The Organization

Girl Rising began with a story. In 2010, we set out to make a film to change the way the world valued and invested in girls and girls’ education. It followed nine girls from nine different countries, all of them fighting for the right to learn and grow. The film moved audiences, sparked funding, and catalyzed locally-led change. We've spent the years since turning that momentum into a global movement and deepening engagement in communities around the globe.

Today, as a global nonprofit, we are working to change what is possible for girls. We partner with local organizations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to help girls learn, lead, and thrive — and we work just as hard engaging the people around them, because a girl's future is shaped as much by teachers, parents, and school leaders as it is by her own ambition. In 2025, we merged with She's the First, another powerhouse in girls' rights and wellbeing, giving us a bigger team, a wider reach, and deeper impact (including a suite of programs that are directly serving and connecting girl leaders across cultures, including in the United States).

This year, our work will reach more than 100,000 young people through direct programming and another 5 million through digital resources across three main pillars: In Schools, In Communities, and Directly With Girls. Our programs are built on the belief that lasting change means supporting girls to grow in confidence and skills and shifting the systems around them.

The Position

The Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications will serve as a senior leader for Girl Rising, helping define the organization's narrative while building the fundraising strategy, relationships, and communications engine needed to drive results and meet defined fundraising and communication goals for its next stage of impact. This role brings together strategic communications, major donor and institutional fundraising, storytelling, and team leadership in service of a global, girl-centered mission. The VP will set and lead Girl Rising's integrated communications and development strategy and execution, ensuring fundraising, storytelling, campaigns, donor engagement, and external positioning reinforce one another and are impactful and effective.

Girl Rising enters this chapter with significant strengths: a recognizable brand built over 16 years, a powerful film and storytelling legacy, trusted relationships with donors and corporate partners, strong development and communications teams, and a strategic merger with She's the First that expands the organization's reach and donor audience. This VP will inherit a high-functioning, dedicated team, strong infrastructure, and a clear brand identity.

This is also a moment of important transition and opportunity. The organization needs a senior leader who can translate complexity into a compelling case for support, build reliable multi-year funding, reduce key-person and single-funder dependency, and ensure communications and development work together as one integrated strategy.

Success in this role will require someone who can pair high-level strategic thinking with hands-on execution: someone who understands and has demonstrated the ability to drive results and meet defined fundraising and communication goals through major donor cultivation, institutional and corporate partnerships, communications campaigns, dynamic storytelling, donor reports, events, Salesforce or similar CRM systems, and the operational details that build trust over time. You will work closely with co-CEOs, program leaders, the development and communications staff, board members, and external creative partners to shape how Girl Rising is understood, supported, and positioned for long-term growth.

Role Overview

Philanthropy

• Develop and implement a cohesive, multi-year development approach that brings in new donors, connecting donor engagement, institutional funding, corporate partnerships, and global fundraising opportunities to the organization’s strategic direction and evolving program priorities.
• Lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy that grows and diversifies revenue through major donors, foundations, corporate partners, and institutional funders.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward new major donor and institutional relationships, including six-figure and multi-year commitments.
• Strengthen donor engagement and stewardship practices to build long-term relationships, increase retention, and expand philanthropic support.
• Identify and pursue new fundraising opportunities, translating strategy into execution and measurable results.
• Take an entrepreneurial approach to fundraising, identifying and prioritizing the best opportunities for revenue generation and maximizing their potential.
• Move from ideation to implementation by taking ownership of development initiatives, executing strategies independently, and demonstrating follow-through on organizational priorities.

Communications

• Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy that strengthens Girl Rising's brand, advances its post-merger narrative, elevates thought leadership, and engages key audiences through compelling storytelling.
• Develop a distinct brand voice for Girl Rising that is recognizable, human, and warm in an age of AI-generated content.
• Translate complex program information into clear, persuasive narratives, proposals, donor reports, campaign messages, and public-facing communications that communicate vision, evidence, and long-term impact.

Organizational and Team Leadership

• Serve as a visible ambassador for Girl Rising, building external relationships that expand awareness, engagement, and philanthropic investment.
• Lead the development and communications global teams (across time zones, including CST, EAT, IST) by setting departmental goals, providing strategic direction, coaching and developing staff, and managing priorities.
• Coordinate donor and communications engagement across internal stakeholders, including determining when leadership, program experts, or board members should be involved.

Additional Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in communications/advocacy and development, within mission-driven, nonprofit, social impact, advocacy, education, gender equity, or international development contexts.
• International fundraising experience and demonstrated relationships in the sector. Ideal candidate would also have relationships in one of Girl Rising's key operating geographies, such as India, Kenya, or another international development context.
• Comfort working across multiple time zones and international contexts, with flexibility and cultural understanding to coordinate with colleagues and partners in different countries. *Morning flexibility in Eastern Time Zone is essential as this role manages colleagues in India and Kenya. Key meetings will be needed on some early mornings.
• Demonstrated success with large-scale communications campaigns, major storytelling initiatives, film or media projects, public engagement efforts, or other high-visibility campaigns with meaningful results.
• Development experience spanning at least some combination of institutional funding, corporate partnerships, major gifts, individual donor relationships, grant writing, and fundraising strategy.
• Experience managing or leading creative partners, consultants, agencies, or cross-functional project teams.
• Ability to thrive in a lean, global mission-driven organization that values humility, curiosity, responsiveness, flexibility, cultural awareness, and respect for colleagues across functions and geographies.
• Confident, galvanizing energy that is felt across the team.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or a similar CRM system, including the ability to use the system, interpret pipelines, projections, relationship data, and donor activity.

Work Environment

Girl Rising operates as a fully remote organization with staff in India, Kenya, Guatemala, the US, Canada, Ecuador, Peru, and the Netherlands. This role will work remotely from the US, ideally in New York City, Boston, or Washington, DC metro areas. Some domestic and international travel will be necessary for donor cultivation and to visit program sites.

In a recent staff survey, Girl Rising staff used the following words to describe what they thought the team’s superpowers are: adaptability and resilience, passionate, dedicated, diverse, mission-drive, committed to learning & improvement, resourceful, and creative. The merger with She’s the First this year has meant rapid team growth in the last 6 months, and we continue to build the systems and roles needed for this next stage.

Our Values

MISSION FIRST: We work with and for girls, always.

We prioritize girls in every challenge, opportunity, and decision we face. We thoughtfully shift power to girls and our community partners by amplifying their voices, listening to their needs, and stewarding our resources to maximize meaningful impact in their lives.

Courageous Honesty - Even when it’s uncomfortable, we name challenges early and welcome diverse perspectives. We face tough issues together, learn from them, and forge ahead as one team.

Creative Collaboration - We collaborate boldly to expand what’s possible for girls. We co-create with girls, families, communities, and partners across sectors to try new creative approaches — and share power to achieve better outcomes.

Continuous Learning - We measure our work, learn from experience, and adapt based on what girls and communities tell us. We hold ourselves accountable for delivering programs that are relevant, effective, and responsive to the lived experiences of those we serve.

Equity & Inclusion - We recognize that people’s experiences and backgrounds can create unequal opportunities, and we take deliberate steps to address and dismantle these barriers. We listen to every voice, ensure it is valued, and foster governance and team practices that are fair, transparent, and enable everyone to thrive. 

Salary

$170,000 - $190,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

PTO

• 21 paid vacation days per year.
• After 2 consecutive years of employment, 25 paid vacation days per year.
• After 5 consecutive years of employment, 30 paid vacation days per year.
• 6 paid sick days per year
• 11 Holidays
• The office is typically closed during the last two weeks of the year
• Birthday off

Insurance

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with 100% employer-paid coverage for employees, depending on the plan selected.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.

Timeline and Next Steps

If you are interested in this position, please click here to submit a resume and cover letter. The cover letter should include at least 3 reasons you will excel in the role as well as one area of uncertainty about your fit for the role. All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.

We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by mid-September.