Vice President of Development
Job Summary
The Vice President of Development is Project Rescue’s senior fundraising executive, responsible for leading and growing development efforts across Project Rescue Ministries and Project Rescue Foundation. This role develops a diversified fundraising strategy, builds relationships with major donors, churches, businesses, foundations, and other partners, and personally secures significant gifts. As a member of the senior leadership team, the VP leads the development team, strengthens fundraising systems and donor engagement, and advises executive and Board leadership on revenue opportunities. The ideal candidate is a strategic, relational, and hands-on fundraiser committed to ethical, survivor-safe storytelling and Project Rescue’s mission of rescuing and restoring survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking. This full-time, in-office position is based in Springfield, Missouri, and requires regular travel.
Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy for Project Rescue Ministries and Project Rescue Foundation.
Establish revenue goals, budgets, forecasts, performance measures, and reporting systems.
Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and secure significant gifts and multi-year commitments.
Build partnerships with churches, pastors, businesses, foundations, and philanthropic organizations.
Lead, coach, and strengthen the development team while improving fundraising systems, CRM practices, and donor data.
Oversee donor acquisition, retention, recurring giving, upgrades, reactivation, events, direct mail, and digital fundraising.
Collaborate with executive leadership, the Board, Finance, Programs, Marketing, and Communications to align fundraising with organizational priorities.
Ensure donor communications and fundraising stories protect survivors’ dignity, privacy, and safety.
Represent Project Rescue at donor meetings, church engagements, events, and other development opportunities.
Skills
Required
Strong fundraising and development leadership experience.
Proven ability to cultivate major donors and secure six-figure or larger gifts.
Strategic planning, revenue forecasting, budgeting, and performance measurement.
Team leadership, coaching, and accountability.
Excellent relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
Ability to work effectively with church leaders, executives, businesses, foundations, and high-capacity donors.
Knowledge of CRM systems, donor data, pipeline management, and fundraising analytics.
Ability to balance executive-level strategy with hands-on fundraising.
Strong judgment, integrity, discretion, and commitment to survivor-safe practices.
Preferred Skills
Faith-based or Christian ministry fundraising.
Church and pastor partnership development.
Principal gifts, capital campaigns, or transformational philanthropy.
Corporate and foundation partnerships.
Planned giving.
Digital and direct-response fundraising.
Working with external fundraising consultants.
Leading development during significant organizational growth.
Qualifications & EXPERIENCE
Required
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
7–10+ years of progressive fundraising and development leadership experience.
Demonstrated success leading a comprehensive development program and achieving significant revenue growth.
Proven experience personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts.
Demonstrated experience with six-figure and preferably seven-figure gifts.
Experience leading and developing a fundraising team.
Strong executive presence and ability to advise senior organizational leaders.
Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
Ability to build trust with pastors, church leaders, business executives, high-capacity individuals, foundations, and philanthropic partners.
Strong understanding of donor data, CRM systems, forecasting, and development analytics.
Ability to think strategically while remaining personally engaged in frontline fundraising.
Willingness to travel regularly for donor meetings, church relationships, events, and development opportunities.
Preferred
Experience in Christian ministry or faith-based nonprofit fundraising.
Experience developing church and pastor relationships.
Experience with principal gifts, transformational philanthropy, or capital campaigns.
Experience with corporate partnerships and foundations.
Experience with planned giving.
Experience with digital and direct-response fundraising.
Experience working with external fundraising consultants.
Experience leading development through a period of significant organizational growth.
Measurables
Success in this role will be measured by:
Meeting annual fundraising and revenue goals.
Achieving sustainable year-over-year revenue growth.
Expanding and diversifying funding sources.
Growing the major-gift pipeline and securing significant, multi-year, or transformational commitments.
Increasing business, foundation, church, and ministry partnerships.
Improving donor acquisition, retention, recurring giving, upgrades, and reactivation.
Demonstrating strong returns from fundraising campaigns, events, and communication channels.
Building an effective development team with clear goals and accountability.
Improving CRM use, donor management, forecasting, metrics, and executive reporting.
Strengthening collaboration among the Foundation, Ministries, executive leadership, and Board.
During the first 12–18 months, the VP should also establish a multi-year development strategy, strengthen fundraising systems, and position the organization for significant long-term growth.