Vice President of Development & Communication

Evolving Solution Services; Excelsior (MN); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement contribution 3%

Sabbatical policy

Paid time off 22 days/year

Holidays 7 + 3 floating

Mental health days

Job summary

Camp Fire Minnesota seeks a Vice President of Development & Communications to lead the integrated development and communications team. The role partners with the President/CEO to drive a multi-faceted fundraising strategy, including major gifts, grants, annual giving, and capital campaigns.

The VP will oversee marketing, donor communications, and community-centric fundraising, ensuring DEI-informed storytelling and strong stakeholder engagement in Excelsior, MN.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading fundraising and communications efforts.
• Experience managing a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to DEI.

Responsibilities

• Co-create development strategy with CEO and team to diversify income and stewardship.
• Lead marketing and communications strategy aligned with program priorities.
• Develop and lead major gifts and capital campaign activities.
• Supervise 3–4 FTE and coordinate with boards on fundraising.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Communications leadership

Team management

DEI commitment

Tools

Raiser's Edge CRM

WordPress

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Vice President of Development & Communication

Management Excelsior, MN, US

4 days ago Requisition ID: 1023

Salary Range: $115,000.00 To $120,000.00 Annually

Job Title: Vice President of Development & Communications

Reports to: President & CEO

Classification: Exempt; Full-time (40 hours/week)

Location: Hybrid, with regular office hours at our Excelsior location

Who we are

With nature as our catalyst, Camp Fire Minnesota energizes youth to discover their spark so their futures glow brighter. Youth spend 90% of their time indoors – and that was before COVID-19. Camp Fire Minnesota addresses this challenge by delivering culturally relevant, nature-based programs onsite at our camp property in Excelsior and throughout the community to thousands of youth from all backgrounds each year. We help youth “light their spark within” through summer and school break camps, environmental education & STEM classes for schools (in‑person and virtual), and community-based out‑of‑school time nature programs.

We are proud to offer inclusive and welcoming programs to youth in the community, including free and reduced rate programs and a scholarship program. As a result of their Camp Fire experience, 93% of youth report valuing nature and stewarding the environment.
Where we are headed
Camp Fire Minnesota envisions a future where every youth has access to nature‑based experiences and learning. Looking ahead, our organization's 2024-2026 Strategic Plan focuses on advancing our mission through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Central to our strategy is the active engagement of both youth and adults in co‑designing impactful experiences that center youth voices, giving them more power in decision‑making processes. The plan includes three strategic goals: expanding community‑building efforts to involve a broader range of partners; infusing nature learning into all programs to promote environmental sustainability; and transparently sharing our organization's journey, emphasizing our inclusive approach centered around youth experience and ideas.

Statement of Inclusion

Camp Fire believes in the dignity and the intrinsic worth of every human being. We welcome, affirm, and support young people and adults of all abilities and disabilities, experiences, races, ethnicities, socio‑economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, religion and non‑religion, citizenship and immigration status, and any other category people use to define themselves or others. We strive to create safe and inclusive environments that celebrate diversity and foster positive relationships. All are welcome at Camp Fire.

Position Overview:

The Vice President of Development & Communications will lead and support the development and communications team at Camp Fire and play a critical role in Camp Fire’s capital campaign: Sparking Bright Futures. This leadership role will be responsible for the integration of the development and communications team. Working in partnership with the President/CEO, the Vice President of Development co‑creates strategy, oversees Camp Fire’s fundraising program, leads Camp Fire’s communications efforts, and supports the development and communications team. [LR1] The VP of Development & Communications will work alongside the President/CEO and an external consulting team to successfully fundraise for an $8 million dollar capital campaign.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Loves collaboration and relationship building
• Is strategic and knows how to move from ideation to action
• Has a strong history in both development and communications
• Is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Is knowledgeable and/or passionate about community‑centric fundraising

Primary Responsibilities

• Co‑create Camp Fire’s development strategy alongside the CEO and development team to ensure a diverse portfolio of contributed income, a balance of solicitations and stewardship, and active prospecting
• Co‑create marketing and communications strategy alongside the marketing teamto ensure alignment with organizational priorities, including program promotion, internal and external communications, fund development (including planned giving)
• Create and execute a strategy to implement a community‑centric fundraising approach at Camp Fire
• Develop strategies and efforts to diversify the voices and stories shared externally by Camp Fire, including ensuring the implementation of goals identified in Camp Fire’s strategic plan
• Develop and lead Camp Fire Minnesota’s major gifts program, securing gifts to further the organization’s mission today and into the future.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive Officer to secure capital support for the revitalization of Camp Fire, including supporting the execution of Camp Fire’s capital campaign
• Engage Camp Fire Minnesota’s board of directors in the organization’s cultivation and development efforts.
• In partnership with the Minnesota Camp Fire Foundation’s board of trustees, implement a legacy fund campaign for the Foundation, supporting Camp Fire Minnesota’s mission‑based work well into the future.
• Oversee the organization’s annual fund and marketing efforts, including writing and design of tax acknowledgements, print and digital appeals, annual report, and segmented donor engagement.
• Oversee all grant writing efforts, in close coordination with the CEO
• Coordinate donor engagement between the organization’s annual fund, capital campaign, and legacy fund.
• Develop and implement a community‑centric fundraising focused strategy for Camp Fire
• Support new fundraising efforts including but not limited to alumni campaign, parent engagement, and state and federal funding efforts
• Supervision of team- including 3-4 FTE

Communications

• Oversee and support all Camp Fire marketing and communication efforts
• Develop annual marketing and communications plan, including PR, alongside Database and Marketing Director
• Lead crisis communications alongside President & CEO.
• Lead strategic website development working alongside website developer and Database and Marketing Director.
• Collaborate with staff to develop marketing strategies and materials.
• Oversee video production processes for special events working with outside vendors, programs team, CEO, and program participants and partners.
• Integrate and provide strategy for youth‑centric storytelling practices that are trauma‑informed and provide space for young people to authentically share, and own, their stories.

Organizational Support

• Serve on the Camp Fire Minnesota leadership team
• Supervise the development and communications team
• Lead key organizational initiatives, as identified in Camp Fire Minnesota’s Strategic Plan.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• In collaboration, ensure all fundraising and marketing efforts are inclusive and equity focused.
• Support the organization’s DEI work
• Support team and Board learning in leading Community Centric Fundraising philosophies and help integrate those philosophies into all areas of our work.
• We run many programs throughout the year and during peak busy seasons, we ask all staff to support in various ways! This can mean you might help with the camp check‑in process, greet guests at a Camp Fire fundraiser, or other fun tasks. We are looking for someone who brings a collaborative spirit and is excited to support our mission‑based work when needed!

Skills and Qualifications

• Proven experience leading fundraising and communications efforts
• Experience managing a team
• Demonstrated commitment to DEI

Additional skills and qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of varied and successful fundraising, marketing, communications, or related experience
• Demonstrated ability to solicit annual, major, and planned gifts, write successful proposals, and secure sponsors
• Experience securing state or federal grants
• Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge donor database or similar CRM software preferred
• Experience with communications/design tools (WordPress, Adobe Creative Suite, Constant Contact, Google Analytics, social media)
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
• Cultural competency and experience working with diverse communities
• Professional and highly motivated – able to thrive in a fast‑paced, remote work environment, while maintaining quality and accuracy
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as necessary

Salary and Benefits:

Salary range is $115,000 to $125,000. Eligible for health benefits as well as a 3% retirement contribution and sabbatical policy. Full Benefits Package including medical, dental, life, AD&D, long term disability, 3% 401K matched. Up to 22 days Paid time off in a year, 7 paid holidays, plus 3 Floating holidays days and mental health days. Additional benefits include Professional Development Funds, a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program to support employees and their families

Location:

Hybrid, with regular hours working onsite at our property (3300 Tanadoona Drive, Excelsior, MN 55331).

Camp Fire Minnesota is strongly committed to addressing environmental justice.