Reading Partners VISTA National Development Coordinator (2019-20)
Oakland, CA
Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers and AmeriCorps service members in under-resourced elementary schools. Our dedicated and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are the heart and soul of our organization, and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that works. Join our stellar team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Learn more about us at www.readingpartners.org.
AmeriCorps/VISTA engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program’s founding in 1994, over 1 million AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.4 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing more than 2.3 million volunteers for the organizations they serve.
The Role
The VISTA National Development Coordinator is a key player in achieving Reading Partners’ national development goals and building capacity for a network of development professionals across the organization. This is an exciting opportunity to learn the ins and outs of nonprofit fund development by identifying and developing best fundraising practices, supporting donor cultivation and stewardship, and researching potential funding opportunities. Reading Partners VISTA offers an amazing chance to give back through capacity-building roles – as a VISTA, you’ll receive benefits, a great place to serve, and the opportunity to springboard a glowing and growing career. Our top VISTA Development Coordinators are ambassadors for service, demonstrate a passion for relationship and systems development, and strongly believe in our vision and values.
What you’ll do & how you’ll do it:
Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management - Support the solicitation and stewardship of Reading Partners’ donors, based upon a continuously updated development calendar.
- The VISTA Development Coordinator supports the national development team’s outreach and stewardship of individual donors through key projects including donor prospect research, direct mail activities, and moves management support using Salesforce.This role works closely with leadership to ensure timely and appropriate donor communications and supports donor touchpoints and engagement efforts such as the annual appeal and monthly donor stewardship emails. This role will also support donor prospecting by assisting with WealthEngine screenings and donor data review.
Prospect Research and Grant Writing - Support grant writing and research efforts to identify new funding opportunities and management of existing funding relationships.
- The VISTA Development Coordinator will support corporate/foundation prospect research and grant writing efforts. By conducting research to identify new funding partners and assess alignment between Reading Partners and prospective funders, the VISTA Development Coordinator will add capacity to the organization’s fundraising efforts. This role will also draft grant application and report templates and share grant-writing resources and documents with the wider development network.
Systems, Data, and Resource Support - Improve systems for tracking donor information and usage of donor database; support creation and template development of local grants to increase sustainability.
- The streamlining and management of donor database systems are a huge responsibility for the VISTA Development Coordinator. By becoming familiar with the donor database and reporting options, the VISTA Development Coordinator will support the national development team’s data management and integrity, as well as document donor partnership records for future development activities. The VISTA Development Coordinator will also increase development capacity by gathering materials for reports and proposal templates; identifying potential funders and ask strategies for donor pipeline; and supporting the development team to customize and compose templates/reports.
Building Capacity for Regional Fundraising- Adding organizational capacity through resource-sharing and positive culture efforts.
- The VISTA Development Coordinator will foster resource-sharing and support regional fundraising efforts through prospect research, creating new language, and drafting template materials for grants, special events, and campaigns as needed.
- This role will help build community and culture across Reading Partners’ development network to support alignment around a common goal and mission.
About You!
You’ll be successful in this role if you:
- Are dedicated to national and community service
- Have a strong desire to fight poverty
- Understand this position is an AmeriCorps service commitment and are dedicated to successfully completing a full term term of service.
- Demonstrate a passion for working with children
- Possess a natural ability to connect with people
- Are eager for a dynamic schedule
- Pay strong attention to detail and manage competing priorities effectively
- Boast a deep belief in and passionately promote our mission
- Demonstrate a love for relationship building and public speaking
- Have flexibility and adaptability in both work style and work environment
- Take initiative in meeting goals and seeking professional growth
- Can problem-solve through challenges and failures
- Can quickly learn new technology systems like Salesforce, and have a high level of comfort with Microsoft Office and Google Apps
- Root your work in our core values
- Possess a high school diploma or GED
- Hold US Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status
- Have not completed more than three (3) prior AmeriCorps or VISTA service terms
Bonus Points if you:
- Are an AmeriCorps, VISTA, Peace Corps, and other national service alum/alumna
- Have experience volunteering with other community-based or education programs
What we offer:
- VISTA members earn an annual compensation of $24,053 through a living stipend from the VISTA program.
- The VISTA program will authorize relocation allowance if a VISTA member moves more than 50 miles.
- AmeriCorps/VISTA members are eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage at no cost for our members; childcare assistance is available through VISTA for those who qualify.
- AmeriCorps members can earn an education award of $6,095 after successfully completing their service term.
- You may be eligible for student loan forbearance on federal student loans.
- We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us. As such, we provide ongoing professional development opportunities.
The other things you need to know:
- Service Terms: VISTA members serve full-time (approximately 40 hours/week) for a 12-month, 365-day term. This VISTA member would serve from August, 2019 through August, 2020.
- Travel: VISTA members may need to travel between Reading Partners sites and offices; reliable transportation is recommended.
- Orientation: Reading Partners VISTA members attend a virtual VISTA Service Orientation in addition to attending Reading Partners trainings. Your direct supervisor will provide role-specific training as well.
- Where we serve: This position will serve as a VISTA National Development Coordinator in Oakland, CA.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Organization, with a strong commitment to diversity in the workplace.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Position will remain posted until filled. No phone inquiries.
