitation
• Experience in communications strategy, donor engagement communications, or campaign messaging
• Experience managing multiple fundraising streams including individual giving, campaigns, and donor stewardship
• Proven ability to identify and move high-capacity donors through a cultivation pipeline
• Experience managing people, cross-functional projects, and strategic initiatives
• Experience with CRM systems such as Salesforce or similar platforms
• Proficiency in G-Suite and comfortable making presentations to groups of varying sizes
• Ability to travel out of state overnight and work occasional evenings and weekends for events

Preferred

• Experience working with cis and trans women and girls, non-binary communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and communities of color
• Experience supporting board fundraising, volunteer fundraising, or peer-to-peer fundraising models
• Experience working in a remote, nonprofit, or volunteer-driven organization

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

SheJumps is committed to cultivating an inclusive staff and an equitable organization. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply — particularly those whose lived experience reflects the communities we serve. We aim to improve the accessibility of the outdoors through equitable inclusion of Black, Indigenous, Women of Color, and other under-represented identities who identify with the women's community.

All staff are expected to demonstrate a personal commitment to equity and inclusion, ensure their work reflects SheJumps' values around accessibility and belonging, and actively participate in DEI-related learning and initiatives.

Benefits & Work Environment

• Starting salary: $80,000–$90,000 annually, based on experience
• $400/month health reimbursement stipend (externally managed, non-taxable)
• 3% employer retirement contribution (no employee match required)
• 22 days paid vacation per year + 13 federal holidays + 1 floating holiday
• Sick leave: 67 hours per year, accrued at 1 hour per 30 hours worked
• Remote work environment with flexible scheduling
• Laptop provided for work use, with monthly phone reimbursement and annual office supply budget
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Free access to all online SheJumps events and occasional discounted access to guide-led programs
• Discounts with SheJumps brand partners

To apply, please complete the application form. For this position we require a resume, cover letter, and one writing sample (donor appeal, stewardship letter, or campaign email you've written).

Deadline to apply: June 19, 2026 (SheJumps may choose to close the application window early or extend the deadline, please see our website for details).