Director of Development

Position Opening: Director of Development

Full-time; exempt

Lake County

Some local travel expected

The Position:

The Director of Development will lead all fund development and donor stewardship for Reading Power, Inc. a nonprofit organization accelerating children’s literacy by partnering with schools in Lake and Northern Cook Counties where current needs exceed resources.

The Director of Development is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all fundraising functions including major gifts cultivation and stewardship, foundation grants, an annual appeal, special events and planned giving. In this position, the Director of Development will build new revenue streams while maintaining current ones to increase fundraising capacity.

Reading Power is seeking to scale its programs in response to an increasing demand for our services across communities. Over the next three years, The organization aims to build on its solid base of support by increasing annual funding by 30 percent.

This position will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and work closely with the Board, Director of Programs, Communications and Marketing Manager, Development Manager, and the Events Manager.

The Organization:

With an annual budget of $1.5 million, Reading Power is led by a 19-member Board of Directors, 32 staff members and over 375 volunteers who provide services in 10 schools.  Reading Power staff and volunteers provide one-to-one, high dosage tutoring to students who score below the 25th percentile in reading assessments.

As Reading Power celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is on a growth trajectory to increase the number of schools and students served with calculated growth that is responsible, feasible, and sustainable. Our mission is to accelerate children’s literacy learning and develop their love for reading and writing. We envision a world where all children have a strong literacy foundation to support lifelong learning.

The culture and climate of Reading Power is one of respect, trust, and passion for our mission.

The Candidate:

Qualifications:

●      Minimum 5 years of demonstrated successful development experience encompassing individual, foundation and corporate fundraising, and a strong knowledge of fundraising principles and practices.

●      Bachelor’s degree required.

●      Goal-driven, results-oriented, and committed to the organization’s efforts to increase its capacity.

●      Experience leading a team; building relationships.

●      Strong organizational, managerial, and communication skills, with significant attention to detail.

●      Experience writing donor communications such as appeals and grant proposals.

●      Familiarity with budgeting process and financial analysis.

●      Ability to interact with a diverse staff, donor base and volunteer groups.

●      Strong technology skills: Google Suite, Microsoft Office, CRMsExpertise in fundraising software and tools, such as Salesforce NPSP.

The Key Accountabilities:

The Director of Development is responsible for raising these funds in collaboration with the CEO, the Board of Directors and supporting staff. Revenues are a combination of individual donations, corporate and private foundations, civic organizations and events.

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership

●      Collaborating with key internal stakeholders, develop and execute an annual fundraising plan to diversify and strengthen the funding base and support expansion goals.

●      Prioritize major gift fundraising strategies and tactics.

●      Build a planned giving program with a focus on deferred legacy bequest gifts.

●      Represent Reading Power at public appearances and/or speaking engagements to share the organization’s story with the broader community.

●      Prioritize key actions for the CEO, board and other senior leaders to take toward cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors, and prepare and support them as they execute.

Grants

●      Oversee and work closely with a grant writer to meet all current foundation funder requirements and pursue grant opportunities.

●      Identify and cultivate new potential foundation partners.

●      Manage foundation calendar, systems and processes for LOIs,  grant applications and reports.

Donor Stewardship and Relations

●      Identify and build a pipeline of prospective major donors.

●      Develop and implement individualized donor plans for major donors.

●      Develop and manage a personal portfolio of current and prospective donors.

Events

●      Successfully execute an annual golf outing in fall 2024 (already established) and a one-time anniversary gala in the spring of 2024.

●      Identify additional opportunities and implement new cultivation events to support expansion goals and community stewardship.

Data and Administration

●      Oversee fundraising data and systems in Salesforce ensuring the organization’s donor and prospect information is always current and accurate.

●      Analyze and leverage data and metrics to measure success and guide development strategies and tactics.

●      Prepare and deliver fundraising reports at board meetings.

●      Manage gift entry and timely donor acknowledgement process.

Communications and Marketing

●      Write, plan and execute an annual appeal.

●      Work with the Communications Manager to develop a year-round donor communications strategy.

●      Develop targeted communications to  major donors.

●      Unearth compelling Reading Power stories to highlight in donor written materials.

●      Collaborate with Communications Manager to provide donor related content for social media.

The Compensation and Benefits:

●      This is a full-time, exempt position in a flexible work environment.

●      Includes paid time off, 12 paid holidays a year, 401K, and individual health insurance options.

●      Annual salary range $90,000-$100,000 with bonus potential.

●      Total compensation offer will be commensurate with candidate experience.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to: HR@readingpowerinc.org

Non-Discrimination Statement

Reading Power Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer. We strive to recruit and employ the most qualified personnel and provide equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex.