Director of Development

Director, Development

Remote, full-time

About Raising a Reader

Raising a Reader (RAR) is a national nonprofit that partners
with parents and educators to create brighter futures for children
by strengthening family bonds. Family engagement is at the core of
what we do. Our evidence-based programs help caring adults set
their children up for success by creating shared reading routines,
fostering social-emotional learning, healthy family relationships
and learning skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Through
easy-to-use, multilingual materials and diverse stories, we meet
families where they are and make shared reading more engaging and
accessible for all children.

We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to realize
their potential. We believe that the best way to support children
is by engaging and strengthening families, and that the lessons
that last are those learned with love. We believe that reading
helps children develop not just literacy skills, but also empathy,
understanding, emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
We believe that literacy and education are key to closing
persistent gaps and creating a more equitable future for our
children and our communities – regardless of race, culture,
language, income or ability.

Learn more at

Position
Overview:

Raising a Reader seeks an accomplished and strategic Director of
Development to lead our fundraising efforts and propel us toward
ambitious contributed revenue goals. This is an incredible
opportunity to build a high-performing team and double the
organization's fundraising revenue within three years, ensuring we
empower even more children and families with the gift of
literacy.

In this role, you will have the opportunity
to:

In partnership with the VP of
Strategic Growth and Revenue, develop and implement a comprehensive
fundraising (contributed revenue) strategy encompassing government,
individual giving, major gifts, foundation grants, and corporate
partnerships to ensure that annual philanthropic revenue goals are
achieved.

Currently, the majority of the
contributed revenue comes from institutional donors. It is the
intention that this revenue will be diversified to incorporate
broader revenue streams by 2027.

Drive revenue growth by securing
significant funding increases and spearheading initiatives that
double our revenue over a three-year period. This would mean
growing the contributed revenue from ~$3M now to $6M by
2027.
Spearhead grant success by crafting
compelling proposals that resonate with major early childhood
education funders, securing critical funding for our mission.
Manage the grant reporting process, ensuring timely and impactful
narratives that showcase program progress and exceed funder
expectations.
Manage prospect research process and
build a pipeline of funders that are capable of making
transformative investments in scale and impact. Manage preparation
for successful donor meetings and track all appropriate data in
Salesforce.
Cultivate strong relationships by
building strong connections with individual donors, foundations,
and corporate partners, fostering long-term partnerships.
Forge strategic cross-functional
collaborations by working closely with both the Programs and
Partnerships team to ensure grant deliverables are met and maximize
program impact and the Finance team to ensure records,
contributions, and grants are captured correctly.
Continuously learn and refine your
fundraising expertise, expanding your leadership capabilities
within a supportive environment.
Report directly to the Vice President
of Strategic Growth and Revenue, providing regular updates on
fundraising performance, forecasting, and overall progress toward
achieving contributed revenue goals.

Provide team management and leadership
Serve as a member of the Director's
Team within the organization; leading by example and demonstrating
a commitment to results.

As a member of this team, this role
will contribute to annual planning and strategic plan, support the
development and management of the organizational budget, and
actively use organizational management tools

Build a winning team by hiring,
coaching, and managing a talented development team over the next
three years. Deliver effective and insightful team management and
guidance. Develop the skills and monitor progress to goals.
Ensure the team is resourced
appropriately and has the tools, systems, and processes to ensure
successful achievement of all goals and objectives.
Provide strategic thought partnership
to the VP of Strategic Growth and Revenue on fundraising
efforts.
Support building community and team.
Be a culture carrier committed to DEI values.
Collaborate with every member of the
team, including the CEO and Board. Build and maintain strong
relationships across the organization.

Other duties as needed.

This is more than just a job; it's an opportunity to
make a lasting difference in the lives of children. Join us and be
a part of a team that is changing the world, one book at a
time.

Qualifications
Possess a passion for the mission and
values of Raising a Reader and a commitment to children's
literacy.
Have significant (7+) experience
working with national non-profit development pipelines with
increasing levels of responsibility.
Demonstrate a consistent ability to
meet and/or exceed goals year over year and grow a significant
philanthropy portfolio.
Prior moves management experience and
success.
Previous experience writing
compelling grants and reports that inspire philanthropic
investment.
Exceptional business writing
capabilities.
Proven success leading and motivating
fundraising teams in the nonprofit sector.
Demonstrated ability to maintain
confidentiality of sensitive information.
Proficiency using computers and
software such as Salesforce,Microsoft Office, and Google Suite
applications is required; prior Sharepoint experience is
ideal.
Understand the national philanthropy
landscape, revenue best practices, and overall trends.
Strong and inspiring organizational,
managerial, and communication skills. You are a skilled listener
and understand both the expressed needs and underlying sentiments
in conversations. You identify patterns and themes across
conversations and use those insights to further enhance the overall
business development strategy.
Have a strategic mindset paired with
the execution skills that allow you to lead and manage critical
projects, groups, or organizations to achieve goals/ objectives and
build toward the future. Possess analytical skills and a focus on
details that allows you to take a data-driven approach to
fundraising.
Demonstrate significant experience
working with diverse audiences and/or communicating with an equity
lens.

Outstanding problem solver with an
independent and entrepreneurial spirit that allows you to make
quick, sound decisions and the ability to juggle multiple projects
and priorities simultaneously.
Positive, can-do attitude with a
solutions-oriented mindset. Customer service focused person who
finds creative ways to get to "yes" whenever possible.
Build and maintain relationships with
multiple stakeholders, internally and externally, with inspiring
verbal communication and presentation skills.

Compensation and Location

Pay: The pay range for this position is targeted at $95,000 -
$150,000 annually. Final compensation amounts are determined by
multiple factors, including candidate experience and geographic
market, and may vary from the amounts provided. Generally, we
expect this role to be paid near the $120,000 mark; however, we may
pay more for specific geographic regions and/or highly desirable
skills, experiences, and/or abilities. New staff are rarely brought
in at the top of the range to ensure internal equity and to leave
room for salary growth during an employee's tenure at Raising a
Reader.

Geographic location is one consideration in determining
competitive and internally equitable compensation.
Specifically,
San Francisco Bay Area and New York
City pay ranges up to $150K
Boston, Los Angeles, and D.C. pay
ranges up to $140K
Other geographic locations may
differ.

Benefits: We offer competitive benefits, including top-tier
medical, dental, and vision insurance, disability and life
insurance, generous paid time off, 403(b) match, financial
advising.

Location: While all U.S. states will be considered, there is a
preference to hire candidates within these states: CA, CO, FL, MD,
NC, NY, PA, TX, UT

Travel: there may be some travel required for this position.
Estimated up to 10% travel in a given year for Board meetings,
staff retreats, and other in-person events as determined by the CEO
and President.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Inclusion

Raising a Reader is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion,
and equal opportunity. RAR is an equal opportunity employer.
Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race,
color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, age, religion, national origin, political affiliation,
citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran
status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by
local, state or federal laws. RAR is committed to the full
inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment,
we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided
reasonable accommodations.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume and a one-page cover letter
outlining your unique qualifications for this role using the link
below. The position will remain open until filled, though we
encourage you to apply as soon as possible.