Director of Development

OUR STORY

redefinED atlanta is a public education nonprofit that engages with communities, advocates for equity in education, and funds critical work to drive systemic level improvement in K-12 public education for students and families. Our vision is for Atlanta to be a place where every student in every community receives a great public education.

Since our founding in 2016, redefinED atlanta has invested in schools and systems, community and policy, and school-level talent pipelines through grantmaking, innovative programmatic work and leveraging the organization’s increased influence to advance policy, outcomes, and accountability for public school families. The associated impact and positive momentum are fueling ongoing opportunities to address the challenges facing Atlanta Public Schools and the surrounding communities. Going forward, an increasing number of the bright and deserving students who attend public K-12 schools in the Atlanta metropolitan area will experience improved academic and life outcomes.

Atlanta is the cradle of the civil rights movement and the economic engine of the Southeast. Yet, for generations, students from disinvested neighborhoods, particularly Black and Latinx students, have been denied access to a public education that is of equally high quality as that available to the city’s more affluent children. We honor the commitments we have made to racial equity and inclusion and center these core values:

equity – We strive to serve as an example of what philanthropy can be when it partners with the community. We provide support to meet students’ and families’ different needs and remove barriers by concentrating resources to address inequities.

integrity – We seek truth, use data to inform decision making and operate with honesty. We commit to identifying how we can improve and making active changes ourselves before seeking changes in others. 

excellence – We recognize the inequities inherent in our current educational system and we actively work toward defining a high bar of excellence, disrupting the status quo and holding ourselves and our partners accountable for outcomes.

sustainability – We work to make enduring positive change. We resist silver bullet thinking and simultaneously engage in replicating success and promoting innovation. We balance patience with a sense of urgency and our immediate actions and quick wins are aligned to our long-term strategy. 

community – We serve communities. Families’ visions and aspirations for their children’s education guide us. We engage in asset-based thinking, leverage existing strengths and act with compassion. We work with under-resourced communities to achieve great k12 public schools for all Atlanta students.

Furthermore, as an organization, redefinED atlanta commits to:

• • attracting and retaining staff with diverse identities, backgrounds, and lived experience in public schools and the public school system;
  • further diversifying our board to include deeper lived experience and perspective from public school parents and historically marginalized communities, and
  • creating an inclusive working culture that celebrates difference, promotes universal belonging, and fosters ongoing learning and personal growth.

OPPORTUNITY & ORGANIZATIONAL FIT

The Director of Development (DoD) position is an exciting opportunity to join a mission-driven, high-functioning, entrepreneurial team whose energy and creativity are elevated when we work shoulder-to-shoulder together. Together with our extended community of dedicated stakeholders, including an aligned and deeply engaged board, we act with urgency and humanity to realize equity and excellence in education.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Vice President of Advancement, the DoD will design and drive the strategy for the major giving program for redefinED atlanta. As a frontline fundraiser, and in collaboration with our executive director, vice president of advancement and board of directors, you will directly solicit, cultivate, and steward the interests and motivations of prospective donors; leverage our leadership network and other champions, and execute the strategy you developed to build a balanced major gifts portfolio.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES CRITICAL TO ROLE:

The DoD will develop a diversified portfolio of primarily individual donors and corporate giving partners. In addition to tracking key progress indicators that support the achievement of annual revenue targets, the DoD will engage in advocacy, partnership development and other non-revenue-based ecosystem work. Core responsibilities also include:

• • partnering with the Vice President of Advancement to align on a vision for development and donor engagement;
  • leading the individual and corporate fundraising strategy by designing, implementing and monitoring the pipeline for a strategic major gifts-based individual and corporate giving plan designed to secure gifts in the $10k – $100k range; this work will include actively engaging with prospective donors, and making and closing on asks;
  • supporting efforts to identify and create advocates and allies from donor prospects;
  • supporting the Associate Director of Advancement in designing and executing highly customized stewardship and renewal plans to grow the engagement and investment of existing donors; and
  • working with staff and board members to co-manage donor relationships when necessary, ensuring the availability of high-quality research, materials and tools to support productive donor meetings and solicitations.

SKILLS, ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES:

The DoD is a genuine relationship builder who understands how to connect donor motivations and interests to the mission of our organization and deepen donor proximity to and conviction in our vision. Specifically, the DoD will be:

• • a practiced development professional whose experience includes building donor or business development pipelines, cultivating prospective donors and stewarding ongoing relationships, soliciting and closing on gifts and increasing engagement over time;
  • able to advance a ladder of engagement to drive policy and systems change work by identifying and creating advocates and allies from donor prospects;
  • self-motivated, energized by setting and executing strategic plans, inclined to think and dream big and effectively investing others, internally and externally, in a shared vision for educational excellence and equity;
  • a willing and ready teammate who is self-assured and able to recommend changes that enhance innovation and improve progress toward goals;
  • comfortable partnering with our board and allies to leverage their existing networks in advancement of redefinED atlanta’s mission;
  • experience handling diverse workstreams and inclined to lean in in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration to support our team;
  • able to design and drive relationship building and fundraising plans even as necessary information and resources are being collected;
  • connected to K-12 public education in metro Atlanta (preferred but not required).

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $95,000-$125,000 and includes full benefits and a flexible work environment.

LOCATION

Our office is located in the Glenwood Park neighborhood of east Atlanta. We value the benefits of in-person collaboration while also recognizing the advantages and flexibility that remote work offers. This role may be eligible for partial or limited remote work options, provided the DoD resides within Metro Atlanta.

TO APPLY

We have engaged Promise54 to support the hiring process.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For best consideration apply on or before December 22, 2023. Follow these instructions to submit a cover letter and resume:

• • Visit the Opportunities section on Promise54’s website and click on the APPLY NOW tab within the redefinED atlanta Director of Development position description
  • Answer a brief set of questions about you
  • Below the questions, you’ll be able to upload your resume as well as a cover letter

Finally, if you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact: admin@promise54.org.

COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION:

We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff and contractors, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.

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