Director of Development

Job Description

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Durham, North Carolina but involving regular travel within and outside of Durham County.

Salary and Benefits: Starting salary of $82,560, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include 100% employer-sponsored, gold-level health care and short-term disability insurance, elective dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with 3% contribution, generous PTO, wellness and professional development funds, paid family leave, a flexible work schedule, a purposeful workplace culture and more.

To Apply: Apply online at bookharvest.org/careers. Resume and cover letter required. Hiring process will include reference checks, a brief work sample, and 1-3 live interviews.

Priority Deadline: Review of candidates will begin in December 2023 and continue until the position is filled. Apply by January 1, 2024 to guarantee review of your application materials.

We believe those who are affected most by literacy injustice must be centered in the work that we do, inside and out. We prioritize applications from individuals who have lived experiences of our programs or who come from the communities we serve, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Latinx, Indigenous or as a Person of Color; people with lived experience of poverty; LGBTQ+ individuals; people with disabilities; and others who may not have seen themselves reflected in books and stories as a child.

Organization Overview

Book Harvest is internationally recognized for its work to transform children’s literacy. Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2 million books to families in North Carolina, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children’s literacy. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished by books.

With Durham, North Carolina as our flagship location, we are actively replicating and expanding our work throughout North Carolina and across our country. Our vision is of a world in which reading, learning, and access to information are considered rights, not privileges, so that all children thrive. We hold an unshakable commitment to justice, equity, and equal opportunity for all people. To progress towards this vision, we strategically structure our programs and operations in service to Diversity, Equity, Belonging, Inclusion, challenging the status quo, and anti-racism.

Position Overview

The Director of Development (DoD) will be responsible for realizing fundraising strategy and long-term goals for Book Harvest, a rapidly growing organization with a spirit of innovation and annual budget of $6 million in FY 2024, with revenue needs expected to increase in future years. This is a new position for the organization, based in the External Relations Department.

This is a hybrid position; in a typical week, approximately 40-50% of the work will take place at Book Harvest’s office at 2501 University Drive in Durham, NC and/or in the community, meeting with donors and donor prospects. Typical work hours span Monday-Friday but occasionally work hours include Saturdays and some evenings, and some travel will be required. The DoD reports to the Chief External Relations Officer (CERO) and, once onboarded, will be given supervisory responsibilities for existing staff as the department undergoes further growth and development.

Reporting to the CERO and working closely with the CEO, COO, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and other C-suite colleagues, the DoD will direct the continuous stewardship and cultivation of current and prospective individual and institutional donors and ensure the timely and thorough pursuit of funding opportunities sufficient to meet the annual budget. The DoD will stay abreast of trends and developments in philanthropy and will develop a comprehensive and effective strategy for securing funding from a diverse array of sectors to further the Book Harvest mission and vision and support the organization’s scale-up efforts.

Book Harvest aims for a sustainable breakdown of revenue sources, with a goal in 2024 of approximately 30% of revenue sourced from private foundations, 30% of revenue from governmental or public dollars, and the remaining 40% of revenue from a combination of individual and corporate dollars. To this end, the DoD will oversee and direct the lifecycle of grants and donations, from research to cultivation to the task of continued relationship-building.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

Donor Relations/Donor Cultivation (40%)

• Oversee and execute all aspects of results-oriented annual spring appeal and end-of-year appeal campaigns.
• Oversee the development of robust sponsorship packages and increase sponsor prospects and revenue for the organization’s two major sponsorship opportunities: its well-established annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration on MLK Day in Durham, and sponsorship of Books on Break in communities which have adopted Books on Break, including Durham. For each, develop a sponsorship giving pyramid to identify and cultivate high-value sponsor prospects to meet reasonable and ambitious sponsorship growth goals.
• Work closely with the CEO, CERO and other C-suite staff to spearhead the development of a Major Gifts Campaign.
• Support the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships in the furtherance of a planned giving program.
• Supervise the administration and continued development of the donor database system, ensuring efficient and accurate recording and acknowledgment of donors.
• Constantly build current and potential philanthropic relationships built on trust, and assist others in the organization to do the same.
• Forecast future contracts/grants goals, translating the work happening in development to short-, mid-, and long-term financial forecasts.
• In coordination with the COO and the Chief Program Officer (when hired), report regularly on the status of the development pipeline and its impact on contracts/grants goals and financial forecasts.

Grant Writing (30%)

• Drive the organizational grant process from start to finish, ensuring compliance with funder requirements and deadlines and timely submissions.
• Initiate inquiries to funders; draft narratives for grant proposals; review all contents of proposals for alignment and excellence prior to submission.
• Produce grant reports, and assist in identifying, evaluating, and reporting on program outcomes to funders in collaboration with Grants Manager and program-specific colleagues.
• Working closely with staff colleagues, ensure that all known funding opportunities are comprehensively researched, pursued, and cultivated, with a focus on identifying new networks and contacts that can yield new revenues.
• Research, identify and pursue additional grants that match the objectives of the organization.

Strategy (15%)

• Draft and execute overall fundraising plan for raising annual operating income, increasing overall support, and diversifying revenue streams.
• In coordination with CERO, work closely with Grants Manager to maintain an up-to-date calendar and work plan(s) for all funding/development opportunities, including grant proposals and reports, mailings, and related marketing activities and events.
• Working closely with the CERO and other C-suite staff, set and execute long-term strategic plans to achieve organizational financial goals. Plans should include benchmark milestones on financial results, relationship development goals, year-round engagement, and donor stewardship processes.
• Working closely with CEO and Director of Strategic Partnerships in the development and cultivation of new high-potential funding opportunities that contribute to the organization’s goals for impact, scale, and policy influence.
• In coordination with the CERO, conduct regular analysis of donor trends and opportunities as gleaned from the donor database system and external research; use these data to construct effective philanthropic strategies.

Administration (15%)

• As part of a learning team, participate in regular Book Harvest All-Staff meetings, twice-yearly staff retreats, weekly or biweekly one-on-one supervision meetings, and other internal and external meetings as needed.
• Make a sustained contribution to organizational inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging efforts.
• Pursue professional development opportunities as provided and recommended annually.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate demonstrates experience in all of the following areas. However, we recognize that talent comes from many backgrounds and experiences, we consider candidates on a case-by-case basis, and we encourage you to apply whether or not you meet all the qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience leading nonprofit fundraising, with broad exposure to and experience with all aspects of development
• Proven track record of successfully securing revenues from multiple funding streams, including foundations, corporations, individuals, and government funders
• 5+ years experience in grant writing, preferably working with government grants and contracts
• Significant experience in supervision, preferably leading a development team towards shared goals
• Prior experience or strong interest in early childhood development research and/or policy
• Skill in cultivating relationships and developing trust with a wide range of individuals
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, with ability to communicate objectives and goals in clear, concise, and compelling language
• Able and willing to travel domestically on a regular basis
• Strong organizational skills, with outstanding attention to detail and meticulous data entry skills
• Utter dependability and a commitment to meeting and exceeding deadlines and honoring commitments
• Comfort within a fast-paced environment and management of simultaneous projects where multiple priorities coexist simultaneously; ability to maintain and adhere to schedules that have strict deadlines
• Expertise and enthusiasm for collaboration and teamwork, in which editorial suggestions, changes, revisions are met with collaborative spirit
• Confident, self-motivated initiative to learn with an open approach to asking for help, anticipating problem, and receiving multiple rounds of edits and feedback as proposals are refined
• Strong capacity in Google Suite or Microsoft Office, especially Docs/Word and Sheets/Excel; willingness to learn Book Harvest’s data systems (e.g. (Bloomerang, NewOrg, Paylocity)
• Dedication to the mission and culture of Book Harvest, which includes cultural competence, demonstrated commitment to social justice and youth literacy, demonstrated capacity and enthusiasm for teamwork and collaboration, and a commitment to active involvement in an anti-racist organizational culture
• Adherence to all staff policies and procedures
• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with booster shots up to date (subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Book Harvest is committed to creating an inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity, certified Living Wage, and certified Family Forward employer.

Book Harvest complies with federal and state disability laws, including all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Book Harvest will not discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of such individual’s disability or perceived disability. Book Harvest will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities, as defined by the ADA, or another medical condition who has made Book Harvest aware of their limitation, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship for Book Harvest. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@bookharvest.org.

Book Harvest is committed to protecting children through its child safeguarding policies. All offers of employment at Book Harvest are contingent upon acceptable results of a thorough background check. Staff are held to high standards of child protection.

To protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and maintain the safety of the communities where we operate, we follow CDC, federal and local guidance to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Book Harvest requires that all employees be fully vaccinated and bivalent boosted against COVID-19, except as required by law. Any employment offer will be contingent upon satisfactory proof that you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law.