The Organization
Propeller is a 501c3 nonprofit that grows and supports entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities. We work to create a powerful community of diverse entrepreneurs and stakeholders working together for a more equitable future where everyone can lead healthy, fulfilling lives free of racism, poverty, and other systems of oppression.
Our strategy is to build a critical mass of small businesses and nonprofits working to tackle disparities in food, water, health, and education. These are areas we have identified as having significant inequities and proven market opportunities for local entrepreneurs to implement solutions.
Position Overview
The Senior Development Manager works as a part of a dynamic team to support and execute on the annual development strategy and work closely with the Director of Impact and Development and Executive Director to achieve Propeller’s fundraising goals. The focus of the Senior Development Manager will be to continue to effectively steward our existing and prospective institutional funders, to both ensure we are meeting the expectations and needs of our funders and that we continue to have robust and quality programming.
Major Responsibilities & Outcomes
• Accountable for the long-range (2+ year) visioning, conceptualization, planning, implementation, deliverables, and achievement of results of Propeller’s broad fundraising strategies with a strong focus on our institutional relationships. Duties include:
Development Strategy and Donor Relations
• Clear Development Plan: Implements development plan and calendar that include a clear statement of internal organizational and external community needs that Propeller seeks to address, as well as fundraising goals that reflect those needs: both dollars and target dates, and selected fundraising strategies. Donors report an excellent philanthropic experience with minimal critiques.
• Advanced Budget Raise: Obtains full weighted pipeline of new asks in “Convince” stage, with a minimum goal of raising 50% of the $2.5 million 2019 budget by the end of the calendar year.
• Thriving Venture Fund Pipeline: Maintains list of 10 potential impact investors in active cultivation mode for Propeller’s Social Venture Fund.
• Exceptional Donor Cultivation: Prepares for all donor meetings in line with standard operating procedures, makes compelling presentations and pitches, and leads all cultivation communications for prospects $250,000 and below to earn the respect and trust of donors.
• (potential) High-performing Capital Campaign: Develops and executes plan to reach capital campaign goal between $220,000-$500,000.
Grant Writing and Management
• Mission-Driven, Knowledgeable, and Accurate Communication: Effectively articulates the mission, priorities, and special initiatives of Propeller to a broad range of stakeholders, highlighting past successes with fluency. Develops and executes a communications strategy to support fundraising and institutional revenue growth. Proofs all written fundraising materials, including reports and acknowledgment letters, with close attention to detail, producing no errors.
• Driven and Well-Executed Writing: Develops compelling, factual, quality, timely, relevant, and comprehensive grant proposals with few, if any, edits needed. Accountable for the drafting and submission of all public and private foundation grant proposals – approximately $5 million in requests per year. Supports the drafting and submission of government proposals, as needed.
• Collaborative Mindset: Coordinates across departments as necessary to organize proposals and campaigns, as well as drive revenue. Supports the Director of Impact and Development and the Executive Director in building and sustaining a culture of philanthropy within Propeller and with Propeller’s partners.
Administration and Evaluation
• Organized and Thorough Calendar Management: Manages a grants calendar of letters of intent and grants. Ensures that all deadlines are met in a timely manner. Required grant evaluation is developed and conducted to achieve outcomes.
• Proactive Evaluation: Ensures smooth reporting by leading the determination of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods for grant requirements in advance. This includes determining outcomes, benchmarks, methods of measurement, logic models, etc.
• Stakeholder-Wide Development Transparency: Implements systems and tools that ensure all relevant funders, board members, staff, policymakers, thought leaders, and partners in fundraising/revenue development have the tools they need to support Propeller’s development.
Critical Competencies
• Written and verbal fluency in the history of structural racism in the US and its current manifestations in New Orleans and nationally. Ability to convey compelling racial justice analysis to external stakeholders.
• Strong writing and editing skills, particularly focused on data-driven value propositions.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills in managing external relationships, building trust with high-level stakeholders, and conveying compelling opportunities through public speaking engagements, networking events, and other opportunities for relationship development.
• Self-motivated, innovative, and can work with considerable independence within the context of an overall strategy, team environment, and variety of diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain a high level of poise and professionalism in all circumstances.
• Ability to handle a variety of projects in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy and completion in a timely manner.
• Commitment to Propeller’s mission, vision, and values.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent knowledge + 5 – 7 years’ relevant experience, or Master’s or equivalent knowledge + 3 – 5 years’ relevant experience, and 1 – 3 years’ supervisory experience.
• (Preferred) Proven and consistent track record of identifying, cultivating, and stewarding institutional funders.
• (Preferred) Proven and consistent track record developing compelling, data-driven grant proposals to foundation and government funders, resulting in funding.
• (Preferred) Experience raising funds from institutional donors in areas of racial justice and/or economic development.
Travel with some evening and weekend work required. This is a salaried and exempt position.
Compensation: $62,000+ annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Propeller also offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and professional development.
Start Date: May 2018
How To Apply
Apply here by presenting your resume and responses to the questions below:
· Why are you passionate about racial justice, nonprofit development, and cultivating institutional relationships?
· What do you think will be your greatest strength in this role? In what way do you think you will need to grow the most to be successful in this role?
· What do you find gives you the most energy in your current work?
· What drains your energy the most in your current work?
· What are your salary requirements?