The Director of Development manages a portfolio of donors and drives the strategy for our individual giving program with annual goals of approximately $1 million. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, you will create and execute an operational plan to meet fundraising goals, develop strategies and cultivation plans for a portfolio of donors and prospects, and support the Executive Director to cultivate, solicit and steward donors. You are strategic and able to operationalize complex plans, committed to consistently learning and growing, compelling and inspiring in all communication. You are big-picture oriented but obsessive about the details, and laser-focused on achieving outcomes.
You will gain valuable exposure to all facets of nonprofit fundraising, including development operations, donor and prospect research, grant writing, and event planning. Given the implications and importance of this work, we are looking for someone who will proactively go above and beyond expectations to meet goals. The ideal candidate enjoys behind-the-scenes work, a fast-paced environment, has strong organizational skills, and is a savvy and proactive problem solver.
Donor Strategy and Planning (25%)
- Set strategy as the Head of Development in meeting and exceeding a fundraising goal of $1 million each fiscal year
- Develop and execute yearly cultivation/stewardship goals and plans for giving portfolio comprised of foundations, corporate, and individual givers
- Plan and execute ongoing cultivation plans with a series of touch points to cultivate potential individual donors and steward current supporters
- Oversee the execution of events and campaigns aligned with the portfolio, including the Double Our Impact campaign, the Sponsor-A-Teacher annual program, and the Alumni Giving campaign
- Manage grant writing processes for all major foundations and corporate gifts
Portfolio Management (50%)
- Build and manage a portfolio of 100+ donors, building a strategy to renew and upgrade our current base and bring in new supporters
- Support Executive Director in building excellent relationships with prospects and current donors in the portfolio, working to manage those relationships through layers
- Analyze the interests of donors and prospects to develop compelling pitches, engagement strategies and stewardship plans, using historical and market data to inform revenue goals and benchmarks
- Create high-quality meeting prep materials for the Executive Director to conduct meetings and school visits; occasionally conduct/support these meetings
- Draft and review compelling fundraising communications about Teach For America’s vision, priorities, and goals, including written appeals, renewal notices, reports, proposals, and event invitations
- Create tailored pitches based on deep understanding of our individual donors, including verbal presentations, PowerPoint decks and “one-pagers” focused on local impact and cultivations
- Coordinate an effective program for recognition, involvement and stewardship of individual donors
Development Operations (15%)
- Utilize Salesforce database to manage the pipeline and data integrity, and conduct prospect research
- Track fundraising progress to goal and maintain meticulous records of donor engagement
- Develop and maintain systems to communicate progress to goal and strategies
- Manage gift processing tracking and system
Regional Team Responsibilities (10%)
- Support, attend, and/or participate in regional team activities, including regular staff meetings and retreats, and regional pre-service (one week in June)
- Participate in team-wide initiatives and campaigns, such as interviewing and matriculating corps member prospects and outreach to our local alumni
- 2-3 years of experience in development
- Experience creating and managing systems
- Demonstrated results in vision-setting, strategy creation, and leading culture
- Strong/Exemplary experience creating and managing systems
- Strong evidence of building relationships (BRIO) and culturally competent leadership
- Managing or influencing others to achieve a vision that is aligned to goals and priorities
- Operating with urgency and sense of possibility to achieve ambitious, measurable results
- Analyzing data to draw accurate conclusions and to inform team management approach
- Making informed, timely decisions and using sound judgement to prioritize actions
- Tracking tasks, assessing progress, and following through on the execution of plans
- Developing and cultivating relationships and networks in order to achieve results
- Inspiring committed and positive action toward individual and organizational goals
- Exemplifying Teach For America’s core values
Work Demands
- Some weekend and evening work required
By joining staff, you join a network of individuals committed to pursuing equity for all students and developing themselves as professionals in the process. We as an organization value the longevity of our employees and offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits plan. The salary for this position is also competitive and depends on your prior work experience. Please be advised, you will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.