Director of Grants and Fundraising

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Status (FLSA): This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with occasional night and weekend work required.

Compensation: The starting salary range for this position is $55,000 - $75,000 depending on qualifications

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Work Location: Gottsche's Headquarters in Thermopolis, Wyoming with regular regional travel.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Grants & Fundraising is a senior leadership role responsible for designing, building, and executing a comprehensive, diversified fundraising and grants strategy that significantly expands the organization's revenue base and national reach. This individual will fully own the organization's grants and philanthropic fundraising function, from prospect identification and relationship cultivation to application, compliance, reporting, and long-term stewardship.

This role is not transactional. The Director of Grants & Fundraising will transform fundraising into a strategic mechanism for growth, with a clear expectation of generating an ambitious target of substantial, sustainable annual revenue through a balanced mix of grants, institutional support, major gifts, planning giving, and individual donors.

The ideal candidate has a deep love for Wyoming, is a strategic storyteller, systems builder, and relationship-driven fundraiser who can translate mission, outcomes, and community impact into compelling narratives that resonate well beyond Wyoming.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants Strategy & Management

• Develop and execute a comprehensive grants strategy aligned with organizational priorities, growth initiatives, and community impact goals.
• Identify, research, and qualify public and private grant opportunities at the local, state, regional, and national levels.
• Lead the full lifecycle of grant development, including:
  • Prospect identification and cultivation
  • Proposal writing and submission
  • Budget development in collaboration with finance and program leadership
  • Compliance, monitoring, and reporting
  • Relationship management with funders
• Build and maintain a multi-year grant pipeline that supports both operating and programmatic funding.
• Ensure all grant requirements, timelines, and reporting obligations are met with accuracy and professionalism.

Fundraising & Philanthropy

• Design and implement a diversified fundraising strategy that includes:
  • Institutional giving
  • Individual donor acquisition and stewardship
  • Major and planned giving
  • Campaign-based and digital fundraising
• Build and grow a donor base that extends well beyond Wyoming, with particular emphasis on national and mission-aligned supporters.
• Cultivate and steward high-value donor relationships through personalized engagement, storytelling, and ongoing communication.
• Partner with executive leadership and board members to support donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Establish systems and processes for donor tracking, segmentation, engagement, and retention.

Storytelling, Communications, & Digital Engagement

• Serve as the primary architect of the organization's fundraising narrative, translating complex programs and outcomes into clear, compelling stories.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications resources (or lead directly, as appropriate) to:
  • Develop donor-facing content for websites, social media, email campaigns, and fundraising materials
  • Use social media strategically to support donor engagement, campaigns, and visibility
  • Elevate the organization's brand and impact story to national audiences
• Ensure messaging is consistent, authentic, and aligned with organizational values and outcomes.

Strategy, Systems, & Leadership

• Build scalable fundraising and grants infrastructure, including tools, processes, calendars, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to fundraising growth, donor retention, grant success rates, and ROI.
• Provide regular reports and insights to the CEO and the board regarding fundraising performance and opportunities.
• Work cross-functionally with program, clinicians, finance, and operations team members to align funding strategies with real-world impact and capacity.
• Stay current on philanthropic trends, funding landscapes, and best practices in nonprofit development.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Connection to and deep passion for Wyoming
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., nonprofit management, communications, finance, public administration, business, or related discipline)
• 3+ years of progressive experience in grants management, fundraising, or nonprofit development, with demonstrated growth in revenue.
• Proven success securing grants and/or philanthropic funding at the five- and six-figure level.
• Experience managing the full grant lifecycle, including compliance and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and steward long-term donor and institutional relationships.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences and platforms.
• Working knowledge of digital fundraising and social media as tools for donor engagement and growth.
• High level of organization, accountability, and attention to detail.

Preferred

• Experience building or significantly expanding a fundraising function or program
• Familiarity with planned giving strategies and major gift cultivation
• Experience working with boards or senior leadership on fundraising initiatives
• Comfort operating in a growth-oriented, entrepreneurial nonprofit environment
• Experience expanding fundraising beyond a local or regional donor base

Success in This Role Looks Like

• A clearly articulated and operationalized fundraising and grants strategy.
• A strong, multi-year pipeline of grants and philanthropic prospects.
• Meaningful expansion of the organization's donor base within and beyond Wyoming
• Consistent, high-quality grant submissions and funder relationships.
• Significant, sustained growth in annual contributed revenue.

Fundraising that is integrated, credible, and essential to organizational