Vice President of Development

The Vice President of Development and Partnerships is responsible for advancing philanthropic revenue and development strategy across the Deep South Today network. Reporting to the CEO, the VP provides strategic direction for fundraising across local markets and network-wide initiatives, establishing priorities, goals, and strategies that support organizational growth.

The VP manages and supports Deep South Today’s Senior Directors of Development and Partnerships, providing coaching, accountability, and strategic guidance to help each leader build strong donor relationships and achieve fundraising goals. The VP also maintains a personal portfolio of major donors, institutional funders, and philanthropic partners, with a focus on relationships and opportunities that extend beyond individual local markets.

Key Responsibilities

Development Leadership & Team Management

• Manage, coach, and support Senior Directors of Development and Partnerships across Deep South Today’s local markets.
• Establish clear annual and multi-year fundraising goals with each Senior Director and the CEO, and develop strategies and benchmarks for achieving them.
• Conduct regular fundraising reviews to monitor progress, identify challenges and opportunities, and determine next steps.
• Evaluate performance against agreed-upon goals and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and strategic support.
• Advise Senior Directors on major-donor identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, joining donor meetings and solicitations when senior-level involvement is appropriate.
• Manage the development operating budget and demonstrate a strong return on fundraising investment.
• Foster a collaborative development culture in which Senior Directors share strategies, learn from one another, and operate as part of a coordinated network.
• Partner with the Director of Development and Partnerships to equip frontline fundraisers with the tools, materials, systems, and support needed to succeed, while aligning the network-wide fundraising strategy with development operations and infrastructure.

Philanthropic Strategy & Revenue Planning

• Develop and execute an annual and multi-year philanthropic strategy in partnership with the CEO.
• Help local development leaders build fundraising strategies appropriate to their markets, audiences, and opportunities.
• Monitor network-wide revenue, pipeline, and fundraising activity, reporting on progress against established goals and identifying areas requiring additional support.
• Identify opportunities to grow and diversify philanthropic revenue, including major, transformational, multi-year, and cross-market support.
• Advise organizational leadership on the philanthropic potential and fundraising implications of new programs, initiatives, and strategic priorities.
• Stay informed about developments in journalism philanthropy and identify emerging funding opportunities relevant to Deep South Today.

Strategic Donor & Funder Portfolio

• Maintain and grow a personal portfolio of high-value donors, foundations, corporations, and philanthropic partners, including strategic and multi-year institutional funders.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, close, and steward major gifts and institutional support.
• Develop relationship strategies for donors and funders requiring network-wide or executive-level engagement.
• Lead major gift opportunities that extend beyond an individual local market, coordinating with Senior Directors when relationships intersect with local priorities.
• Represent Deep South Today with key philanthropic and civic stakeholders.

Special Projects & Organization-Wide Initiatives

• Lead fundraising strategy for selected organization-wide initiatives and special projects, such as the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center, cross-network reporting priorities, emerging markets, and other priorities.
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities, strategic partnerships, and revenue streams for organization-wide priorities, developing tailored fundraising strategies capable of generating significant and sustainable unrestricted and restricted support.
• Work with editorial, programmatic, and organizational leaders to develop compelling cases for philanthropic support and establish fundraising goals for priority initiatives.
• Adapt fundraising strategies as project scope, budgets, organizational priorities, and funder expectations evolve.

Executive & Cross-Organizational Leadership

• Partner closely with the CEO on philanthropic strategy, major donor relationships, organizational priorities, and long-term sustainability.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development and Partnerships and with leaders across editorial, audience, marketing, finance, and other functions to align fundraising with the organization's strategy.
• Help articulate the value and impact of Deep South Today’s journalism to donors, funders, and external partners.
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, accountability, and shared ownership across the organization.

Location: Remote, preferably in the south where we operate.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience.

We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people who are differently abled. Please apply here.