Development Director - Part Time

Location: Norwalk, CT (local or nearby strongly preferred) Fully remote with local travel and meetings Part time, approximately 20 hours per week Salary: $35,000 to $40,000 per year About Nancy on Norwalk Nancy on Norwalk (NoN) informs and engages Norwalkers with watchdog journalism and a digital town square. Founded in 2012 by Mark and Nancy Chapman, NoN is the city's only dedicated, independent source of local news on city government, education, and land use. The organization is at an inflection point. As Norwalk’s trusted editorial voice, NoN has a loyal daily readership, an engaged newsletter list of roughly 2,500 subscribers, and 20,000-plus monthly website visitors. A new multi-year foundation grant now anchors its budget, and to support this period of growth, NoN is seeking a dedicated development professional to build and run the fundraising and stewardship systems that will carry it to sustainability. The Opportunity You will be NoN's first development hire, owning day-to-day fundraising and donor-facing communication and executing an established three-year fundraising plan with realistic, board-approved targets. Success in Year 1 means raising funds beyond our anchor grant across individual giving, major gifts, sponsorships, grants, and events. The board is stepping back from operational fundraising into commitments of high-leverage support (introductions, hosting small gatherings, top-donor calls). The board understands the importance of their role in fundraising, and in partnership, you will be the person who makes the system run. This role reports to the Board Development Committee Chair and works closely with the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

• Individual giving (about 25%). Run a 12-month donor outreach calendar (one touch every month, alternating asks and updates) using Mailchimp; segment the donor list; grow monthly sustainers.
• Major gifts and stewardship (about 20%). Build and work a prospect list to secure 3 to 5 major gifts each year, including donor-advised fund and stock giving conversations. Build relationships with funders and partners. Execute donor thank you protocol.
• NewsMatch (about 15%, seasonal). Own the annual NewsMatch campaign end to end: the four-month messaging arc (October leadup through January thank-yous), goal setting, progress tracking, and reporting.
• Sponsorships (about 10%). Sell and manage a defined sponsorship inventory (newsletter, podcast, and beat sponsorships over time). Display ad operations are separate and not part of this role.
• Grants (about 15%). Support the anchor foundation relationship and its annual reporting; submit at least 5 grant applications per year from an existing target list; maintain the Candid profile.
• Fundraising communications and marketing (woven throughout). Keep fundraising materials in NoN's brand voice, support the donate page improvements, and help tell NoN's story to donors, sponsors, and the community. NoN's marketing needs are broad, and this role carries more marketing weight than a traditional development job.
• Events and membership (about 5%). Coordinate a small portfolio of low-overhead events (board-hosted gatherings, etc.) and build a membership program over the course of three years.
• Board partnership (about 5%). Coordinate the board's bounded fundraising tasks and report progress against the plan's benchmarks.

Who You Are

• Experienced fundraising and development generalist, ideally with marketing expertise
• Interested in news, journalism, and civic engagement
• Proficient in Mailchimp or similar communications tool and skilled with donor databases (NoN uses Little Green Light)
• A strong writer who can move between appeal emails, sponsor pitches, and grant narratives
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed; comfortable being a one-person shop with board support
• Not afraid to ask: for a gift, an introduction, or help
• Willing to learn new things as the organization grows
• Local to Norwalk or very close by, and ideally connected to (or eager to get connected to) the Norwalk community

What We Offer

• A flexible schedule: roughly four hours a day, arranged around your life
• Paid time off
• Professional development through NoN's memberships in the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) and LION Publishers, including training, peer networks, and conference opportunities
• Room to grow: the role has the potential to become full-time as funding grows

Compensation and Schedule $35,000 to $40,000 per year, commensurate with experience, for approximately 20 hours per week (roughly four hours a day, with a flexible schedule). Work is a mix of remote and in-person in Norwalk. Over time, the role has the potential to grow into full-time work if enough funding is secured. Employment classification is flexible: we are open to consultant applications.

How to Apply

Apply through Idealist or send a resume, a brief cover letter, and one fundraising writing sample (an appeal email, grant excerpt, or similar) to [email protected] with "Development Director" in the subject line. Review of applications begins in August and continues until the position is filled. Nancy on Norwalk (Chapman Hyperlocal Media, Inc.) is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't meet every qualification listed.