presents
Director of Development & Communications
visionSynergy
REMOTE
PURPOSE
ADVANCING COLLABORATION IN GLOBAL CHRISTIAN MISSION
visionSynergy exists for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We desire to see the global Church working together in unity to release the transforming power of the Gospel among all peoples. Our mission is to accelerate the Great Commission by developing and strengthening strategic ministry networks in high-priority areas of world mission.
The core of our work is providing leadership coaching and advisory services for numerous multi-organizational networks and partnerships of Christian mission organizations. We act as a catalyst, coach, and consultant – encouraging the leaders of these groups to accomplish together what they could never do alone as they seek to advance the Gospel in every part of the world where Christ is not yet known. In addition to our coaching and advisory services, we provide a variety of tools and training to equip leaders within the specific networks we serve as well as the broader Christian community. As a global advocate for collaboration, we encourage Christian leaders everywhere to adopt a partnership approach to ministry in their own contexts.
DISTINCTIVES
“Who knows whether you have not attained this position for such a time as this?“ Esther 4:13
Founded in 2003 by Phill Butler, a pioneer of field-based mission partnerships, visionSynergy plays a unique role in the worldwide Christian movement as one of the few mission service organizations specifically dedicated to advancing ministry collaboration. visionSynergy has earned a strong reputation as a trusted neutral broker - connecting people, strategies, and resources to empower effective collaboration.
visionSynergy has worked with mission leaders to launch, facilitate, and advise dozens of global, regional, and local mission networks which have collectively involved thousands of churches, ministries, and mission organizations focused on a wide variety of mission fields and initiatives. In recent years, we have shifted more of our efforts toward training and coaching Majority World leaders to form and facilitate new mission networks - especially at the local level - among the most unreached peoples and places of the world. Since our formation, visionSynergy has served as a primary advisor to dozens of international networks involving thousands of organizations.
In 2011, Kärin Butler Primuth became CEO of visionSynergy, succeeding her father and visionSynergy’s founder. Under Kärin’s leadership, visionSynergy has become a distributed organization of eight full-time and eight part-time team members currently located in four countries and five U.S. states. We are a collegial team with a wide range of skills and experiences and who have lived, worked, and traveled in numerous countries.
With an operating budget of around $1.5M, visionSynergy is supported by a generous group of financial investors who understand the strategic value and leveraged power of collaboration. The majority of our funding comes through major gifts from Christian foundations and high-capacity individual donors. visionSynergy is a healthy organization with strong supporters, a proven track record, and an engaged and energetic board of directors who provide oversight and strategic direction for the ministry.
PRIORITIES
The basis of our work is not just theory or theology. Over several decades, members of our team have formed, facilitated, or advised numerous multilateral and multinational networks and partnerships which have achieved major breakthroughs in their various areas of ministry. We know from experience that God’s people can actually work together in tangible ways to make real and lasting changes in the world.
Our priorities are focused on critical areas in world mission where ministry collaboration is essential to achieving real breakthroughs. These are areas where the situations are too complex, where the challenges are too big, and where the resources required are simply too great for any one organization.
We believe that Great Commission breakthroughs can only be achieved through greater collaboration. And this can only be facilitated by effective networks that empower genuine partnering efforts.
Effective networks depend on effective leaders, which is why our work is focused on coaching, training, equipping, and connecting ministry leaders with a vision for collaboration.
We accomplish this through three primary strategies:
PROGRAMS
visionSynergy is committed to equipping the leaders of the networks we serve – as well as the broader Christian community – through focused training, practical resources, and strategic consultations emphasizing the best practices of ministry collaboration. We want to help leaders get a firm grasp on the key principles and specific skill-sets for building collaborative initiatives that can have a significant impact on the world.
Our efforts are currently focused in five programmatic areas:
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. Romans 15:20
POSITION PROFILE
Director of Development & Communications
Reports to: CEO
Direct Reports: 1-3 people. Development Administrator, outsource contractors for creative production and administrative support.
Location: Remote (prefer U.S. / Pacific time zone)
Travel/Work Style:
BENEFITS
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Development & Communications is part of our core leadership team of four, working closely with the CEO, Board of Directors, and program staff to build, diversify, and increase funding from individuals, major donors, foundations, and other organizations with the goal of increasing flexible and sustainable funding for the organization. The Director of Development & Communications also creates and implements comprehensive communications strategies across a variety of channels to strengthen existing donor relationships, engage prospective donors, and expand the organization’s advocacy and program reach.
We are in a season of organizational growth which will require a robust financial development strategy that enables us to bring on new donors who will partner with us for long-term sustainability as we expand our ministry capacity in multiple countries. We are looking for a candidate who is comfortable working in a “startup” type of environment, someone who has a high tolerance for ambiguity with an equally strong desire to build systems and processes for continual improvement. We need someone who is comfortable building the ship as they sail it, someone who has the confidence and experience to manage along with the willingness and skill to roll up their sleeves as an individual producer. Ideally, we would like a candidate who enjoys the high growth phase of organization development and has experience taking a ministry organization from the $1M operating budget to the $2M-$5M level.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Fundraising (60%)
Communications (30%)
General (10%)
QUALIFICATIONS
Character and Working Style
Mission Background
Educational Background
Management Experience
Fundraising Skills and Experience
Communication Skills and Experience
Creative and Technical Skills
CONTACT
Ready to take the next step? To find out more, please visit
Does your passion, ability & context align?
Please contact Brooke Hodnefield