Development Manager

Purpose of the position:

It is an exciting time for Community-Word Project. We seek a Development Manager to oversee our comprehensive fundraising activities. CWP is in a healthy financial position with a staff of nine F/T and 46 part time employees and an operating budget of $1.6 million. Our goal at this time is to strengthen our development infrastructure, increase our visibility, and build new partnerships to expand our revenue to $1.8 million by the end of our fiscal year 2021. CWP seeks an entrepreneurial fundraiser and project manager to help lead this effort. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Development Manager will focus on raising funds through individual gifts, corporate sponsorships, special events, foundations, and government grants. The Development Manager will assist with the production, event marketing, and fundraising for the annual gala and will oversee donor cultivation events.  

Fundraising expectations:

The position provides an opportunity for a development professional with a passion for engaging stakeholders at all levels in transformative work that is impacting children and youth everyday. The Development Manager would be joining a small, hardworking and committed team and play an instrumental role in taking the organization into the future. 

The Development Manager will oversee all areas of fundraising. However, CWP is particularly focused on growing our grants and corporate program. We seek a Development Manager who can develop and implement innovative strategies to engage program officers and corporate executives to partner in our work. The Development Manager must be able to conduct research, write solid proposals, cultivate relationships, and create opportunities for potential funding. We aim to grow our grants program by 32% and our corporate program by 35% by the end of FY21. Additionally, our annual benefit is an opportunity to expand our financial base. The Development Manager should be an excellent project manager and enthusiastic about raising money through individuals and corporate sponsorships to ensure a successful event. The ability to work well with key staff, the Board of Directors, and our Benefit Committee is essential in this role.  

Development Manager duties and responsibilities:

• Play a leadership role in building an institutional giving and corporate program.  
• Research foundation, corporate, and government funding opportunities and recommend prospects with the greatest potential and propose cultivation strategies including developing relationships with individuals and program officers.
• Write grant proposals not assigned to the grant writer consultant and take the lead to prepare materials for submission.
• Supervise the part time grants writer consultant (10 hours/week) who will bring additional resources to building the grants program. Ensure the grants writer is researching grant opportunities, writing and submitting LOI’s, proposals and reports.
• Work closely with the grants writer consultant to maintain the tracking system for grant proposal and report submission dates.
• Supervise the full time development assistant who will maintain records and reporting in the
• Salesforce database, generate thank you letters to donors and funders, conduct research, and provide administrative support to all areas of fundraising. 
• Coordinate with program and finance teams on various documents and budgets to ensure grant deliverables to foundations. 
• Recruit volunteers from corporations and develop events for impactful employee engagement opportunities as a means to pursue new corporate partners.
• Oversee the production of Annual Benefit  (e.g., developing marketing materials, recruiting potential corporate sponsors, working with event vendors, engaging the Host Committee and other stakeholders around fundraising, etc.).
• Manage a donor development program to build CWP’s donor base at all giving levels through special appeals, monthly giving, cultivation events and major gifts.
• Work with the Executive Director to produce consistent communication to donors and create opportunities to engage donors in programs and volunteering. 
• Oversee peer-to-peer fundraising initiatives and work with the team to build an audience through all social media platforms.
• Manage and track all strategies and activities for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship using Salesforce.
• Update office systems to support all development projects and operations. 
• Monitor and report regularly to the Executive Director and the Board on the progress of the development program.

Qualifications:

• At least four years of professional experience in fundraising preferred;
• Passion for writing and strong facility as a writer;
• Comfort and facility engaging with donors and representing an organization externally;
• Excellent project management skills and facility for motivating and helping to guide cross-departmental teams;
• Willingness and ability to manage tasks independently, supported by weekly meetings with Executive Director;
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills;
• Critical thinker, analytical, and detail oriented;
• Creative, bold, and ambitious;   
• Strong proficiency in MSOffice Suite, including comfort designing PowerPoint presentations and with Google Docs, sheets, slides
• Prior database experience (ideally with Salesforce); and
• Graphic design experience is a bonus, but not required.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to make an impact in the lives of under-served young people in New York City. The candidate would join a passionate and creative team that is dedicated to the work and to the young people we serve.  

Compensation:

Community-Word Project offers a salary of $70,000 - $80,000 plus full benefits that include 3-weeks paid vacation, health and dental insurance.

Community-Word Project values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

To Apply:

All applications must include a resume, cover letter, and professional references (please include contact details and how long you have known the individual). 

All applicants must include two writing samples, e.g. letter of intent, proposal, funder report.

Please send application materials to Maria Bautista at: mbautista@communitywordproject.org

Rolling interviews begin November 11th, 2019. Start date is January 6, 2020.