Regional Development Director

The Texas Tribune is seeking an experienced, relationship-driven Regional Development Director to grow philanthropic revenue and deepen donor relationships in a priority region of Texas, with an initial emphasis on Dallas–Fort Worth, Waco and surrounding communities.  This position will support revenue growth for The Texas Tribune and one of its local regional newsrooms, The Waco Bridge.

This is a frontline fundraising position with direct responsibility for a mid-major donor portfolio, new donor development and annual revenue goals for both The Texas Tribune and The Waco Bridge. The Regional Development Director will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward individual donors and prospects, with a primary focus on securing philanthropic gifts ranging from $500 to $10,000 annually.

The Regional Development Director will be responsible for both growing current donor relationships and developing significant new sources of philanthropic support. They will build relationships with people who believe in the value of independent journalism and create opportunities for them to increase their philanthropic investment over time.

Success requires someone who enjoys meeting people, understanding why they care about Texas and journalism, developing and executing thoughtful donor cultivation strategies, asking for and closing gifts and building ongoing relationships that grow over years rather than transactional ones.

The Director will also be an important part of the Tribune’s broader regional growth strategy. Because philanthropic relationships often begin through membership, events, foundations and other forms of engagement, the Director will work closely with colleagues who lead those functions to help bring their strategies to life in the region. This person will provide local relationships, market knowledge and a consistent physical presence while maintaining a clear primary accountability for fundraising and portfolio revenue.

This is a remote position based in Texas. Because the role depends heavily on in-person relationship building and regional engagement, candidates located in or with strong ties to the Dallas–Fort Worth/Waco region are preferred. Regular travel throughout the region is expected, along with periodic travel elsewhere in Texas.

Key duties and responsibilities:

Drive Mid-Major Gift Revenue for Texas Tribune & The Waco Bridge

• Fundraising and portfolio management are the primary responsibilities of this position.
• Own and actively manage a mid-major donor portfolio in the Dallas-Fort Worth region and greater Waco region, with a primary focus on donors and prospects capable of making annual gifts ranging from $500–$10,000.
• Own an individual annual fundraising goal tied to each region and be accountable for meeting or exceeding assigned revenue targets.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward current and prospective donors throughout the region.
• Personally conduct a consistent volume of donor meetings, cultivation activities and direct solicitations.
• Develop individualized strategies to increase donor engagement, retention and philanthropic investment.
• Create opportunities for donors to increase their support
• Build relationships grounded in donors’ interests, motivations and connection to the mission rather than approaching fundraising as a series of transactions.
• Identify compelling opportunities for philanthropic investment that connect donor interests with the journalism and strategic priorities while protecting the independence and integrity of our journalism.
• Partner with development team  colleagues on proposals, donor communications, stewardship and other materials necessary to secure and increase annual and multi-year gifts.

Support the Tribune’s Regional Growth Strategy

• In addition to direct fundraising responsibilities, the Regional Development Director will play an important role in advancing the Tribune’s broader regional growth strategy.
• As a relationship-builder with an active presence in the region, the Director will work closely with colleagues leading membership, events and foundation fundraising to help those strategies succeed locally. These teams will retain ownership of their respective strategies and goals; the Regional Development Director will contribute the local relationships, market knowledge and in-person presence that help connect these efforts and create new opportunities for engagement and philanthropic support 

Required Skills/Abilities:

• We are looking for an experienced fundraiser who is energized by ambitious goals, genuinely enjoys building relationships and understands how to turn those relationships into sustainable philanthropic support.
• A demonstrated track record of personally cultivating, soliciting and closing four- and five-figure gifts.
• Experience managing an assigned donor portfolio and achieving individual fundraising goals.
• Demonstrated ability to grow donors toward increasingly significant and multi-year commitments.
• Experience identifying and developing new prospective donors in addition to cultivating established relationships.
• Strong knowledge of relationship-based fundraising practices, including qualification, cultivation, moves management, solicitation and stewardship.
• Comfort initiating relationships, asking for meetings and making direct philanthropic solicitations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop trusted relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to make a compelling case for philanthropic investment.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrated ability to build relationships and opportunities within a market.
• Strong organization, judgment and follow-through.

Experience:

• Approximately 7+ years of progressively responsible fundraising, development, advancement, philanthropy or comparable relationship-based experience.
• Experience developing donors from initial or lower-level commitments into increasingly significant philanthropic relationships.
• Experience fundraising for journalism, public media, higher education, civic organizations, arts and culture, education or another mission-driven institution.
• Familiarity with Texas philanthropy, family foundations and civic networks.
• Experience collaborating with membership, events, institutional giving, marketing or other engagement functions to develop prospective donors.
• Experience working in an organization undergoing significant growth or geographic expansion.
• A background in journalism is not required. Curiosity about Texas, belief in the importance of independent journalism and an ability to communicate why trusted information matters to communities are essential.
• Experience using CRM systems, preferably Salesforce NPC and fundraising data to manage donor relationships and performance.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while collaborating effectively with colleagues across Texas.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout the region and periodically elsewhere in Texas. Some evening and occasional weekend work will be required.

Not Required but nice to have: 

• Established knowledge of or relationships within the Dallas–Fort Worth, Waco or broader North/Central Texas philanthropic communities

Salary will vary according to experience; the minimum is $90,000.

Benefits This job is full-time and has the following benefits:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance 
• A cellphone stipend 
• 20 days of paid time off each year 
• Up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, plus four weeks of additional job protection 
• 401(k) matching 
• Support for professional training and attending industry conferences 
• Remote work flexibility 

How to Apply 

Submit your application with a résumé and cover letter summarizing your previous experience and why you want to work at our award-winning news organization. We will review applications as we receive them at least through November 22nd, and we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our jobs page. The Texas Tribune is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We can't wait to hear from you!  

About The Texas Tribune 

At the Tribune, our mission is to pursue the truth so Texans can shape our future. We envision a Texas where the work of self-government is enabled by accurate information. In that, everyone can ask questions, hold leaders accountable for outcomes good or bad, and participate fully in shaping our policy agendas. We value excellence, independence and curiosity. We hold power to account, and we hold ourselves to the same standards. And we aim to participate constructively, not scoring cheap points or ignoring the humanity of our audience, our team or the people we cover. In order to do so, we want our newsroom and our coverage to reflect Texas by including a wide range of perspectives from people of different backgrounds, ideologies and experiences.  Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.