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Vice President of Development

Job Description | August 2026

The Organization

Girl Scouts River Valleys (GSRV) serves over 13,000 girls across southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and surrounding communities, supported by thousands of volunteers who deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience every day. We are one of 111 councils nationwide, united by a shared mission: building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

We believe all girls belong here. That belief is embedded in how we operate, how we hire, and how we lead. Our work is grounded in five core values that are not aspirational, they are our standard:

• Be Joyful
• Be Willing to Work Through It
• You Can Count on Me
• Community First
• Girls Are at the Center of Everything We Do

GSRV operates within the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) - aligning leaders through clear accountability, scorecards, Rocks, and weekly L-10 meetings.

Position Information

Position Title: Vice President of Development

Job Code: VPDEV

Reports To: Chief Revenue Officer

Department: Development

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary Grade: 09

Last Updated: August 2026

Hiring Range: $120,000-$140,000

About This Role

Bold Fundraising, Lasting Relationships

The Vice President of Development is an executive leadership team member responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to secure financial support for the organization’s mission. This role oversees and executes major gifts, corporate and foundation partnerships, grants, annual giving, planned giving, and special events and donor stewardship.

This role builds and maintains a strong donor pipeline, with particular focus on donor retention, alumni engagement, and sustainable contributed revenue growth. This role partners with the Chief Revenue Officer to translate fundraising goals into practical plans, use data to monitor progress.

This role provides coaching and leadership for development team members who support grant writing, annual fund activity, donor communications, gift entry, and fundraising operations

The successful candidate is a mission-driven, relationship-centered, and metrics-oriented development professional who can grow contributed revenue, strengthen donor relationships, supervise team members, and operate effectively within an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) environment.

The Vice President of Development is accountable for executing the Development function’s annual contributed revenue goals, maintaining a healthy donor pipeline, supervising assigned development team members, and using EOS tools to improve focus, accountability, communication, and results.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising plan aligned with the organization’s strategic plan.
• Partner closely with the CEO and Chief Revenue Officer to identify, cultivate, and solicit major donors.
• Serve as an active member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, budgeting, and operations.
• Staff the Board Development / Fundraising Committee and empower board members to act as effective fundraisers.

Fundraising and Revenue Generation

• Major & Planned Gifts: Manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individual donors; oversee major gift solicitations and planned -giving strategies to achieve a minimum of $1M.
• Institutional Giving: Direct foundation and corporate grant proposals, ensuring rigorous reporting, compliance, and donor stewardship.
• Annual & Digital Giving: Oversee direct mail, online campaigns, monthly giving programs, and peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Capital Campaigns: Lead strategy, feasibility assessments, and execution for capital or endowment campaigns when applicable.
• Events: Oversee major fundraising events, galas, and donor appreciation initiatives to maximize ROI and donor engagement.

Donor Engagement, Stewardship and External Relations

• Serve as a visible ambassador for the organization and communicate a compelling case for support rooted in youth outcomes, community impact, and organizational need.
• Build authentic relationships with donors, families, volunteers, community leaders, businesses, civic groups, and funding partners.
• Create donor stewardship practices that deepen engagement, demonstrate impact, and improve retention.
• Partner with program leaders to translate youth services outcomes into strong donor communications, proposals, reports, and presentations.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Manage, mentor, and build a high-performing development team (e.g., Development Managers, Grant Writers, Event Coordinators).
• Oversee donor database (CRM) management, gift processing, donor research, and data integrity.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for fundraising metrics and track team progress against annual targets.
• Manage the department budget, ensuring cost-effective operations and optimal return on investment.

Equity & Community Integration

• Apply GSRV’s equity framework to fundraising strategies, donor communications, stewardship practices, and community engagement.
• Build relationships with donors and partners in ways that reflect community voice, remove barriers to participation, and support belonging across the GSRV service area.

Scorecard: What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is defined by:

• Achievement of fundraising goals and scorecard metrics that reflect weekly, quarterly, and annual performance expectations for the Development function.
• A high-performing, engaged team with clear accountability
• Strong cross-departmental relationships
• Demonstrated use of equity-centered practices

Metric

What We Measure

Contributed Revenue

Progress toward annual fundraising goals across assigned revenue streams.

Donor Pipeline

Number and quality of active prospects, donor visits, solicitations, renewals, and stewardship touchpoints.

Grant and Proposal Activity

Timely completion of grant applications, reports, proposals, and funder follow-up.

Donor Retention and Stewardship

Renewal rates, stewardship completion, acknowledgement timeliness, and donor engagement quality.

Team Execution

Completion of team Rocks, scorecard measurables, development operations tasks, and cross-functional deliverables.

What You Bring

Required

• Experience: 8–10+ years of progressive non-profit fundraising experience, with at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or management role.
• Track Record: Proven success in closing 5- to 6-figure major gifts, securing major grants, and achieving multi-million-dollar annual fundraising goals.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in donor management software/CRMs (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, Bloomerang) and data analytics.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional oral and written communication, persuasive storytelling, and strong interpersonal and emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism as a practice

Leadership Competencies

These competencies define what exceptional leadership looks like at GSRV. Performance is evaluated against each competency during regular reviews. They are not categories — they are a commitment to how we lead.

Competency

What This Looks Like in Practice

Competency 1

Team Engagement

You are a culture carrier within the development team and across the broader organization. You show up prepared, participate actively in L-10s and team meetings, and build productive relationships across departments, with community stakeholders, and with the girls and families we serve. You contribute to team dynamics that are positive, accountable, and reflective of who GSRV is.

Competency 2

Communication & Accountability

You communicate with clarity and intention across audiences — from a donor conversation to an internal update or board-facing report. You set expectations, meet deadlines, and when things go sideways, you re-engage quickly and recalibrate. You practice open and timely communication so your team and partners understand priorities and next steps.

Competency 3

Professional Growth

You are actively learning — whether that is in your craft as a revenue leader, as a manager, or as a community member. You seek feedback, invest in your own development, and create growth opportunities for your team. At GSRV, investment in people is investment in mission.

Competency 4

Innovation & Impact

You bring ideas to the table and pressure-test them with data, donor insight, and mission impact in mind. You stay focused on outcomes, support continuous improvement, and are willing to try new approaches when the old approach is not working. You understand how development decisions affect the broader organization and act with that awareness.

Competency 5

Equity-Focused Practice

You integrate GSRV's equity framework and anti-racism guidance into your work — not as a compliance exercise, but as a leadership discipline. You use it to remove barriers, build belonging, and make sure our revenue strategy reflects who we are and who we serve. You take accountability for mistakes and model how to turn them into learning.

Competency 6

Work Performance & Problem Solving

You know your Rocks, your scorecard, and your responsibilities. You work across teams to deliver outcomes. When you fall short, you regroup, re-strategize, and bring solutions — not excuses. You coach your team with the same directness and care you expect from your own leader.

Competency 7

Strategic Mindset

You are mission-driven and future-focused. You use data to measure against goals, build internal and external partnerships that advance GSRV, and bring stakeholder perspective into strategic conversations. You understand where the organization is going and you help us get there.

Competency 8

Transformational Leadership

You learn from what has come before, understand where fundraising and community engagement are heading, and create space for team members to grow and contribute. You can represent GSRV’s story compellingly to donors, corporate partners, volunteers, community members, and girls.

Working Conditions

• Full-time, exempt leadership position.
• Hybrid or onsite schedule based on organizational needs.
• Some evening and weekend work required for donor meetings, board activities, community events, and fundraising events.
• Local travel required; occasional regional or national travel may be required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

This role operates across office environments, community settings, donor meetings, and external events. Must be able to travel regularly throughout the GSRV service area (southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and surrounding region). The employee is frequently required to speak, present, read, and use a computer. Occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds. Noise levels may vary by location.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. We encourage applicants with varied backgrounds, identities, experiences, and perspectives to apply.

Disclaimer

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed within this role. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required. Management retains the right to assign or reassign schedules, duties, and responsibilities at any time.