Scholars Unlimited seeks a dynamic, engaged Director of Development to work closely with executive leadership on designing strong, sustainable fundraising strategies, create and implement workflows to ease inter- and intradepartmental work, and serve as a champion of our work to individual donors, private foundations, and corporate partners. The successful candidate will be an individual who understands and is passionate about the mission of Scholars Unlimited, exemplifies its core values, can articulate its mission to donors and prospects in a way that both educates and compels them to give, and provide a vision for the growth of grant and individual donor portfolios. Additionally, the successful candidate will have experience meeting annual fundraising goals utilizing multiple fundraising channels and managing a development department. We are seeking someone who is personable, collaborative, and has the willingness to be a part of a team that is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion.
THE ORGANIZATION
Scholars Unlimited is a non-profit organization that provides high-quality, comprehensive after school and summer learning programs to elementary school children in metro Denver. Our organizational vision is an unwavering commitment to empower students to achieve academic and personal success. Our mission is to foster academic, social, and emotional growth for children living in low-income communities around metro Denver. Our vision and mission are on the foundation of our values in the belief in every child’s potential, the belief in cultivating life-long learners, and the belief in the power of every child, family, and community. We collaborate with school districts and generally provide our programs in the schools our students attend. Currently, our programs are offered in Denver, Aurora, Sheridan, and Westminster public schools.
SCHOLARS UNLIMITED OFFERS
Summer Scholars – full day summer programming
o Next Generation City Builders – STEM focused
enrichment programming
Scholars After School – after school programming
THE POSITION FUNCTION
In partnership with the President and Board of Directors, the Development Director leads all aspects of the development strategy for Scholars Unlimited. As part of the leadership team, the director participates in setting the organizational budget and fundraising direction of the organization. The director develops and maintains philanthropic relationships in the community on behalf of Scholars Unlimited. Fundraising responsibilities include prospect research, individual donor cultivation and solicitation with a strong emphasis on major gifts, special event coordination, oversight and planning for annual fund appeals and corporate sponsorship solicitation.
Role will work in partnership with the communications team to develop content for annual reports, e-newsletters, website and social media.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Planning and Executing for Financial Stability
- Increase organization’s resource development capacity resulting in a broadening of the organization’s base of support, diversification of revenue streams, and an increase in targeted revenue streams.
- Based on evaluation of current revenue streams and visualization of new sources of revenues, serve as thought leader in the development of a comprehensive fundraising strategy to maximize new streams of revenue.
- Fundraising
- Increase the organization’s capacity to meet and exceed identified contributed revenue goals.
- Design and implement all fundraising plans for major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, endowment, special events and projects, and all other solicitations for contributed income.
- Coordinate the development of all written proposals for funding from all constituents, including individuals and corporations.
- A specific area of accountability and focus for this position is major gift fundraising, through collaboration with the President and CEO.
- Lead, plan, and execute all logistical details of the Lunch of Scholars and other events to meet fundraising targets.
- Strategize, plan and execute communications, outreach, and donor follow up strategy for Colorado Gives Day.
- Development infrastructure
- Lead development team and monitor and report on development team’s progress and performance on a regular basis to ensure fundraising goals are achieved.
- Maintain a broad and deep knowledge of current best practices, rules, policies, guidelines and procedures related to fund development activities, and ensure that all development office conduct, activities, systems, and procedures strictly adhere to the highest ethical, accounting, reporting, and any other applicable standards.
- Work with finance and program staff as necessary to ensure that all grant and gift reporting compliances are met and funding reports are completed in a timely manner.
- Oversee fund development office systems and procedures to support all fund development projects and operations, including but not limited to the following:
- Supervision of donor and gift record keeping.
- Coordination of prospect research activities.
- Oversight of database management and all records, files, and gift processing.
- Oversight of pledge reminder and acknowledgement processes.
- Board of Directors and Development Committee
- Support the organization in the development of strategic planning, annual fund development, goals and strategies.
- Based on annual budget and strategic fund development goals and strategies, develop an annual tactical resource development plan for recommendation to the Mission Support team and approval by the board of directors.
- Develop and implement fundraising training for Board, Mission Support team, and other leadership volunteers, as well as staff.
- Oversee the grant writing process, up to and including managing the grant writing contractor, approving grants for submission, and providing organizational history as needed.
- Cross-Functional Responsibilities
- Responsible for managing and stewarding key relationships with funders and donors.; serve as a community liaison and agency representative in the community as needed; participate in annual program, operations, and budget planning and management; and work collaboratively with colleagues to identify programmatic needs and alignment with funding resources.
- Ensure the identification, recruitment, appropriate training, support and appreciation of a core group of volunteers to assist in fund development activities, including special events and other fundraising programs as needed.
- Work closely with other departments to develop collaterals that support fundraising efforts.
- Work throughout the agency to create and nurture a culture of philanthropy.
