Director of Development

REVERB; Portland (ME); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

REVERB, a 501c3 nonprofit, seeks a dynamic Director of Development to scale fundraising and secure funding from major donors, foundations, and industry partners. The role requires strategic vision, storytelling, and deep donor engagement, with a focus on climate action and environmental justice within the music sector.

The position includes leading development strategy, managing a diverse donor portfolio, and collaborating with music-industry stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive fundraising or development experience in nonprofit management and environmental advocacy.
• Leadership experience of at least 3 years in a management role.
• Proven track record of securing high six to seven-figure gifts from diverse funders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex environmental programs to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising plan.
• Build and manage relationships with major donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Lead development programming with clear performance metrics and team mentorship.
• Represent REVERB at donor events, industry events, and high-profile concerts as needed.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Stakeholder comms

Donor relations

Leadership

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Organization: REVERB (501c3 nonprofit)

Location: HQ in Portland, Maine. In-person or Remote/Hybrid position (preference for Northeast, NYC or L.A. candidates).

Schedule: Must be available during East Coast business hours, and for periodic travel and during evenings to connect with music industry contacts and partners.

Reports to: Co-Executive Directors

About REVERB

Leading the green music movement since 2004, REVERB is a 501c3 environmental organization driving sustainability solutions in the music industry while harnessing music’s enormous cultural power to amplify the environmental movement at large. We partner with festivals, industry leaders and major artists like Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews Band, Shawn Mendes, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Styles, and Kacey Musgraves to mobilize millions of music fans to take real, measurable action with local and global organizations at concerts and beyond.

To date, REVERB has worked on over 400 tours, 7300 concert events, supported 7500 nonprofits, mobilized 8 million fan actions, and avoided 6.4 million plastic bottles at shows.

Position Overview

REVERB is seeking a dynamic, experienced, visionary, and results-driven Director of Development to lead and significantly scale our fundraising operations to meet our goals of expanding our programs and capacity. This role is responsible for designing and executing a diversified revenue strategy that secures funding from major donors, corporate partners, philanthropic foundations, and music industry stakeholders. The ideal candidate is an adept communicator and storyteller who blends deep expertise in fundraising with the ability to engage, compel and connect with a variety of funders from high profile musicians and music industry leaders to foundation executives and high net worth individuals and family offices.

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy & Leadership

• Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive annual and multi-year fundraising plan aligned with REVERB’s mission and strategic growth goals.
• Create, grow and manage various funder relationships.
• Build and manage the internal development programming plan (with integration and mentorship to team) establishing clear performance metrics and fostering a collaborative culture.
• Serve asan ambassador for REVERB, representing the organization at donor gatherings, industry events (and high-profile concerts and festivals as needed).

Music Industry Philanthropy & Corporate Partnerships

• Collaborate with music industry leadership via the Artist Liaison team—including artist managers, concert promoters, record labels, and venue operators—to expand philanthropic support and integration.
• Identify, solicit, and cultivate mission-aligned corporate sponsorships, cause-marketing campaigns, and strategic brand partnerships.

Major Gifts & Individual Giving

• Manage a portfolio of major individual donors, developing tailored cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Expand the individual donor pipeline through mid-level giving initiatives, recurring donor programs, and targeted fan-engagement campaigns linked to Action Villages and digital platforms.

Grants & Foundation Suppt

• Direct institutional foundation strategy, including researching, drafting, submitting, and tracking high-impact grant proposals and reports focused on climate action, decarbonization, and social justice.

Operations, Systems & Reporting

• Manage the development budget, accurately forecasting revenue streams and tracking department expenditures.
• Utilize donor management systems (CRM) to maintain accurate records, analyze donor trends, and generate performance reports for leadership and the Board of Directors.

Qualifications & Key Competencies

• Experience: 7+ years of progressive fundraising or development experience in nonprofit management and environmental advocacy with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in developing and securing high six to seven-figure gifts. REVERB seeks to raise gifts from a range of sources including: individual donors, foundations and corporate partnerships.
• Industry & Mission Alignment: Passionate about climate action, environmental sustainability, social justice and the power of live music. Knowledge of, or experience with the music industry is a plus.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal skills with an ability to compellingly communicate complex environmental programs to diverse audiences. Topics may include: decarbonization, waste reduction, plastic elimination, fast fashion, movement building. Training on these topics can be provided as needed.
• Strategic Vision & Execution: Comfortable holding big-picture strategy alongside hands-on execution at a fast-paced, high-energy organization that has grown significantly over the past few years, with a goal of expanding in the coming years.
• Tech & Systems Proficiency: Experience managing donor databases and analyzing donor data to inform strategy.

Share inyour cover letter three brief examples of your fundraising successes (amount, what year, purpose of gift)