Development Manager - Local News Nonprofit
hace 5 días
Whippany
Job Description Position Overview The Development Manager is a critical member of our growing fundraising operation, responsible for identifying prospective new donors and building and managing relationships with those and previous donors who believe in the importance of our mission. This new position will play an essential role in strengthening donor revenue streams to support independent, community-building news coverage. Reporting to the CEO and Publisher, the Development Manager will identify prospective donors, cultivate meaningful relationships, execute strategic solicitations, steward supporters through personalized engagement, lead all fundraising events, and launch and manage our audience membership program. This role requires someone who can translate our mission into compelling donor conversations and repeat contributions and who is excited to grow an emerging nonprofit toward sustainability. Key Responsibilities Donor Cultivation & Stewardship • Manage a growing portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing personalized engagement strategies to deepen relationships and increase giving, • Create and strengthen connections through meetings, phone calls, community events, and tailored communications demonstrating the community-building impact of our efforts, • Lead all aspects of fundraising event planning and execution from concept to completion, including annual fundraising dinners, donor cultivation gatherings, and mission-focused community experiences, • Develop event strategies, budgets, timelines, vendor relationships, and logistics for multiple events annually, • Create compelling event programming that showcases our journalism, introduces donors to our newsroom, and demonstrates community impact, • Manage event promotion, registration, donor recognition elements, and post-event follow-up and reporting, • Serve as a visible ambassador for the organization at community events, government meetings, and civic gatherings, • Design, launch, and manage an audience membership program that converts readers and community members into financial supporters of our mission, • Develop membership tiers, benefits, messaging, and value propositions that resonate with our communities, • Create and implement membership acquisition, retention, and upgrade strategies across digital and print platforms, • Collaborate with editorial and marketing teams to integrate membership appeals into content distribution and audience engagement, • Track membership metrics, analyze conversion data, and optimize the program for sustainable growth, • Research and identify new prospective donors within our coverage communities who share our commitment to local news, • Develop and execute individualized solicitation strategies, including direct asks, proposals, and creative engagement opportunities, • Partner with the CEO and Publisher, Board members, the organization leadership team and community partners to maximize donor connections and opportunities Collaboration and Systems • Work closely with editorial, operations, and Board leadership to align donor communications and recognition strategies, • Establish and maintain accurate donor records and tracking systems (donor relationship management platform implementation and maintenance experience valued), • Track progress toward achieving donor and audience revenue goals, and provide regular reports on donor engagement and fundraising outcomes Essential Qualifications • 4+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, including direct management of donor relationships, • Proven experience planning and executing fundraising events from conception through completion, • Proven success in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual gifts, • Experience launching or managing membership or sustainer programs strongly preferred, • Experience in journalism, civic organizations, or mission-driven organizations, • Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills with ability to connect with diverse community members, business leaders, civic officials, and individual supporters, • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with ability to craft compelling narratives about journalism's community impact, • Event management expertise including budgeting, vendor management, and logistics coordination, • Understanding of membership models and recurring giving strategies, • Analytical skills to track program metrics and optimize performance, • Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to build new development systems and processes, • Resourceful, creative problem-solver with fresh approaches to donor engagement, • Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple projects and relationships simultaneously, • Comfortable with ambiguity and energized by building something new, • Proficiency with donor databases and donor relationship management platforms (experience launching such platforms is a plus), • Ability to collaborate and pitch in across departments in a small organization, • Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential donor information Personal Characteristics • Genuine passion for professional local news and its role in community life, • Self-starter who thrives with independence while collaborating effectively, • Solutions-oriented approach with positive, can-do attitude, • Strong connection to or interest in the communities we serve, • Opportunity to grow and shape a fledgling development program from its foundation, • Close collaboration with leadership and direct impact on organizational sustainability, • Connection to meaningful work that strengthens communities through journalism, • Engagement with diverse communities across four New Jersey counties, • Professional development in the evolving nonprofit journalism sector, • Comprehensive benefits including:, • Health insurance, • Dental insurance, • 401(k) retirement plan, • Five sick days, • 10 vacation days, • Company holidays, • Two floating holidays Company DescriptionThe Corporation for New Jersey Local Media is a nonprofit organization that owns New Jersey Hills Media Group and the West Essex Tribune, publishers of local news websites, email newsletters and weekly printed newspapers serving 51 communities across Essex, Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties. Our mission is to engage and inform the towns we serve with locally-driven, fact-based reporting that inspires civic participation and strengthens the fabric of our communities. As we transform professional local news for the digital age, we're building a sustainable model that combines traditional reporting excellence with innovative membership and donor support. We're launching new digital-first initiatives in 2026 while maintaining our commitment to the core communities we've served for decades.The Corporation for New Jersey Local Media is a nonprofit organization that owns New Jersey Hills Media Group and the West Essex Tribune, publishers of local news websites, email newsletters and weekly printed newspapers serving 51 communities across Essex, Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties. Our mission is to engage and inform the towns we serve with locally-driven, fact-based reporting that inspires civic participation and strengthens the fabric of our communities. As we transform professional local news for the digital age, we're building a sustainable model that combines traditional reporting excellence with innovative membership and donor support. We're launching new digital-first initiatives in 2026 while maintaining our commitment to the core communities we've served for decades.