Director of Development (Vero Beach)

Thrive IRC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and empowering the community through substance use prevention, education, and recovery-focused initiatives.

With an annual operating budget of approximately $3 million, Thrive IRC partners with public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to deliver measurable community impact.

Position Summary

The Director of Development serves as Thrive IRC’s senior fundraising professional and is responsible for leading and executing a comprehensive development strategy that generates approximately $300,000 in annual philanthropic revenue.

This role is aligned with CFRE and Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) best practices and focuses on revenue generation, donor stewardship, grants, and development systems.

The Director of Development is accountable for fundraising results, ethical fundraising practice, and long-term revenue sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Leadership

• Develop and implement an annual development plan aligned with organizational strategic goals
• Manage a diversified fundraising portfolio including individual giving, grants, sponsorships, campaigns, and special appeals
• Achieve annual fundraising targets of approximately $300,000
• Monitor performance against goals and provide regular reports to leadership and the Board Develpment Committee.
• Ensure compliance with ethical fundraising standards consistent with CFRE and AFP guidelines

Individual Giving & Donor Stewardship

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors
• Build and manage a donor pipeline with clear strategies for retention and growth
• Develop donor communications including appeals, acknowledgements, and impact reporting
• Support executive leadership and board members in donor engagement and solicitation efforts

Grants & Institutional Giving

• Research, write, submit, and manage grant proposals and required reports
• Maintain a grants calendar and compliance tracking system
• Align funding requests with organizational outcomes and strategic priorities

Board & Leadership Partnership

• Provide fundraising guidance, tools, and training to board members
• Prepare development dashboards and reports for board and leadership review
• Advise leadership on fundraising trends, risks, and opportunities

Development Operations & Systems

• Oversee donor database/CRM accuracy and reporting
• Establish and maintain development policies, procedures, and workflows
• Coordinate with communications staff or vendors on donor-facing messaging strategy

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of nonprofit development experience
• Demonstrated success managing or contributing to annual fundraising totals of $250,000 or more
• Strong grant writing and donor relationship management experience
• CFRE credential preferred or willingness to pursue within two years
• High ethical standards and comfort with direct donor solicitation

Core Competencies

1. Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Performance

• Ability to design, implement, and manage a comprehensive, ethical fundraising strategy with clear ownership of revenue outcomes.

2. Donor & Institutional Relationship Management

• Effective identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors and institutional funders.

3. Grant Development & Compliance

• Successful acquisition and management of grant funding in alignment with organizational priorities and funder requirements.

4. Board, Leadership & Organizational Partnership

• Strategic collaboration with executive leadership and the board to strengthen fundraising capacity and governance.

5. Systems, Ethics & Professional Practice

• Management of development operations with high ethical standards and commitment to professional best practices.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Work Location: In person