Agency Overview

Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program works to increase the reading achievement of students from communities of concentrated low-income in Washington. A child who is not reading proficiently at the end of third grade is FOUR times more likely to drop-out of school before graduating than one who is. Starting with improving book access in the home, Page Ahead works to break down barriers to achievement and provides reading interventions that support children and families.

The Position

Reporting to and in partnership with the Executive Director (ED), the Development Manager will secure financial support for Page Ahead. Demand for our programs is growing and we need to increase our revenue in order to serve more children and families. If you are excited about the idea of helping all children become strong readers and would enjoy engaging others to support students, Page Ahead’s Development Manager position might be the right fit for you!

Primary Responsibilities

Persuasive Writing (50%)

Manage Page Ahead’s grant writing process, including: prospect researching, writing LOIs and proposals, maintaining accurate records in our CRM, tracking all deadlines and timelines, and reporting out to those who fund our work.
Develop key fundraising appeals, messaging and timeline(s) for individual giving campaigns, paying close attention to target audiences and organizational messaging.
Own all aspects of constituent communication overseeing: newsletter, annual report, social media strategy, mar/com collateral, and the Page Ahead website. Work closely with community engagement specialist to design and execute communication strategy.

Donor Cultivation and Experience (30%)

Cultivate and steward relationships with donors and sponsors to maximize philanthropic support for Page Ahead. Identify and pursue opportunities for major gifts, planned giving, and corporate partnerships.
Source and respond to opportunities to share Page Ahead’s mission and values (lunch and learns, presentations to community groups) and professionally represent Page Ahead in the community.
Manage all donor recognition and appreciation, including collecting impact stories and photos. Work with board members, community outreach and program team members to ensure donors feel informed and appreciated. Track all donor relations (visits, emails, calls) in CRM.

Special Events (10%)

Serve as project manager for Page Ahead’s annual luncheon. Responsibilities include Table Captain cultivation, logistics, sponsorship procurement, etc.
Coordinate with team members to execute other fundraising events like Book Drives, and support community members, companies, and others who create events to support Page Ahead’s mission.

Strategy and Budgeting (10%)

Develop fundraising strategy and set priorities, goals and budgets (currently $1.7M). Implement a coordinated plan to increase annual fundraising revenues.
Track and report on fundraising metrics, including donor contributions, retention rates, and campaign effectiveness. Provide regular updates to Executive Director and the Board of Directors on development activities and progress towards goals.

Minimum qualifications

Knowledge:

Must understand how to utilize data to plan and make decisions
Thorough understanding of the prospecting/cultivation cycle
Knows fundraising best practices and can develop plans and systems to meet fundraising goals
Deep knowledge of grant writing, from LOI to final reports
Bachelor’s Degree
Bonus: Knowledge of local or state budget process

Skills:

Excellent writing and editing skills. Must be able to write quickly and well and enjoy doing so.
Persuasive public speaker/presenter. Must be able to speak convincingly and represent Page Ahead in a professional manner. An ideal candidate will be a great storyteller.
Proficient with donor database software – Bloomerang preferred
Skilled relationship-builder
Cultural competency and demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities
Effective with time management
Incredible follow up skills
Highly organized
Understands people and knows how to align their interests
Given Page Ahead’s mission--excellent grammar, spelling, and punctuation are a must!

Experience:

A good candidate will have at least 3 - 5 years of demonstrated experience successfully approaching corporations, individuals, and/or foundations for financial support.
Current background in planning and executing special event fundraisers
Prior sales experience (in any field) desired
Proven experience motivating and training volunteers, ideally in a development capacity
Demonstrated successful grant writing experience

This is a full-time position, and very occasional evening and weekend work is sometimes required. Page Ahead is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply, particularly people of color, women, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and/or intersex.

Page Ahead offers a competitive benefits package that includes: health/dental/vision insurance, retirement matching, vacation/sick leave, and 12 paid holidays. From our book-filled, accessible office in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle, we serve all of Washington state. Some local travel will be expected, and access to a vehicle will be necessary.

As part of our partnership agreement with schools, employment with Page Ahead will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Page Ahead is a scent-free office.

To Apply

Please upload a cover letter with your resume when you apply. Thank you!

Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program

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