The development director will lead the Southwest Ohio’s campaign to raise $2 million annually across Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, which will allow us (1) to field a teaching corps of 50 high-impact first and second-year teachers each year, (2) grow the scale, strength, and impact of our local alumni movement, and (3) strengthen TFA Southwest Ohio’s role as a key partner and leader in the local movement to end educational inequity. The development director will work closely with the executive director to set a bold vision and develop a high-level strategy and will manage our part-time development associate to execute against that vision. The development director is a strategic thinker who excels at reading people and tailoring one’s approach accordingly. The development director knows how to get results individually and through others, defines broadly what is within one’s control and is exceptionally optimistic about what is possible. This person is committed to the local community and motivated by developing and mobilizing a network of supporters on behalf of the local education reform movement. This individual serves on the Regional Leadership Team and reports directly to the Executive Director.
Primary Responsibilities: (70%)
- Set the region’s development goals in partnership with the executive director through the winter and spring budgeting process, and develop strategies to achieve them
- Create a vision for the impact your local donor network can have in improving education for children in the communities we serve, based on analysis of the regional context
- Track and assess team-wide progress to goals and maintain strong operational systems for efficient and effective team execution; set strategy and “next moves” for all relevant donors and team members
- Develop pitches, fundraising campaigns and tactical plans to reach various donor segments
- Manage a portfolio of donors to increase donor renewal and upgrade rates by assessing motivations and barriers and leveraging key influencers to build a strong relationship between the donor and TFA
- Create exceptionally strong written materials for external audiences (e.g., outreach e-mails, thank you notes, grant applications, some PPT decks and collateral)
- Manage a full-time development associate and develop that person as a leader in the role and organization
- Serve as a member of the region’s leadership team to help set the direction and tone of our organization’s presence in our geographic region as a leader in education reform
Regional Leadership Team (20%)
- Align decisions, actions and priorities to the greater interests of Teach For America – Southwest Ohio
- Ensure strategic alignment and coordinated execution across functional groups to achieve organizational goals.
- Own and support broader regional and organizational priorities (i.e. help recruit, select, and retain new corps members, support regional alumni initiatives, attend major regional events)
- Serve as a leader for regional culture and collaboration, including personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness
- Model a strong commitment to the core values of Teach For America and professional learning and growth, including participation in national training and consulting opportunities.
- Engage in Regional Leadership Team meetings and other related structures
Other Team-Wide Commitments (10%)
- Participate in the selection and matriculation of the next year’s teaching corps
- Attend and support monthly Saturday All Corps Conferences (i.e., corps member professional development events)
- Participate in cross-functional team-wide initiatives that align with our regional priorities and strategies (e.g., staff meetings, diversity/equity/inclusiveness programming)
- Exceptional planning and project management skills, with a keen attention to detail
- Exceptional judgment, strong initiative, and a quick learner
- Ability to be flexible and take an optimistic approach to work with an orientation towards being proactive, solutions-focused and helpful
- Outstanding ability to motivate and influence others to achieve outcomes
- Poise, confidence, cultural competence and maturity interacting with key stakeholders, with the ability to build strong relationships internally and externally
- Highly efficient with the ability to manage a significant volume of diverse tasks, activities, and projects, including both tactical and strategic projects
- Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize large amounts of data and information
- Strong communication skills, including written communications
- Demonstrates deep commitment to Teach For America’s mission, core values, and our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness while acting as a cultural leader.
- Demonstrated ownership of personal learning and growth with evidence of strong receptiveness to and implementation of feedback.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Experience
- Prior professional experience in fundraising preferred by not required
- Experience as a Teach For America corps member preferred but not required
- Minimum of two years of professional experience
Work Demands
- Willingness to work some weekends and evenings.
- Ability to travel efficiently across the region and state
- Ability to travel to national conferences or trainings 2-5 times per year.