Development Manager - Washington, DC
Reading Partners is a children’s literacy program that brings community volunteers into neighborhood schools to provide one-on-one reading supporting using a proven, evidence-based curriculum to put students on track to read at grade level by fourth grade. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base empowers students to succeed by providing individualized instruction and reading mentorship for 45 minutes twice weekly. Since 2010, Reading Partners has helped children become lifelong learners and helped them build more confidence, interpersonal skills, and overall engagement to succeed in all aspects of schooling in Washington, DC We are looking for committed, mission-focused individuals to join a dynamic team of professionals who are relentlessly pursuing life-changing impact for the communities and students we serve. Watch this video to learn more about Reading Partners.
The High Level
The Development Manager is part of a team of fundraisers and relationship builders working together to support Reading Partners’ strategic growth plan through fundraising. The Development Manager’s main roles are to support the achievement of regional fundraising goal in close partnership with the local development team by leading on grant writing for foundation, corporate, and local government sources while also supporting a portfolio of relationships that they cultivate and steward effectively. Reporting directly to the External Relations Director in the DC region, this role leads on the regional institutional grants management, oversees pipeline management, effectively utilizes the Executive Director and External Relations Director to support donor cultivation and stewardship, and oversees prospect research. The Development Manager is a highly collaborative, detail-oriented, compelling writer and driven relationship builder, excited by both higher-level strategy and on-the-ground operational work.
What you’ll do:
Oversee institutional grants management, writing, and reporting to help achieve a $1.7MM fundraising goal by June 30. Approximately 35% of our region’s revenue comes from foundation and corporate sources.
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Write and submit all grants for the region, ensuring they are compelling and persuasive, and aligned with Reading Partners quality standards.
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Track deadlines and ensure timely completion of materials to support institutional funding including but not limited to cultivation touch points, proposals, attachments, and reports.
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Support the Executive Director and External Relations Director in relationship development with institutional funders.
Own the local government grants portfolio (approximately 20% of the region’s revenue).
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Track deadlines and ensure timely completion of proposals, reports, and other grant requirements.
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Collaborate with the finance department to compile and submit financial reports and reimbursement requests as needed.
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Support the Executive Director and External Relations Director with local government advocacy including but not limited to supporting with setting up meetings with local government leaders, preparing for DC Council hearings, and engaging peer organizations.
In close collaboration with the External Relations team, support all external revenue activities to meet or exceed annual fundraising goals for the entire region.
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Draft and coordinate all communication with institutional funders
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Support development work with the regional board of directors
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Support the External Relations team during “all hands on deck” projects including our annual appeal campaign in November/December and spring fundraising event.
How you’ll do it:
Operations Management
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Demonstrate a proficient ability to conduct research, prospect, and drive ongoing development efforts, particularly in the DC region.
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Demonstrate a strong detail orientation, accuracy, and ability to develop compelling reports and communications to be used internally and externally.
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Demonstrate a proficient ability to use spreadsheets and financial reports to meet grant requirements.
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Execute all work in a highly organized, analytical, and data-driven manner.
Communication:
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Effectively write high-quality donor communications that demonstrate deep knowledge of our program and promote our mission.
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Quickly establish credibility when promoting Reading Partners to external audiences. Demonstrate a high degree of comfort and poise with donors, corporations, and prospects.
New Revenue Generation:
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Demonstrate excitement to steward and leverage relationships that result in meeting or exceeding target fundraising goals. Boast an entrepreneurial spirit and actively seek to deepen current donor relationships and forge new ones.
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Demonstrate the ability to write customized and compelling grant reports, proposals and letters of intent. Through exceptional writing, serve as an ambassador of Reading Partners.
Relationship Development:
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Demonstrate experience in stakeholder relationship development. Regularly deliver convincing messaging and tailored experiences.
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Demonstrate a genuine joy in connecting with donors and stakeholders.
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Internally, establish highly collaborative relationships with all team members.
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Demonstrate a hunger to learn, grow, support, and add great value. Regularly seek to understand all aspects of our model to convey externally.
About you!
You’ll be successful in this role if you:
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You have 3+ years of increasing responsibility in a development or related role, particularly in the areas of institutional giving and grants management.
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Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
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Are an exceptional and persuasive communicator, verbally and in writing
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Are achievement-oriented and have a demonstrated track record of achieving aggressive fundraising goals
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Boast a deep belief in our mission
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Root your work in our core values
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Ability to prove eligibility to work in the U.S. legally
Bonus Points if you:
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Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alum/alumna
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Have a high degree of comfort with Salesforce or other fundraising database
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Have experience with Reading Partners DC’s existing institutional funders, their systems, and grant requirements
What we offer:
Reading Partners offers the full package – great benefits, a great place to work and the opportunity to have a glowing and growing career.
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We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. This is a full-time, exempt position.
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We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, 403(b) option, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
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We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us.
The other things you need to know
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Travel: This position travels throughout DC at least a few times a month. This position may also involve occasional travel to Reading Partners’ National Headquarters in Oakland, CA.
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Typical Physical & Mental Demands: Requires prolonged sitting with some bending, stooping and stretching, and eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone, photocopier, calculator and other office equipment.
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Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to communicate with volunteers and staff. Also requires flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.
What’s Next?
If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:
Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer, with a goal to be a workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the students we serve. We are especially excited about applications from people who intrinsically understand the challenges of people often underrepresented in the workplace. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
