Director of Development

Overview

PowerLines is a national nonprofit organization that aims to modernize the utility regulatory system for American energy consumers to lower utility bills and grow the economy. It focuses on state public utilities commissions (PUCs), which play a critical role in determining how much people pay for utility bills, how utilities invest in different types of energy, and where new energy projects are built. These 200 commissioners oversee more than $200 billion in utility spending each year and have significant influence over the future of our energy system.

Utility affordability is quickly becoming one of the most pressing economic challenges facing American consumers. In 2025, utilities requested a record-setting $31 billion in rate increases, double the previous record, while 80 million Americans are struggling to pay their utility bills. Meanwhile, the U.S. grid is experiencing the fastest rise in electricity demand in decades with the growth of AI data centers and manufacturing. Policymakers across the political spectrum are increasingly focused on how regulatory systems can respond to these pressures while protecting consumers and supporting economic growth. 

Recognized on the 2025 “TIME100 Next” list, PowerLines is rapidly becoming a go-to source and leader in informing the national discussion of this issue and has already shaped the conversation in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Bloomberg, CBS News, NPR, Marketplace, Financial Times, TIME, Vox, The Daily Mail, and MIT Technology Review. PowerLines is quickly establishing credibility as a nonpartisan expert on utility regulatory and energy affordability issues while reaching a bipartisan set of policymakers, including initial partnerships with the National Governors Association and Western Governors Association.

PowerLines is in a period of significant organizational growth and seeks a full-time Director of Development, the first full-time fundraising professional at the organization, to build and lead a major donor fundraising program capable of scaling to more than $5-10 million in annual philanthropic support. This role will build the organization’s development strategy from the ground up and serve as a strategic partner to the Founder and Executive Director in expanding PowerLines’ philanthropic base. The Director of Development will lead strategy and execution for major philanthropic support, with a focus on major gifts, family foundations, family offices, donor advised funds (DAFs), and high-net-worth (HNW) individuals. This is a rare opportunity for an experienced fundraiser to shape the financial foundation of a rapidly growing organization working on one of the most important economic issues facing American households. This role will serve as a force multiplier that enables PowerLines to expand its programs, shape policy, and improve energy affordability for consumers.

PowerLines is headquartered in Washington, DC. The Director of Development is a remote position, with travel of up to 30% expected. The Development Director will work closely with and report directly to the Founder and Executive Director.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and Lead PowerLines’ Fundraising Strategy
• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy focused on family foundations, family offices, donor advised funds, and high-net-worth/ultra-high-net-worth individuals
• Collaborate with executive leadership to integrate fundraising goals with organizational planning and budgeting
• Maintain relationships with institutional funders for PowerLines
• Lead Generation and Prospect Cultivation
• Identify and research new potential donors with capacity and affinity to support PowerLines
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospective donors through thoughtful cultivation plans
• Research and vet new prospective donors that are identified through PowerLines’ participation in conferences and events
• Support Founder and Executive Director in funder meetings, pitches, and other fundraising opportunities, including development of briefing materials, as needed
• Convert PowerLines' policy and media wins into actionable fundraising opportunities
• Lead planning and execution of PowerLines dinners, small gatherings, and other events to support fundraising
• Attend conferences and events with the objective of meeting new prospective donors
• Donor Stewardship and Relationship Management
• Manage stewardship and renewal of existing foundation, family office, and individual donor support, ensuring timely and meaningful engagement
• Make direct asks for potential funder contributions
• Build authentic, long-term relationships with funders through regular communication, thank-you notes, follow-ups, events, and personalized outreach
• Oversee development-related communications including donor updates, briefings, memos, newsletters, and impact reports 
• Proposal and Pitch Development
• Lead development of grant proposals for family foundations, family offices, donor-advised funds, and high-net worth individuals in collaboration with Founder and Executive Director
• Oversee grant lifecycle after initial development, tracking reporting requirements, amendments, and renewals as needed
• Collaborate with other PowerLines team members to prepare compelling materials—presentations, concept papers, proposals, budgets, and reports—that reflect PowerLines’ mission and strategic priorities
• Development Infrastructure and Team Building
• Design and implement systems that can scale as the development team grows
• Support onboarding and mentoring of additional fundraising staff as hired
• Develop databases, CRM, and processes to ensure efficient and accurate tracking of donor relationship
• Maintain accurate records in PowerLines’ donor relationship system

Requirements

Role Requirements

The ideal candidate will be an experienced fundraising professional who thrives while collaborating with family foundations, family offices, donor advised funds (DAFs), and high-net-worth (HNW) individuals. The successful candidate will be both a strategist and a builder—someone excited to create a high-performing development function while working closely with leadership to grow PowerLines’ national impact. The ideal candidate will be comfortable partnering directly with a Founder and Executive Director to build out a fundraising function in an early-stage nonprofit organization and will have the flexibility to adapt fundraising strategy to align with emergent programmatic priorities. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8+ years of fundraising experience with a demonstrated record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts from family foundations, family offices, DAFs, and HNW individual donors. Experience fundraising within the energy, consumer advocacy, democracy, public policy, or other nonprofit spaces is a plus.
• Strong relationships with family foundations, family offices, DAFs, and HNW individual donors
• Experience managing significant donor portfolios
• Strong degree of comfort in making direct asks
• Proven skills in donor stewardship and cultivation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to connect the dots between PowerLines’ programmatic objectives and donor interests, motivations, and priorities
• Experience crafting compelling pitch decks, concept notes, and proposals for family foundations, family offices, DAFs, and HNW individual donors
• Strong emotional intelligence skills, including the ability to understand what motivates prospective donors
• Capacity to thrive in an early-stage, fast-paced, dynamic, and uncertain startup environment, including an ability to identify priorities, function independently, and operate with tight timelines
• A passion for advancing PowerLines’ mission of modernizing the utility regulatory system to lower utility bills and grow the economy through a consumer-centered lens

Why This Role is Unique

• Utility bills and energy affordability are quickly becoming a defining national economic and political issue. As the fastest drivers of inflation, utility bills are becoming one of the most important cost-of-living concerns facing American consumers.
• PowerLines has quickly established itself as a go-to national leader on the issue of utility bills and consumer advocacy. This role would be entering an organization with a strong initial foundation while having the opportunity to serve as an impact multiplier. 
• As the first dedicated fundraising leader at PowerLines, the Director of Development will have the opportunity to build a philanthropic program from the ground up while helping scale an organization influencing national policy and consumer outcomes. 
• PowerLines is an early-stage organization with a rapid growth trajectory. This role has the potential to shape the future trajectory of an early-stage, dynamic, and nimble organization at a pivotal time.

Benefits

• The expected salary range for this role is $150,000-$225,000. Compensation may be based on skills, qualifications, experience, location, and other factors. 
• The benefits package includes unlimited PTO, paid holidays, health insurance, a 401k employer match, sick leave, and health and wellness benefits.