The Strategic Philanthropy team plays an integral role in supporting the mission, vision, and impact of the Commit Partnership by cultivating and stewarding investors in the organization’s work.

The Associate will have a unique level of exposure to the work of the organization and to the broader Dallas County educational community with the primary responsibility of completely and compellingly translating this work and impact into accurate and customized fundraising narratives that compel national and local funders to invest in the Commit Partnership in addition to developing/implementing processes to increase efficiency.

We won’t sugar coat it – this is a fast-paced job with lots of deadlines and we expect excellence and passion from our teammate. As a guru of all things money matters and operations, you are the conductor that helps keep our trains on track. For us that means you will:

• Collaborates with a variety of stakeholders for the purpose of securing funding to maintain and enhance services and/or programs.
  • •Coordinates all grant processes (e.g. evaluations, budget, finance, reports, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the funder guidelines.
  • •Develops and improves forms, processes, procedures, and policies for the purpose of implementing a consistent grant application methodology. Develops grant applications and related documents (e.g. required reports, budgets, specific inquiries, etc.) for the purpose of submitting to the appropriate funder.
  • •Evaluates degree of match between listed grant priority area and system needs for the purpose of matching needs with funding sources.
  • •Participates in meetings, workshops and seminars for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering information required to perform functions.
  • •Researches grant opportunities for the purpose of developing additional funding resources for both current and proposed initiatives as well as serving as a clearinghouse for potential grant funding opportunities.
  • •Leads and tracks donor engagement through tailored messaging, content creation, donor events, and other donor-facing cultivation activities.

WHAT COMMIT IS LOOKING FOR

While Commit has certain credential requirements, we are primarily looking for the potential to be a connector and strategic partner for our investors. Commit is seeking someone special and that means:

A TEDTALKER: You take complex topics and distill them to their essential parts and you have an engaging communication style. We want someone who can write the novel and the CliffsNotes®, weaving a story with words and data.

RELATIONSHIP- & RESULTS-ORIENTED: You are more than a problem solver—you are a problem solver with a service mindset and a healthy dose of relationship charm under your belt. When given a goal and the bar for success, you outline multiple ways to ring the bell, managing a project from end to end as you marshal the necessary people, information, and resources to get the job done.

LEAD WITH STRENGTHS; GROW WITH INTENT: You know your strengths and how to put them to work for yourself and others. You openly acknowledge areas where you have room to grow and seek intentional development and mentorship to grow, learn, and lead.

 A NERDY PASSION FOR DETAIL AND ORGANIZATION: Friends joke that they can’t move even a pencil out of place on your desk without your noticing. Your keen attention to detail spots an error in a magazine article, and you can absolutely tell when someone switches fonts in the middle of a document. You’ve never met a project plan you didn’t love (unless it was thrown together haphazardly and fails to specify roles and responsibilities with time-bound milestones).

 EQUITY FOCUSED: The students we ultimately serve come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. You have a deep belief in the potential of all students (every child, every day, no excuses) and a commitment to do whatever it takes to expand educational opportunities. Furthermore, you approach the work with a perspective informed by experience in low-income communities and an understanding of the systemic challenges of poverty and racism.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Associate’s Degree in English, Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or other related field or 2+ years of relevant experience.

2+ years of project management experience required.

2+ years of experience in grant writing preferred.

Experience with donor management systems such as Salesforce preferred.

LOCATION: Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas

If a direct apply link is not included, interested candidates should visit www.commitpartnership.org/careers to apply. Inquiries regarding the position can be sent to careers@commitpartnership.org.

The Commit Partnership is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to hire individuals with backgrounds similar to that of the stakeholders they serve. As an organization that embraces equity and inclusion, all employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

THE COMMIT PARTNERSHIP DOES NOT SPONSOR VISAS OF ANY KIND.

ABOUT THE COMMIT PARTNERSHIP:

Founded in 2012, The Commit Partnership (“Commit” or “The Partnership”) has become the largest educational community-based collective impact organization in the U.S. as measured by either staff, by budget, or by total students supported (790,000+ ages 0 through 22). Encompassing 200+ partners across Dallas County, including almost every public school district, higher education entity and large foundation in the region, The Partnership also encompasses numerous independent private schools and public charter networks, businesses and educational non-profits. The Partnership’s overriding vision is relatively simple and straightforward: our community, working together, to ensure that all students receive an excellent and equitable education.

Over 100 different local, regional and national investors have supported the backbone to date. They include major foundations, high net worth philanthropists, and corporate partners, all of whom believe that investing in a dedicated backbone organization, armed with powerful data and the power to continually convene and align stakeholders, will lead to meaningful systems change as public and philanthropic funding streams align strategically behind what is needed to grow the number of students with a postsecondary degree or technical certificate.

While The Partnership’s geographic scope focus is Dallas County, it also supports statewide implementation of Texas House Bill 3 and similar efforts in Fort Worth/Tarrant County (350,000 K-12 students) and Houston/Harris County (~900,000 K-12 students). Collectively, these three regions educate 1 in 3 children in Texas and roughly 4% of the nation’s K-12 population. When aligned in the future by common data and goals, these regions could prove a powerful force behind aligned advocacy to alter state public funding streams and key policies benefiting students.