The Manager, Development will provide critical support for the regional development team, enabling Alabama to move more efficiently and effectively toward reaching an ambitious revenue goal of about $2.5 million annually. The Development Manager will report directly to the Director, Development and collaborate with the Executive Director. The primary responsibilities include:
- Ensuring all data is accurate, so that the team can use it to inform strategy and track progress to goal;
- Conducting research and data analysis on individual, corporate and foundation donors and prospects to expand our base of support;
- Creating and maintaining efficient systems to manage all development processes enabling the team to effectively manage donor relationships and activities;
- Creating excellent written communications that keep constituents informed and inspired about our work;
- Writing compelling grants based on constituents’ motivations and the Development Team’s long-term strategies with that donor;
- Ensuring strong and compliant AmeriCorps and Alabama State Department of Education Grant management and timely drawdowns.
To be successful, the Development Manager must be able to organize, prioritize and track a large volume of projects and tasks; possess exceptional attention to detail and a high bar for quality; be a critical thinker who displays sound judgment in prioritizing actions based on outcomes; and be a very strong written and verbal communicator. The Development Manager is a critical member of the team, constantly seeking opportunities to enhance and optimize the sophistication and efficiency of team operations.
Administrative Tasks – 30%
- Tracking information/relationships with Teach For America’s constituent relationship management system
- Assisting in managing development event logistics and preparation
- Preparing tailored meeting briefs and materials based on research and analysis
- Conduct in-depth data analysis to inform actions and strategic plans with a focus on retaining current supporters at a high level and increasing both the size of the donor base and the average contribution level
- Maintaining a comprehensive fundraising database and files that include accurate donor information (background research, biography, etc.)
- Efficiently tracking all communications, actions, events, and fundraising commitments for each donor
- Track, collect, and process donations for all funding streams
- Execute timely gift acknowledgement letters, invoices, and pledge confirmations and creatively strengthen donor acknowledgement processes
- Assuming a proactive role in increasing the efficiency and organization of the development team
Donor Stewardship and Cultivation Experiences – 30%
- Draft compelling development communications in the form of, but not limited to, proposals, grant applications, development reports, press releases, event packets, and donor correspondence
- Conducting research on new and existing donors to identify motivations and barriers to contributing to our organization and potential levers to deepen their connection to and support of our work
- Conducting research to identify potential donors to add to region’s prospect list specifically looking for evidence of whether a prospect is mission-aligned, has capacity to contribute and whether there are existing connections we can leverage to get in front of the prospect
- Create and maintain systems to track donor engagement
- Maintain excellent and up-to-date records of donor engagement
- Partner with development team members to plan and execute development events
- Manage up to the Director of Development and Executive Director to ensure stewardship and cultivation actions are taken
- Collect and compile inspiring stories regarding Teach For America’s impact for use on social media, in meetings, in grants, in newsletters, etc.
Project Management – 30%
- Develop and execute a scope and sequence of donor communication that aligns to the Executive Director’s stewardship vision and the standards for messaging (i.e. newsletters, social media, thank you notes, etc.)
- Manage corps member engagement in the Sponsor A Teacher campaign – designing a continuum of CM/donor touch points throughout the year and managing corps members to engage regularly with sponsors through written and face-to-face opportunities
- Manage corps member and alumni committees to execute successful giving campaigns, driving towards ambitious revenue and engagement goals
- Prepare proposals and reports for lobbyists and state legislators
- Manage all reporting, compliance, application preparation, and in-region systems management related to retaining our AmeriCorps grant
- Manage the grants calendar to ensure grant applications and reports are submitted on time with ample time for review by the grant approver (either Development Director or Executive Director)
- Create and manage up to execute Annual Report that is distributed to all external partners each year
- Manage up to Head of Development and Executive Director to ensure strategies are implemented, actions are taken, and portfolio progress is made
Regional Teamwork – 10%
- Participate in regional initiatives including, but not limited to corps member selection, member matriculation, and quarterly staff retreats
- Help plan and participate in all-region meetings and events throughout the course of the year
- Interface with other Teach For America teams that contribute to our broader regional and national efforts
- Minimum of 3-5 years work experience strongly preferred
Work Demands
- Willing and able to work some evenings or weekends if that furthers team or regional goals.
- Willing and able to travel 3-6 times per year for professional development purposes.
- Willing and able to travel regularly by car across Alabama for work purposes
Skills
- Highly organized with proven time management skills and experience creating efficient systems to juggle multiple projects simultaneously
- Possesses a spirit of flexibility, a positive outlook and a strong customer service ethic
- Critical thinker who displays good judgment in prioritizing problems to resolve and opportunities to pursue
- Strong written and interpersonal communication skills
- Exceptional personal responsibility for meeting goals and a track record of success
- Skill and interest in using logistics, operations, and written communication to fuel development efforts
- Strong ability to write and speak compellingly about our movement and ability to tailor messaging for different audiences
- Skilled in analyzing and synthesizing data to develop meaningful and actionable strategies
- Motivated by meeting ambitious deadlines and exceptionally detail-oriented
- Excited by managing back-end operations and taking care of the details
- Motivated by getting results through others and able to prepare superiors and peers to execute toward outcomes
- Passionate about our mission with a deep belief in the importance of investing external people in our mission and work, and has high expectations for how Teach For America is viewed by external constituents