Director of Development

The Future of Free Speech; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement match

12 paid holidays

Job summary

FoFS is seeking a Director of Development to grow and sustain support from individual donors and foundations who care deeply about free speech, civil society, and democratic values. This donor-facing role will be the organization’s frontline fundraiser, managing a personal portfolio and working closely with the Executive Director on top donor relationships.

The role involves proposal writing, reporting, travel for donor meetings, and collaboration with program staff to assemble budgets and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of fundraising experience or similar.
• Experience raising funds from high-net-worth individuals.
• Experience managing foundation proposals and reporting.
• Experience with grant writing.
• Experience in a think tank, advocacy organization, nonprofit research environment, or similar mission-driven setting.
• Familiarity with free speech, civil liberties, democracy, public policy, or related issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage a personal portfolio of individual donors, prospects, and selected foundations.
• Design and execute a strategic moves-management plan for priority donors and prospects.
• Coordinate and drive activity for the Executive Director’s portfolio of top donor relationships.
• Conduct regular donor outreach and meetings by phone, video, and in-person.
• Identify, research, and qualify prospective individual donors and foundations.
• Draft donor correspondence, grant proposals, reports, and other fundraising materials.
• Manage foundation proposal calendars, deadlines, submissions, and reporting.
• Track donor movement, proposal status, and next steps in Salesforce.
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up strategy for donor meetings involving the Executive Director.
• Coordinate with internal staff to gather programmatic information, budgets, and supporting materials.
• Support stewardship through timely acknowledgment, follow-up, and relationship maintenance.
• Assist with fundraising-related event outreach and sponsorship outreach for key organizational events.
• Help maintain accurate public-facing giving information across relevant nonprofit and donor-advised fund platforms.
• Travel regularly for donor meetings, conferences, and related fundraising activity.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Foundation relations

Grant writing

Think tank experience

Public policy

Job description

At The Future of Free Speech, our mission is to reaffirm freedom of expression as the bedrock of free and thriving societies through actionable research, empowering tools, and principled advocacy. We envision a world where everyone’s right to freedom of expression is protected by law and reinforced by a culture that tolerates diverse viewpoints. FoFS is located at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

About the Role

FoFS is seeking a Director of Development to help grow and sustain support from individual donors and foundations who care deeply about free speech, civil society, and democratic values.

The Director of Development will be the organization’s primary frontline fundraiser, focused on individual donors and foundations. This is a donor-facing role for someone who is energized by outreach, travel, relationship-building, disciplined follow-through, and clear fundraising accountability.

The person in this role will manage a personal portfolio, work closely with the Executive Director on top donor relationships, and oversee a focused body of foundation work, including proposals and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage a personal portfolio of individual donors, prospects, and selected foundations
• Design and execute a strategic moves-management plan for priority donors and prospects
• Coordinate and drive activity for the Executive Director’s portfolio of top donor relationships
• Conduct regular donor outreach and meetings by phone, video, and in-person
• Identify, research, and qualify prospective individual donors and foundations
• Draft donor correspondence, grant proposals, reports, and other fundraising materials
• Manage foundation proposal calendars, deadlines, submissions, and reporting
• Track donor movement, proposal status, and next steps in Salesforce
• Prepare briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up strategy for donor meetings involving the Executive Director
• Coordinate with internal staff to gather programmatic information, budgets, and supporting materials
• Support stewardship through timely acknowledgment, follow-up, and relationship maintenance
• Assist with fundraising-related event outreach and sponsorship outreach for key organizational events
• Help maintain accurate public-facing giving information across relevant nonprofit and donor-advised fund platforms
• Travel regularly for donor meetings, conferences, and related fundraising activity

Performance Outcomes

• Build and actively manage a disciplined donor and foundation pipeline
• Increase the number and quality of donor meetings, particularly with high-capacity individuals
• Move donor relationships toward meaningful engagement, solicitation, and long-term support
• Produce strong, timely foundation proposals and reports
• Maintain clear and consistent reporting on donor movement, open opportunities, and next steps
• Partner effectively with the Executive Director on top donor relationships
• Help FoFS raise more money by focusing time and energy on the highest-value opportunities

Who Thrives Here

• Fundraisers with experience in development, donor relations, foundation relations, or comparable relationship-based revenue work
• Strong writers who can turn ideas and projects into persuasive communications
• Professionals who are comfortable asking for support and moving relationships toward a clear next step
• People who enjoy being out in the field meeting donors and building trust
• Organized operators who can manage a portfolio, maintain follow-through, and keep multiple opportunities moving
• People motivated by measurable progress, accountability, and mission-driven fundraising

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of fundraising experience or similar
• Experience raising funds from high-net-worth individuals
• Experience managing foundation proposals and reporting
• Experience with grant writing
• Experience in a think tank, advocacy organization, media organization, nonprofit research environment, or similar mission-driven setting
• Familiarity with free speech, civil liberties, democracy, public policy, or related issues

Location and Compensation

This role can be fully remote. However, candidates based in Washington, D.C. or New York City are preferred, given the concentration of relevant donors, foundations, and policy networks in those locations, but strong candidates based elsewhere, including in the Nashville area, will be considered.

Regular travel for donor meetings, conferences, and organizational events will be expected.

Annual salary is commensurate with the specific skills and experience of the selected candidate.

Benefits include:

• Medical and dental insurance
• Paid time off
• 401(k) retirement account with employer match
• 12 paid holidays