The Beacon Center of Tennessee seeks a development manager to advance our mission by overseeing our development plan and daily fundraising activities.
The ideal candidate for this role is will have experience in fundraising, but is still in the early stages of his/her career. This is an exciting role for someone who has had exposure to various aspects of fundraising and is ready to take on a new level of responsibility.
The ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to our organization’s principles and values, as well as experience in development, ideally in the realm of state-based think tanks.
The development manager will be responsible for building and maintaining a strong development program for an emerging organization, and a growing force in the Tennessee policy sphere. The development manager will have the opportunity to put his or her own imprint on the organization and will be expected to work closely with the CEO and other staff to grow the organization in size and influence.
The organization maintains an entrepreneurial spirit and team atmosphere, where all ideas are encouraged and explored. The development manager will be expected to contribute his or her ideas and to work closely with all staff to advance the Center’s mission. Our mission is to change lives through public policy, and a strong development program is crucial to achieving this for years to come. The development manager will play a key role in the Center’s growth and expansion, an invaluable experience that cannot as easily be obtained at larger and long-established organizations.
More specifically, the development manager’s main responsibilities will include:
- Development Plan – work directly with the CEO to create, implement, review, and refine the annual development plan
- Donor Identification – identify probable donors, particularly high-dollar donors
- Donor Relations – build meaningful, long-term relationships with probable donors, turning them into actual investors in our organization
- Prioritization – prioritize and provide calendar support for the CEO’s outreach to high-dollar donors
- Direct Mail – manage all aspects of direct mail efforts, including but not limited to securing ask letter, obtaining mailing lists, overseeing print and mail vendor, tracking responses, and providing follow up to donors
- Grant Maintenance – manage all aspects of grant activity, including the identification of grant opportunities, writing grant proposals, and fulfilling all grant compliance and reporting requirements
- Electronic Asks – implement e-ask campaign, including drafting, sending, and tracking responses of email solicitations
- Social Media Fundraising – launch an effort to tap into Facebook and Twitter followers as low-dollar donors
- Event Supervision – oversee all fundraising events, which will range from larger quarterly events to smaller, more intimate gatherings
- Follow-Up – make follow-up phone calls to all new donors, arrange for the CEO’s follow up to high-dollar donors, and provide quick turnaround on all thank you letters, handwritten notes, and receipts to all donors
- Messaging – ensure that all development communications are consistent with all other communications of the organization
Qualifications
Qualified applicants will possess the following attributes:
- 3+ years of fundraising experience preferred, ideally in a free-market nonprofit setting
- Experience with individual donors, foundations, and event fundraising
- Ability to handle multiple projects efficiently and meet deadlines
- Entrepreneurial spirit and self-starter mentality
- Relationship building skills and an outgoing, friendly personality
- Excellent communication skills, in particular, writing skills
- Deep understanding of and commitment to the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government
- Experience with databases and basic Microsoft Office products
- Ability to travel on a regular basis
- Bachelor’s degree
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following materials:
- Résumé
- Cover letter – this should include salary requirements and a thoughtful explanation of the applicant’s philosophical interest in the organization
Email materials to Claire Kittle, executive director of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: claire@talentmarket.org. No phone calls please.
Salary will be commensurate with experience. The position includes competitive benefits, including health insurance, retirement, and vacation and personal leave.
