Vice President of Philanthropy, Healthbeat

Rutgers Foundation; United States; Remote; USD 155,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Rutgers Foundation seeks a Vice President of Philanthropy for Healthbeat to lead its fundraising strategy. This role focuses on building relationships with high-level donors, scaling revenue, and contributing to strategic decisions crucial for public health journalism. Candidates should have a proven fundraising track record and a commitment to systemic change through journalism.

Benefits

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

20 days of PTO and a paid one-week recess

401(k) matching program

Paid parental leave

Qualifications

• Proven success in building and scaling fundraising strategies.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in public health and/or journalism is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a portfolio of individual and institutional donors.
• Design and lead fundraising strategies to grow revenue from $1M to $6M+.
• Collaborate with Civic News Company to align fundraising priorities.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship Management

Communication

Strategic Planning

Team Leadership

Collaboration

Data Analysis

Job description

Civic News Company, parent company of the nonprofit newsrooms Chalkbeat, focused on telling the story of education in America; Votebeat, dedicated to in-depth reporting on elections and voting; and Healthbeat, covering public health and health policy both nationally and locally, is seeking a Vice President of Philanthropy, Healthbeat to focus on building and leading Healthbeat’s fundraising strategy and revenue engine, driving long-term growth, and contributing to major strategic decisions including identifying locations for future Healthbeat bureaus in close partnership with the Editor-in-Chief, Civic News Company. The Vice President will also serve as a key member of the Civic News leadership team.

This is a role for a builder – someone who thrives in dynamic, mission-driven environments where experimentation, ambition, and agility are the norm. The VP will design and execute the strategy to grow Healthbeat’s revenue from just under $1M to $6M+ annually in the next 3-5 years and, over time, build and lead a high-performing development team. There is significant momentum among funders across the country who are eager to support systemic change, and Healthbeat is uniquely positioned to meet that moment. As the CEO of Civic News Company describes it: “By investing in Healthbeat, supporters play a critical role in ensuring that every community in the United States has the public health information it needs to thrive.”

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial frontline fundraiser with a track record of ambitious revenue growth, comfort operating in nimble environments, and a deep belief in the role of journalism in improving public health outcomes. A builder of effective teams, the inaugural VP will also be a compelling communicator who can galvanize donors, partners, and communities around Healthbeat’s mission and future. They will bring an infectious passion for the essential role of journalism across communities and the curiosity and adaptability to grow with an organization that is evolving at pace. This is an opportunity to join a one-of-a-kind, mission-driven team – and to build, scale, and sustain something transformational.

This role reports to the Chief Philanthropic Officer.

The key responsibilities for this role include:

Frontline Fundraising and Relationship Management

• Build and manage a robust portfolio of high-level individual and institutional donors, including the strategic identification and cultivation of prospects.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for key funders, including existing relationships with KFF and the Gates Foundation, while expanding Healthbeat’s reach into the broader philanthropic community.
• Personally lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts, with a focus on long-term relationship building and strategic alignment.

Fundraising Strategy and Execution

• Design and lead a bold, best-in-class fundraising strategy to grow Healthbeat’s revenue from just under $1M to $6M+ over the next 3-5 years.
• Develop a clear, long-term vision for development, ensuring that fundraising efforts prioritize relationship-building and align with Healthbeat’s mission and its unique role in the public health/journalism ecosystem.
• Collaborate across Civic News Company to align fundraising priorities, surface stories of impact, and ensure the development strategy supports Healthbeat’s broader mission and national expansion goals.
• Champion a culture of philanthropy internally, ensuring fundraising is integrated into business decision-making.
• Collaborate closely and share best practices with colleagues leading development at Chalkbeat and Votebeat.

What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!):

• Proven success building and scaling a strategic approach to fundraising that effectively incorporates diverse revenue streams; a track record of driving significant growth.
• Demonstrated excellence in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high-level funders – ideally individual and institutional – and closing significant gifts and grants in the five-figure-plus range.
• Experience utilizing shared development operations services with other fundraisers in a highly collaborative way.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to develop compelling proposals, presentations, and donor materials.
• Experience with optimizing data and a CRM to drive decision-making and activities.
• Deep commitment to the importance of values-based, advocacy-free journalism in driving positive systemic change and protecting democracy
• Entrepreneurial, start-up mentality and approach; excited to shape something new and drive Healthbeat’s growth
• Strategic thinker with strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Adaptable, optimistic, and grounded by a sense of humor and humility.
• Solutions-oriented, highly collaborative, with a can-do attitude in working with all departments and employees across the organization; eager team player

Bonus points if you’ve got:

• Experience in public health and/or journalism sectors.
• Experience working with local and national funders.

This full-time, remote-eligible position may be based anywhere in the continental United States, with a preference for Atlanta, New York, or Washington, DC. Civic News Company already has a presence: Chicago, Colorado, Indianapolis, Newark, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Occasional travel, up to 25% of the time, may be required for team meetings, fundraising initiatives, or partner events.

The salary range is $155,000-$180,000; final salary will be determined based on level of experience and geographic location, with a generous benefits package, including:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance
• 20 days of PTO and a paid one-week recess
• 401(k) matching program
• Paid parental leave

How to Apply:

Submit a resume and cover letter as one PDF to [e-mail] using the subject line: Last Name First Name – Letter Resume

Civic News Company recognizes a staff bargaining unit, Civic News Company, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America, East, a labor union representing thousands of members who write content for news and online media, motion pictures, and television. This position is not included in the Civic News Company bargaining unit.

About Civic News Company

At Civic News Company, our mission is helping people understand how America works so they can make it work better. Committed to equal employment opportunities, Civic News Company welcomes applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status,sexual orientations, and marital statuses. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and contribute to our shared vision.

Civic News Company participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannotconfirm that you are authorized to work, Civic News Company is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before Civic News Company can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Civic News Company can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.