Vice President, Chapter Development & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Greater Washington D.C. Area

Job Title: Vice President, Chapter Development & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Department: Development

Location: Hybrid within Washington D.C. Metro area

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Direct Reports: No

Classification: Exempt

Position type: Full-Time Employee

Anticipated Pay Range at Commencement of Employment: $128,000 - $177,000 per year

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 450,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families.

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility

Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done

Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

General Description

The Vice President, Chapter Development & Peer-to-Peer Fundraising serves as a national fundraising subject matter expert and strategic consultant to Blue Star Families’ chapter network. This role develops scalable peer-to-peer and grassroots fundraising programs, identifies network-wide fundraising opportunities, and equips chapters with specialized expertise, coaching, tools, and resources to grow contributed revenue. The role partners with Chapter Impact leadership to support collective network goals while individual chapter fundraising strategies, execution, and Executive Director accountability remain with Chapter Impact

Chapter revenue goals are established by chapters executive leadership in partnership with Finance. The Vice President advises on collective network revenue strategy and goals, contributes national fundraising expertise, and is accountable for the effectiveness of Development-led peer-to-peer programs and support provided to chapters.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Vice President leads the Development team’s dedicated chapter fundraising support function, including the Senior Director, Chapter Support. The Vice President works as a consultant and collaborative partner to Chapter Impact leadership and Chapter Executive Directors, connecting chapters with national campaigns, fundraising best practices, and scalable peer-to-peer opportunities.

We rely on regular in-person gatherings to fulfill core business functions, including strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and culture-building. This role requires the ability to travel overnight several times per year to visit chapters and attend team offsites, leadership sessions, fundraising events, and company-wide events. Attendance and participation in these gatherings is a non-negotiable component of the position.

Key Job Functions

Chapter Fundraising Strategy & Consulting Support

Serve as a fundraising subject matter expert and strategic consultant to the chapter network, identifying scalable approaches and opportunities to strengthen collective revenue performance.

Partner with executive leadership, Finance, and Chapter Impact to recommend collective network revenue goals, fundraising opportunities, and benchmarks; advise chapters on approaches they can adapt to their local markets.

Review chapter fundraising plans when requested and provide expert recommendations on individual giving, events, sponsorships, peer-to-peer campaigns, and alignment with national opportunities; chapter plan approval remains with Chapter Impact leadership.

Identify national and scalable revenue opportunities, including peer-to-peer, grassroots giving, campaigns, and shared fundraising resources, and help chapters assess local applicability

Peer-to-Peer & Grassroots Fundraising

Design and grow peer-to-peer fundraising programs (e.g., team and individual fundraising campaigns, DIY fundraising, ambassador programs) to diversify and expand BSF's donor base.

Grow BSF's endurance fundraising, building on the New York City Marathon charity program and cultivating the multi-year relationships needed to earn charity partnerships with other World Marathon Majors and comparable races.

Partner with Marketing to build compelling peer-to-peer campaign assets, digital fundraising pages, and participant communications.

Develop toolkits, training and playbooks that equip volunteers, ambassadors and chapter leaders to fundraise effectively.

Design a supporter-fundraising model that engages everyday Americans who care about military families, not only BSF members, as peer-to-peer fundraisers.

Set and track participant recruitment, fundraising, and retention goals across peer-to-peer campaigns.

Create a visible scoreboard and recognition program that celebrates top fundraisers and teams and fuels healthy competition.

Launch, test, and iterate on new peer-to-peer concepts quickly, scaling winning approaches and retiring those that underperform.

Convert peer-to-peer donors and participants into ongoing supporters through targeted direct marketing follow-up.

Team Leadership & Performance Management

Supervise the Senior Director, Chapter Support, providing leadership, coaching, and regular, candid feedback.

Build and scale the Development team’s chapter consulting, peer-to-peer, and fundraising support capabilities as the network grows, including future staffing and resource needs.

Provide input on fundraising performance to Chapters Department leadership for Chapter Executive Directors and chapter development staff.

National Integration & Donor Strategy

Direct chapter participation in national initiatives, including mass-market campaigns, capital campaign efforts, BSF250/America250, and major donor strategies.

Develop referral pathways and guidance that help chapters connect interested local donors with national major and planned giving opportunities, in coordination with chapter relationship owners.

Ensure a consistent, coordinated donor experience between chapters and the National Office, including managing which donors are worked locally and which nationally.

Support cultivation and solicitation of significant local and regional donors, contributing specialized expertise and national Development relationships.

Standards, Systems & Reporting

Develop fundraising best practices, training, and recommend standards to chapter leadership on fundraising and donor stewardship; coordinate with Development Operations on organization-wide gift acceptance and reporting policies.

Partner with Development Operations to ensure chapter fundraising activity is tracked accurately and integrated into national systems.

Partner with Chapter Impact and Development Operations to provide network-wide fundraising insights, peer-to-peer campaign dashboards, and useful revenue reporting tools without creating a separate chapter performance-management process.

Report to the Chief Development Officer and relevant executive stakeholders on Development-led peer-to-peer results, network-wide fundraising opportunities, and the effectiveness of chapter consulting support, coordinating chapter performance reporting with Chapter Impact.

Cross-Functional Partnership

Partner with Chapter Impact and Programs to offer peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities that chapters can integrate into local member, volunteer, and community engagement plans

Serve as a strategic consultant to Chapter Impact leadership, aligning Development support with chapter health, local priorities, leadership capacity, and collective revenue goals.

Collaborate with Chapter Impact leadership to recommend network-wide fundraising expectations and provide coaching and resources that support Executive Directors and Chapter Advisory Boards in meeting their locally owned goals

Advise and equip Chapter Executive Directors and Chapter Advisory Boards on fundraising best practices, peer-to-peer activation, and donor engagement; Chapter Impact retains authority for their priorities, performance, and accountability.

Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to develop reusable fundraising messaging, peer-to-peer campaign assets, and donor materials for chapter adaptation.

Collaborate with Executive Vice President, Chapter Impact to scale high-performing chapter fundraising models across the network.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience, Skills, Background

8+ years of progressive nonprofit development experience, including experience with chapter-based, peer-to-peer, or affiliate fundraising models.

5+ years of experience managing staff or leading a team.

A proven track record of meeting or exceeding ambitious revenue and participation goals, with specific, measurable wins you can speak to.

Drive to meet aggressive goals, resilience in the face of setbacks, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

A proven ability to motivate, hold accountable, and bring out the best in staff and volunteers alike.

Comfort operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability, and the ability to give and receive candid feedback.

Experience developing training, toolkits, or resources to support a distributed or volunteer fundraising network.

Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.

Ability to travel to chapters and organizational gatherings several times per year, including overnight travel.

Occasional evening and weekend work around events and campaign deadlines.

Desired Experience, Skills & Background

Experience leading chapter-based or affiliate fundraising in a national nonprofit.

Experience aligning local fundraising with national campaigns, capital campaigns, or major and planned giving programs.

Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems in a multi-entity environment.

Background working with military-connected, veteran, or family-focused organizations.

Experience building or scaling a field fundraising team.

Experience in a high-growth, performance-driven culture (nonprofit or private sector).

More About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.

Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.

Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

EEO Policy

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Why Blue Star Families?

Mission-driven work supporting military service members and their families

Flexible work options (remote, or hybrid depending on the role)

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan with employer match

Flexible Spending Accounts, life insurance, and disability insurance

Communications allowance

Professional development and career growth opportunities

PCS leave for Active Duty military spouses