Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Development Manager will support the development and implementation of strategies to ensure CIS of Memphis meets its fund development goals. The Development Manager is responsible for most public and private grant solicitations and reporting to institutional funders. A key focus of work for the Development Manager will be implementing and evaluating a system of individual donor management.

REQUIREMENTS

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

CISM is recruiting an ambitious and energetic Development Manager to join our team! The Development Manager is a self-starter, highly organized, a strong writer and an individual who will jump in and do what is needed. This role could be a great opportunity for someone interested in building a career in resource development or expanding their nonprofit management skill sets.

Development Manager Major Duties:

Fund Development:

• Administrative Support:

  • Work directly with CIS of Memphis CEO to manage strategic priorities, fundraising operations and reporting operations for development activities;
  • Responsible for end-to-end development data, building systems for donor prospecting, solicitation, and stewardship from a diverse base of supporters including corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Manager will become fluent in the functionality and management of the donor database as well as using the system to analyze and inform CISM’s development priorities and strategies.
  • Prepare and staff CEO and board members on all fundraising activities as directed by CEO, including ensuring CEO and volunteer executives are appropriately briefed and supported for fundraising calls.

• Management:

  • Grant writing: Manage prospecting, writing, and submission of new grant proposals including post-award activities and reporting in collaboration with Finance and Program teams. Prospective grantors may be government entities, private philanthropies, or potential vendor partners.
  • Grant reporting: Responsible for reporting aspects of any grants, ensuring proper acknowledgement and meeting reporting requirements including meeting all reporting deadlines, drawing input and review from CEO and other staff members as needed;
  • Special Events: Participate in the planning and implementation of fundraisers, including the development of an annual giving program; implement prospect cultivation and stewardship projects with excellence;
  • Information management: Own, maintain and utilize the donor database (DonorPerfect) to ensure prospect knowledge, including ratings, interests and linkages acquired through research is preserved and maintained and is accessible to fundraising staff and used to develop future cultivation strategies;
  • Donor Prospecting: Create strategies to identify sources of major gifts ($10,000+) and private support using creative research techniques and electronic searching methodologies to ensure that fundraising campaign have sufficient prospects to meet fundraising goals;
  • Stewardship: Design stewardship and cultivation strategies to build trusted long-term relationships with donors and prospects, ensuring their understanding of and engagement with the mission and outcomes of the organization;
    • Compose documents (profiles, biographies, project summaries) using grammar and content appropriate to specific audiences, communicating key information about CISM’s impact tailored to that donor’s interests.
  • Grant prospecting: Keep abreast of current and prospective funding sources and trends to position CISM ahead of major funding trends or changes.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Equipped with 3+ years of experience in a nonprofit development role. Professional experience in Memphis a plus.
• Outstanding written communication skills, including the ability to write clearm, structured, and persuasive proposals, letters, contracts and reports. Specific grant writing experience is a plus.
• Enjoys digging into the data behind development, with the MS Excel skills and/or donor database skills to match.
• Must have excellent computer skills with proficiency inMicrosoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project and the Internet. DonorPerfect or similar donor database experience a plus.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy with a strong work ethic. Highly organized and enthusiastic about organization and the smooth operation of projects.
• Initiative and proactivity, exercising good judgement and a willingness and ability to “manage up” appropriately.
• Teamwork skills to work with others throughout the organization.
• Natural relationship builder with excellent verbal communication skills.
• The highest degree of discretion and trust, assuming all information this individual handles is confidential and not to be shared with anyone in the organization or outside of the organization. Is considered a highly trusted individual by all staff and volunteers.
• Flexible and unflappable in the face of time pressures or challenging circumstances.
• High degree of professionalism, representing CISM in a positive, friendly and competent manner with anyone and everyone.
• Eagerness to learn new things and grow in hard and soft skills—from learning new software and new ways of organizing work to effective resource development practices.
• Diplomacy with all CISM team members, board members, donors and prospects, and other community members.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree required or compelling equivalent experience;
• Experience doing basic research (primarily on-line); grants research experience a plus.
• Demonstrated understanding of CISM-- its mission and outcomes-- and a solid grasp of the role it plays in the landscape of public education in Memphis and Shelby County.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Will require some light lifting.
• Most work will be in the office, but occasional travel will be local so reliable transportation will be needed.

BENEFITS

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes a comprehensive, competitive benefits package.

• Salary Range for the position: competitive and commensurate with experience
• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Long Term and Short Term Disability
• Retirement Plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)

HOURS:

This is a full-time position. Working hours are generally 8:30 - 5:00 p.m., however it is expected that this person will have a flexible schedule and will work additional hours occasionally to accommodate evening and weekend activities and reporting deadlines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are allowed to telecommute if their job duties permit it.

Target Start Date:

October 28, 2020