NC Local Development Director

NC Local; North Carolina; On-site; USD 98,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

NC Local is seeking an experienced fundraiser and development strategist to lead and grow our philanthropic efforts, with emphasis on major donors. You’ll own the fundraising strategy, cultivate a portfolio of major donors, and work closely with the CEO to develop an individual donor program.

You will build and direct our development team, oversee two future members, and collaborate across editorial, operations and leadership.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in nonprofit development with increasing responsibility.
• Proven ability to close individual gifts in five or six figures.
• Experience building major gifts programs and donor pipelines.
• Strong written and verbal communication for proposals and donor memos.

Responsibilities

• Build major gifts program from ground up and grow revenue.
• Manage portfolio of major donors and prospects (>$5,000/year).
• Create campaigns to drive transformational gifts.
• Develop donor pipeline from research to close.
• Coordinate with membership manager to connect small-dollar giving to major gifts.
• Design stewardship and recognition for donors.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor cultivation

Fundraising strategy

Team leadership

Communication skills

Relationship building

Tools

CRM software

Prospect research

Donor databases

Job description

NC Local is looking for an experienced fundraiser and development strategist to lead and grow our philanthropic efforts, with an emphasis on major donors.

Location: NC-based, remote position, with preference for candidates in the Charlotte or Triangle areas

Reports to: CEO

Salary: Starting at $115,000

About NC Local

NC Local is a statewide nonprofit newsroom on a mission to connect North Carolinians to the issues shaping their lives. We make complex state issues understandable and useful, hold public institutions accountable, and help communities become more informed and civically engaged.

We started our journey by asking people across North Carolina what news and information they needed most. Since launching in fall 2025, we've surfaced stories no one else was covering, brought communities together around critical issues at events, and built partnerships with newsrooms and other organizations across the state. We've also secured investments from major philanthropic institutions and a growing base of donors who see NC Local's vision and path to scale.

Now we're growing our team to reach our next level of impact. This role will shape the strategy that carries NC Local from its launch year to a sustainable organization that serves every part of this state. It's an opportunity to join a well-backed startup and help a dedicated team shape it into an enduring statewide institution.

Position Overview

NC Local is looking for an experienced fundraiser and development strategist to lead and grow our philanthropic efforts, with an emphasis on major donors.

This leadership role is a newly-created position for NC Local, an early-stage nonprofit newsroom that is on an ambitious growth path with major investments from the Knight Foundation and the American Journalism Project. As Development Director, you'll own our fundraising strategy and build and develop a portfolio of major donors, working closely with the CEO to develop an individual donor program and cultivate our current and prospective institutional funders.

You'll also build and direct our development team, including overseeing two future team members—a development manager and associate—and working closely with our membership manager on individual giving strategies. This is a cross-functional role that will collaborate with colleagues across editorial teams, operations and executive leadership, and with NC Local's board, which is engaged in our growth strategy.

We seek a candidate who is creative, strategic and entrepreneurial. Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills are critical, as this position requires an ability to translate vision into investment and present why local journalism matters in a persuasive, compelling way to a variety of stakeholders. The ideal candidate is also a goal-oriented self-starter whose work can be organized and executed independently. We also seek a candidate who brings the adaptability and resourcefulness needed to operate successfully in an early stage organization, where moving comfortably between advancing our strategic direction, developing organizational systems and performing a variety of tasks can be adeptly balanced.

The ideal candidate will have a successful and demonstrated track record in these areas and operate in ways grounded in NC Local's mission and values. While it is not a requirement to have a background in journalism or the media industry, it is important to carry a passion and appreciation for the importance of factual, accessible and useful news and information. This role offers an opportunity to help a growing organization reach its next level of impact and help build more informed and civically engaged communities across North Carolina.

This is a remote, North Carolina-based position, with preference for candidates based in the greater Charlotte and Triangle areas. Travel across the state and to industry convenings and team meetings is expected.

What you'll do

Major gifts and individual giving

• Build our major gifts program from the ground up and develop it as one of the primary sources of revenue for NC Local's future.
• Develop and carry a portfolio of major donors and prospects who give more than $5,000 annually, meeting regularly for conversations about local news and information needs and making direct, in-person asks for support.
• Create and direct campaigns that drive transformational gifts for NC Local's major initiatives.
• Build the prospect pipeline from research through cultivation to close.
• Work with the membership manager to connect small-dollar giving to the major gifts pipeline, so members with capacity expand their support.
• Design the stewardship that keeps donors giving - reporting, recognition and the touch points that aren't direct asks.

Team development and board coordination

• Hire, onboard and develop the development team and supervise their progress toward our fundraising strategy.
• Develop systems and processes for the development team.
• Supervise staff while fostering collaboration, growth and accountability.
• Partner with CEO and Board to grow giving and turn board relationships into prospects.
• Present strategic updates to the Board, coordinating their role in fundraising and developments.

Strategy and planning

• Help devise and lead a comprehensive, donor-centered fundraising program with specific goals that will create the foundation of support for NC Local's important and ambitious growth.
• Oversee existing fundraising strategy and revise for new targets and developments.
• Work closely with the CEO to develop and execute multi-year plans around outreach, relationship building, and pitching to align with annual budget needs and growth strategy.
• Develop strategies for funding program development, working closely with colleagues across the organization, funders and other partners.
• Keep our case for support current as the organization evolves.
• Help prepare concept notes, proposals, grant reports and donor-facing materials.
• Support the development of an annual report, communicating the impact of philanthropically supported work.

Movement-building and relationship development

• Plan meetings, events and other convenings to draw awareness about NC Local's impact and vision, and bring prospective donors together with our team.
• Prospect, cultivate and nurture institutional funding relationships to secure major gifts and foundation grants.
• Serve as a leading voice about the need for philanthropic funding for local news and the importance of local news for North Carolina communities.

Commitment to diversity and inclusivity

NC Local is building an inclusive team that represents the diversity and multifaceted nature of our state across geography, demographics, culture and other lived experiences. We welcome talented individuals from all backgrounds who bring curiosity, dedication and a drive to succeed. If you're interested in this role but don't meet every listed criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for people who want to grow, contribute and make an impact.

What you'll bring to the organization

• You're an experienced fundraiser with at least 6 years of increasing responsibility in nonprofit development, and you've closed individual gifts in the five and six figures.
• You’ve raised money from both individuals and foundations, and you can point to relationships you built rather than inherited. You understand the complexity of donor relationships, and you are unafraid of the ask.
• You write well and quickly - proposals, donor letters, briefing memos, and the note that has to go out before tomorrow's meeting.
• You’ve managed people and have developed the skills to lead
• You use data and other evidence to set fundraising goals and the strategies to achieve them.
• You are experienced with CRMs, prospect research and portfolio management.
• You can explain why