Director of Fundraising and Development (2025-2026 SY)

Location: Nashville, TN

Employment Type: Full-time, in-person, 12-month position

Salary: Range is between $81,840-$94,160 and placement is based on years of comparable professional experience

Why Valor? Valor Collegiate Academies, based in Nashville, Tennessee, stands out for its unique blend of academic excellence and holistic student development. Our network comprises three high performing schools, a trailblazing Innovation team and a nationwide Impact team.  Valor is consistently ranked among the top 5% of schools in Tennessee for both achievement and growth. Our students outperform statewide averages, with ACT scores in the 99th percentile for open-enrollment schools. Our three schools have received A+ ratings from the Tennessee Department of Education, excelling in academics, growth, and college readiness. Our "Compass" model is central to our mission, emphasizing comprehensive human development alongside rigorous academics. This approach nurtures relationships and identity-building, preparing students for both academic success and personal growth. Valor fosters a community intentionally diverse by income and race, and this inclusive environment enriches student learning and ensures opportunities across demographics. About the Role: As one of the premiere education organizations in the country, Valor is seeking a dynamic Director of Fundraising & Development to lead our fundraising and revenue strategy as we work to transform what it means to educate children in America. The ideal candidate will bring proven experience in raising funds, coupled with a strategic, partnership-oriented approach, working side-by-side with Senior Management to craft a compelling narrative for our work that inspires donors and attracts supporters to our organization. Core Responsibilities:

Funder Relationships

• Meeting Prep: 

• Support Valor’s CEO, Managing Directors or Board members to be successful champions of Valor’s work through strategic and intentional meeting prep — crafting meeting agendas, details and pointed talking points, and suggesting targeted follow ups and next steps 
• Maintain detailed record of funding meetings to ensure overall engagement strategy is efficient, aligned to funder interests, and moves the relationship forward 

• Donor Cultivation and Stewardship:

• Develop and cultivate relationships with both individual and institutional donors 
• Support Valor’s CEO and Managing Directors to develop, cultivate, and steward relationships with high leverage donors
• Proactively engage current and potential donors in Valor’s work through regular check-ins, site visits, events, etc. 
• Manage and support the CEO and Managing Director’s funder relationships — draft notes, send reminders, and keep track of follow ups and tasks related to funding opportunities

• Funder Communications: 

• Develop a communications strategy that engages funders on a regular cadence, sharing updates from the work, stories from students, learnings and insights, and more 

• Board Engagement:

• Proactively and regularly engage Valor’s Board of Directors in fundraising efforts by helping them mine their network, identify potential connections, and cultivate and steward donors

 Prospect Research:

• Conduct targeted research to identify new potential funders that align to Valor’s overall mission (organization wide and impact team missions) 
• Find network connections to prospective funders, leveraging Valor’s staff and board relationships to ensure warm outreach as much as possible
• Draft outreach for Valor’s CEO and Managing Directors to share with prospects
• Create a simple contact relationship manager (CRM) system 
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date CRM that the broader team can access and interact with

 Grant Writing & Report Management:

• Research potential grant opportunities, such as RFPs and open applications
• Develop and submit proposals for funding aligned with Valor’s strategic priorities 
• Keep accurate and up-to-date records of all grant proposals submitted and received
• Project manage all reporting requirements to ensure accurately and timely submission of reports 

 Revenue Strategy Integration:

• Coordinate and collaborate with Valor staff as part of annual strategic planning process to ensure and align philanthropic goals with overall organizational revenue strategy

 Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead, manage, and support the core members of the team that support development (CEO, Managing Directors, members of the Board)
• Foster a collaborative and goal-oriented team environment