Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Status: Full-Time, Exempt | Executive Team
Location: Hybrid; regular in-person presence at The Arise Center in Raleigh, NC
Is This You?
Have you spent your career in development, fundraising, and/or communications and arrived at a moment where you want the work to mean something more than the next campaign? Do you understand that real fundraising is not transactional — that it is the work of building a community of people who become deeply, personally connected to a mission that matters? Are you a leader who can organize, amplify, and deepen what already exists for an organization moving into its next chapter? If so, Arise Collective is looking for you.
About Arise Collective
Arise Collective is a Raleigh, NC-based 501(c)(3) with a mission to equip women with the tools and support they need to heal, grow, and thrive — both in prison and in the communities to which they return. Founded in 1980, Arise Collective is now in its 46th year and serves more than 500 women annually through chaplaincy services, transition education, reentry support, and community engagement. Since 2020, we have operated a residential reentry program offering safe and supportive housing, trauma-informed, evidence-based case management; non-medical clinical support; peer support from professionals with shared lived experience; community chaplaincy; educational and employment support; and more. Over the past decade, the organization has grown fifteenfold in budget, staff, programmatic reach, and community presence — a measure of how relevant this work has become, not only to our region, but also nationwide. Visit www.arise-collective.org to learn more.
Why This Role Matters
Arise Collective is at a point where development and communications must work as a single strategy, one that sustains and grows the organization's financial support while raising its visibility in the community. Our institutional giving foundation is strong; the work now is to bridge to the full spectrum of giving — individual, corporate, and faith-based campaigns, appeals, and major gifts — while building a communications voice that carries the mission consistently across every channel. The Senior Director of Resource Development will lead this work as a member of the Executive Team and a direct partner to the CEO. For a development professional who has already proven themselves and is now ready to deploy their expertise, network, and passion on behalf of work that not only equips women to rebuild their lives, but also is changing what community means in this region and beyond.
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Resource Development leads the development, fundraising, and communications portfolios for Arise Collective. The incumbent serves as a strategic partner to the CEO and the Board on relationship cultivation, donor stewardship, and institutional storytelling. They design and execute a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy, oversee the organization's voice and visibility, supervise the Communications Manager, a Development Manager (as the Senior Director role grows), and in time, possibly the Volunteer and Outreach Manager. The role is built for a development leader who is energized by partnership with the Board, staff, and the women Arise Collective serves. The landscape of incarceration and reentry services for women has broadened since the organization’s last strategic plan, and this role will help to shape the next chapter of the organization’s vision and reach.
Primary Responsibilities
Fundraising Strategy and Execution (50%)
The Senior Director develops and executes a multi-year fundraising and communications strategy spanning individual giving, corporate and faith-based giving, major gifts, events, institutional giving, legacy giving, and integrated communications, with a particular focus on appeals and campaigns. Manage the annual development plan, including revenue projections, timelines, and portfolio assignments.
The Senior Director manages a personal portfolio of prospects, cultivates and solicits major gifts, and stewards donors to broaden understanding of the need, connection with the mission, and to strengthen relationships with the organization. This role requires a creative, entrepreneurial approach, strong communication skills, and the ability to align donor interests with the strategic priorities of the organization within the broader ecosystem in which we operate.
Design and execute the annual fund, including direct mail and digital appeals, giving societies, and in-kind donations. Build and implement a mission-aligned moves management system that advances donors through the giving pipeline and in so doing, build a community of people genuinely connected to this mission.
Identify and cultivate the relationships that extend Arise Collective's reach and donor base across the state and region.
Partner closely with the CEO to maximize her relationships and community presence — briefing, preparing, and debriefing to advance donor relationships strategically.
Build and manage board engagement in development, leading resource development- and communications-related board committees.
Work with the Executive Team to maintain and deepen existing institutional funder relationships, ensuring timely, high-quality stewardship and compliance, while identifying new aligned grant opportunities.
Ensure the development infrastructure — donor database, gift processing, acknowledgment, reporting — is current, functional, and capable of supporting growth.
Provide regular, accurate reporting to the CEO, board, funding partners, and the general public. Supervise direct reports with clarity, support, and accountability.
Special Events and Signature Experiences (20%)
Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of Arise Collective's fundraising and cultivation events — including the organization's annual fall event and other donor-facing experiences — ensuring they are mission-centered, well-stewarded, and positioned to deepen relationships as well as raise funds. Oversee vendor relationships, volunteer coordination, and post-event follow-up so that each event is executed seamlessly and builds on the one before. Support the Outreach department on community events that turn friends into supporters, and supporters into champions.
Communications and Storytelling (15%)
Provide strategic leadership for Arise Collective's voice across all channels — website, email, social media, print, media relations, and donor-facing materials. Ensure that the organization's storytelling is mission-driven, ethically grounded, participant-centered, and aligned with development strategy. Supervise communications and other marketing and media relations staff and consultants.
Organizational Responsibilities (15%)
Participate actively in the Executive Team and contribute to cross-organizational leadership and decision-making beyond development and communications. Attend relevant Arise Collective board meetings, retreats, and committee meetings. Represent Arise Collective at community events, conferences, coalitions, and stakeholder meetings related to resource development, philanthropy, and women's justice. Serve as a liaison to funders, community partners, and civic networks as mutually determined with the CEO. Support volunteer, fundraising, and outreach efforts as needed. Other responsibilities as assigned.
Skills, Qualifications, and Attributes
The Senior Director of Resource Development must demonstrate a deep passion for and commitment to Arise Collective's mission, vision, and values, and possess the following:
- Mission Alignment: An inclusive, empathetic worldview and demonstrated skill working across lines of difference — with the women this organization serves, organizational leadership, donors, funders, other staff, board members, and community partners.
- Fundraising and Resource Development: Proven track record of building or significantly growing an individual giving program, including campaigns, appeals, major gifts, legacy giving, and capital campaigns. Demonstrated success leveraging a CEO and board to advance development goals — someone who understands that the best development professionals build the team's capacity rather than trying to carry the work alone.
- Communications and Storytelling: Strong writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate mission into a compelling case for support across audiences and channels. Strategic fluency in communications planning, brand voice, and donor-facing content.
- Leadership and Team Development: Supervisory experience and a genuine commitment to developing staff. The ability to lead with clarity and accountability while remaining warm, collaborative, and resilient — the kind of leader people want to work for.
- Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in nonprofit management, public administration, communications, or a related field is a plus.
- Experience: A minimum of 10–15 years of progressive leadership experience, with demonstrated fundraising success across individual and institutional giving; experience integrating communications strategy with development strategy is strongly preferred.
- Systems and Operations: Proficiency with donor CRM systems (Bloomerang, Salesforce, Little Green Light, or similar) and standard productivity tools; comfort with data, reporting, and the operational infrastructure that makes development work sustainable.
Strongly Preferred
- Regional Knowledge: Familiarity with North Carolina's philanthropic landscape — foundations, individual donors, faith-based giving, and corporate funders.
- Sector Experience: Background in justice, housing, behavioral health, women's services, or a closely related mission area.
- Lived or Closely Held Experience: Experience with the criminal legal system — as a participant, family member, or long-term advocate — is a genuine asset and is actively welcomed.
Physical Requirements
This position requires ordinary ambulatory skills as well as the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and occasionally manipulate (lift, carry, move) light weights; hand-eye-foot coordination; arm, hand and finger dexterity, visual acuity; and the use of auditory senses. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work Requirements
This position is primarily based at Arise Collective’s main offices in West Raleigh. Occasional local, Triangle, and statewide travel required for organizational programs, events, training, and partner meetings.
Additional Requirements
- Possess valid NC Driver’s License, satisfactory driving record and proof of insurance.
- Be able to complete and pass NCDAC-required background check to obtain a prison blue card.
What Success Looks Like
At Six Months: The Senior Director has built strong working relationships with the CEO, board, and existing staff; assessed the current state of development and communications; documented the donor and prospect landscape; identified and contributed to both the highest-priority pipeline opportunities and the lowest hanging fruit; and established a clear plan for the year ahead. CEO and board members understand how the Senior Director will partner with them to maximize their contributions to development.
At One Year: A comprehensive development and communications strategy is in place. The annual fund and appeals are running, and the foundation of a major gifts effort has launched, all with measurable early results. Communications is mission-aligned and consistent across channels. Opportunities to share the work with the public are increasing. The Senior Director is operating as a trusted member of the Executive Team.
At Two Years: Revenue is diversified and growing across institutional and individual sources; a recognizable Arise Collective voice and visibility is present in the sector and region; a strong pipeline of major donor prospects is in active cultivation; and a CEO and board who feel genuinely set up for success in their fundraising roles. The development and communications function is recognized internally and externally as a strategic strength of the organization.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt position at 40 hours per week. Arise Collective offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, and a benefits package that reflects our belief in the wellbeing of our staff, because our people cannot sustain the work of transformation if they are not themselves sustained.
The salary for this position is $95,000 - $110,000, commensurate with experience.
Generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision; retirement plan with employer match; pre-tax benefits; paid time and leave; cell phone stipend; professional development opportunities; and other organizational benefits.
How to Apply
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume. The cover letter should speak specifically to why this role and this organization at this moment in your career. The position will remain open until filled; early applications are encouraged. No calls, please.
Arise Collective is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by law. Formerly incarcerated, justice-involved, or justice-impacted individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
