Development Manager, WordPlay Cincy (2/11/2021)

Summary:

WordPlay Cincy, a creative youth development organization dedicated to creating spaces for young people to fulfill their potential by discovering, honoring and sharing their voices, is seeking a full-time Development Manager as a key member of the team responsible for ensuring operating and capital revenue goals are met.

 About WordPlay

WordPlay Cincy: Where stories write the future. WordPlay is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to create spaces for young people to fulfill their potential through reading, writing and storytelling. We provide free creative youth development programs that blend the visual, performing and literary arts as a conduit for children and youth to activate their strengths and bridge social divides. Through discovering, honoring and sharing their narratives, our young generation determines how they want to contribute to a just and equitable community.

Job Summary 

The Development Manager reports to the Executive Director and is a key member of the fundraising team responsible for ensuring operating and capital revenue goals are met. This includes close collaboration with the Executive Director, staff and board to design, implement, evaluate and evolve all fundraising initiatives to fuel the growth of the organization.

WordPlay’s Development Manager is a natural relationship-builder who thrives in a creative environment and is deeply aligned with the organization’s commitment to racial equity and social justice. It is essential for this individual to embrace innovation and the necessity to disrupt traditional philanthropic narratives and practices that do not advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This position requires a high level of organization, systems-thinking, and time management.

Exempt Position. Salary range of $50,000 – $56,000.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with Executive Director and other staff to design, execute and evaluate annual fundraising plan to ensure all fundraising goals are met for general operating support and our $1.275 million capital renovation campaign (we are at 57% of this goal with 18 months remaining). Revenue streams include:
  • individual donors
  • grants (*no grant writing required)
  • corporate sponsors
  • social enterprise
  • fee for service, and
  • fundraising events
• Maintain donor database (Salesforce) and grant management systems, working closely with grant writer and Director of Programming to ensure all aspects of grant management are completed
• Participating in revenue forecasting, data analysis and strategic planning for future growth
• Steward and grow a portfolio of individual funder relationships
• Oversee annual fundraising events
• Prepare monthly development reports for Executive Director and Board of Trustees and annual reports for the public
• Work closely with Executive Director and other staff to cultivate outreach opportunities to grow public awareness of the organization, mission and impact
• Other duties as assigned 

Essential Qualifications and Attributes

• Bachelor’s Degree or combination of higher education and work experience
• 3+ years in non-profit development with increasing responsibilities OR professional experience in other fields providing demonstrable skills that are transferable to the responsibilities above
• Strong sensibility for numbers; knowledge of financial statements such as cash flow, profit and loss, balance sheets a plus
• Demonstrated success and innovation in non-profit development or related professional growth strategies
• Proven success in project management and meeting deadlines
• Exceptional communication skills including interpersonal, professional, written and presenting to audiences
• Proven experience working with diverse populations
• Deep commitment to equity, social justice, inclusion and diversity
• Creative problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Prior success in collaborative environments
• Familiarity with donor management software a plus
• Ability to research, distill and integrate new information
• Superior organizational and time management skills
• Proficiency in current office technology and a willingness to learn and consistently employ technology and systems

Other Requirements

• Successful completion of full BCI background check required.
• During the pandemic, 75-100% of work time is remote (employees are provided a laptop). This is periodically re-evaluated by all staff following scientific guidance and data on Covid infection rates and best practices to minimize virus transmission.
• Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the individual is typically stationary 75% of the time and moves about to meetings and events 25% of the time.
• This position requires presence at all fundraising events, virtual and in-person once it’s safe to resume face-to-face activities (one annual gala and approximately 4 smaller events annually). Some evenings and weekends required. Reliable transportation and schedule flexibility is a must.

Our mission is to create spaces for young people to fulfill their potential by discovering, honoring and sharing their voices.

Our values are:

Authentic Exploration  Inclusive Community  Creative Innovation

Nurturing Relationships  Personal Transformation

All employees are expected to lead by example, modeling the organizational mission and values through their daily actions.

Compensation and benefits

WordPlay offers a monthly pre-tax Healthcare Reimbursement Allowance, a 403b retirement plan, paid holidays, PTO and flex time, an annual professional development budget and strong potential for growth within the organization.

EOE

WordPlay Cincy is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, marital status, political affiliation or medical conditions.

To apply:

1. Please take a few minutes to complete the free VIA Character Strengths Survey.
2. In your email to us, share a short paragraph about how a top strength shows up for you at work.
3. Send your resume and cover letter as one pdf to careers@wordplaycincy.org. No phone calls, please.
4. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.