Director of Development and Communications

Twin Pines Housing; Hartford (VT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Five or more years of direct fundraising or development experience, including donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Strong relationship-building, writing, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Interest in affordable housing and the communities served by Twin Pines.
• Willingness and ability to meet personally with donors and prospective supporters and share Twin Pines' mission and impact.
• Experience with grant writing, major gifts, planned giving, communications, and donor databases is desirable.
• A sense of humor and positive attitude are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the organization's annual fundraising plan.
• Manage the annual fund, including planning, writing, and coordinating three to four direct mail appeals each year.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors through regular personal visits, phone calls, and correspondence.
• Draft personalized acknowledgement letters, stewardship reports, and donor communications for the Executive Director.
• Plan and implement donor recognition and stewardship activities.
• Manage the organization's major gifts program, including identifying prospects, coordinating donor strategies, and maintaining cultivation plans.
• Schedule and coordinate donor meetings for the Executive Director and members of the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare donor briefing materials and talking points for cultivation and solicitation visits.
• Maintain a prospective donor pool of approximately 50 people capable of making gifts of $10,000 and higher over a three-year period.
• Qualify identified prospective donors through individual visits and develop a strategy for moving qualified prospects through the donor cycle.
• Research, prepare, and submit grant proposals and progress reports to government agencies, foundations, corporations, and other funding organizations.
• Coordinate grant information with finance, property management, resident services, and executive staff.
• Maintain grant calendars and ensure timely reporting and compliance with grant requirements.
• Support and help grow Twin Pines' newly established planned giving program, including researching additional gift vehicles appropriate for the organization to offer.
• Identify and cultivate planned giving prospects, with particular attention to long-tenured and older donors.
• Develop marketing and educational materials introducing planned giving to donors as the program grows.
• Develop and produce organizational communications, including newsletters, annual reports, brochures, and other printed and digital materials.
• Manage and regularly update the organization's website.
• Interview residents, donors, staff, and community partners to develop compelling stories demonstrating the impact of Twin Pines' work.
• Create content for newsletters, annual reports, website updates, social media, press releases, and donor communications.
• Develop and maintain the organization's social media presence.
• Write press releases and serve as the primary media contact for organizational announcements, development projects, and special events.
• Maintain consistent organizational messaging and branding across all communications.
• Plan and coordinate donor appreciation events, project groundbreaking ceremonies, ribbon cuttings, and other public events.
• Support organizational celebrations, staff events, and community outreach activities.
• Coordinate ordering of staff appreciation items (swag) as part of the organization's annual staff appreciation effort.
• Coordinate community events in collaboration with partner organizations, municipalities, businesses, and other nonprofit organizations.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Board of Trustees and assigned Board committees, preparing meeting materials, agendas, reports, and minutes as assigned.
• Manage all logistical and administrative aspects of Board and committee meetings, including agenda preparation, meeting packets, reports, minutes, and Zoom/hybrid meeting technology.
• Support Board fundraising efforts and committee work, providing timely fundraising reports and donor information to Board leadership.
• Participate as a member of the senior staff leadership team, contributing to organizational planning, budgeting, and strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with department directors to communicate organizational priorities and achievements.
• Manage the organization's donor database (eTapestry), ensuring accurate gift entry, donor records, and constituent information.
• Generate monthly fundraising reports and donor analytics for the Executive Director, CFO, and Board.
• Maintain donor acknowledgement systems and gift tracking.
• Analyze fundraising results and recommend strategies for improving donor engagement and revenue.

Skills

Relationship-building

Writing

Communication

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Fundraising experience

Job description

Director of Development and Communications

Position Summary

The Director of Development and Communications is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing all fundraising, donor relations, grant writing, planned giving, communications, and public relations activities for Twin Pines Housing. As the organization's sole development and communications professional, this position leads all aspects of philanthropic revenue generation while overseeing external communications and supporting the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership team.

The Director is responsible for a fundraising operation that generates approximately $1 million annually from individual donors, foundations, corporations, government sources, and other philanthropic partners. The position plays a central role in cultivating and soliciting major gifts, growing the organization's $3 million endowment, and expanding Twin Pines' long-term base of philanthropic support.

Fundraising and Donor Relations

• Develop and implement the organization's annual fundraising plan.


• Manage the annual fund, including planning, writing, and coordinating three to four direct mail appeals each year.


• Cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors through regular personal visits, phone calls, and correspondence.


• Draft personalized acknowledgement letters, stewardship reports, and donor communications for the Executive Director.


• Plan and implement donor recognition and stewardship activities.

Major Gifts

• Manage the organization's major gifts program, including identifying prospects, coordinating donor strategies, and maintaining cultivation plans.


• Schedule and coordinate donor meetings for the Executive Director and members of the Board of Trustees.


• Prepare donor briefing materials and talking points for cultivation and solicitation visits.


• Maintain a prospective donor pool of approximately 50 people capable of making gifts of $10,000 and higher over a three-year period.


• Qualify identified prospective donors through individual visits and develop a strategy for moving qualified prospects through the donor cycle.


• Research, prepare, and submit grant proposals and progress reports to government agencies, foundations, corporations, and other funding organizations.


• Coordinate grant information with finance, property management, resident services, and executive staff.


• Maintain grant calendars and ensure timely reporting and compliance with grant requirements.

Planned Giving

• Support and help grow Twin Pines' newly established planned giving program, including researching additional gift vehicles appropriate for the organization to offer.


• Identify and cultivate planned giving prospects, with particular attention to long-tenured and older donors.


• Develop marketing and educational materials introducing planned giving to donors as the program grows.

Communications and Marketing

• Develop and produce organizational communications, including newsletters, annual reports, brochures, and other printed and digital materials.


• Manage and regularly update the organization's website.


• Interview residents, donors, staff, and community partners to develop compelling stories demonstrating the impact of Twin Pines' work.


• Create content for newsletters, annual reports, website updates, social media, press releases, and donor communications.


• Develop and maintain the organization's social media presence.


• Write press releases and serve as the primary media contact for organizational announcements, development projects, and special events.


• Maintain consistent organizational messaging and branding across all communications.

Events

• Plan and coordinate donor appreciation events, project groundbreaking ceremonies, ribbon cuttings, and other public events.


• Support organizational celebrations, staff events, and community outreach activities.


• Coordinate ordering of staff appreciation items (swag) as part of the organization's annual staff appreciation effort.


• Coordinate community events in collaboration with partner organizations, municipalities, businesses, and other nonprofit organizations.

Board and Organizational Leadership

• Serve as staff liaison to the Board of Trustees and assigned Board committees, preparing meeting materials, agendas, reports, and minutes as assigned.


• Manage all logistical and administrative aspects of Board and committee meetings, including agenda preparation, meeting packets, reports, minutes, and Zoom/hybrid meeting technology.


• Support Board fundraising efforts and committee work, providing timely fundraising reports and donor information to Board leadership.


• Participate as a member of the senior staff leadership team, contributing to organizational planning, budgeting, and strategic initiatives.


• Collaborate with department directors to communicate organizational priorities and achievements.

Database Management and Reporting

• Manage the organization's donor database (eTapestry), ensuring accurate gift entry, donor records, and constituent information.


• Generate monthly fundraising reports and donor analytics for the Executive Director, CFO, and Board.


• Maintain donor acknowledgement systems and gift tracking.


• Analyze fundraising results and recommend strategies for improving donor engagement and revenue.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will be an experienced, collaborative fundraising professional who is comfortable building relationships, telling Twin Pines Housing's story, and working independently in a mission-driven organization.

• Bachelor's degree required.


• Five or more years of direct fundraising or development experience, including donor cultivation and solicitation.


• Strong relationship‑building, writing, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.


• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.


• Interest in learning about affordable housing and the communities served by Twin Pines.


• Willingness and ability to meet personally with donors and prospective supporters and enthusiastically share Twin Pines' mission and impact.


• Experience with grant writing, major gifts, planned giving, communications, and donor databases is desirable.


• A sense of humor and positive attitude are a plus.

This is a full-time, in-person position based in the Upper Valley.

About Twin Pines

Twin Pines Housing is a nonprofit affordable housing organization serving the Upper Valley community of Vermont and New Hampshire. Twin Pines develops and manages affordable rental housing, supports shared-equity homeownership, and works to preserve and expand housing opportunities for individuals and families with modest incomes. The organization serves more than 1,100 residents and is committed to creating vibrant, stable communities throughout the region.

Twin Pines is an equal opportunity employer.