Operations / Administration Regional Development Director
Job Description
Our Why and What We Do
Teach Plus is a national nonprofit whose mission is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student access. The Teach Plus team exists to breathe life into the Student Opportunity Mandate: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, responsiveness to individual needs, and ability to prepare students for postsecondary success. At the heart of our work is advocacy for collective impact, beginning with classroom teachers.
At Teach Plus, we believe in equity-driven teacher leadership. When we invest in developing our most talented teachers into teacher leaders who are well-informed, persuasive, and prepared to lead, they have deep leverage in advancing equity for students, especially for students of color, low-income students, and those from underserved communities. To close the opportunity gap and to ensure equitable access to a world-class education for all students in the schools and communities we serve, we ignite systems change at multiple levels through our Policy Fellowship and Instructional Leadership programs designed to inspire and equip teachers. We are committed to leading change in our Equity Focus Areas.
What You’ll Do
We are seeking two Regional Development Directors to join a growing, collaborative national development team tasked with scaling up the organization’s philanthropic base across a number of states. Reporting to the Vice President (VP) of Development, each Regional Development Director will partner with executive directors in 6-8 states to build and maintain relationships with current and prospective funders, partner with the Communications and Program teams to co-develop funder communications tools and collateral, and help to maintain the operational systems required to manage an efficient development department.
The position requires a highly organized and self-motivated professional who has experience managing diverse funding sources and pipelines, including philanthropy, major gifts, and individual giving efforts, exercises the highest level of discretion, and can work independently while coordinating with team members located in multiple locations toward meeting the organization’s total annual fundraising goal of $13M+.
Roles & Responsibilities
The core responsibilities of the Regional Development Director include the following:
- Partner with the Executive Directors in 6-8 states and the office of the Chief Executive Officer to expand fundraising pipelines through prospect research and screening, attending events, collaborating with teams on grants, developing relationships with donors, stewardship, and personalized engagement plans;
- Work with Teach Plus leadership to identify, cultivate, and request gifts from high-net-worth individuals within the region;
- Serve as Portfolio Manager for Executive Directors, developing and supporting the execution of the overall strategy to build and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective funders;
- Lead preparation for and participate in funder meetings in partnership with Executive Directors and national team members;
- In partnership with the Development Team, author concept papers, funder communications, proposals, reports, and other documents to support the maintenance of strong relationships and timely submission of grant proposals and reports to funders;
- Co-develop systems and reporting using the Salesforce platform to accurately track cultivation and the status of fundraising pipelines, and to allow for future expansion to other states over time;
- In partnership with the VP of Development, support and co-lead professional development on fundraising skills and strategies for the broader Teach Plus community;
- Collaborate across Teach Plus functions (Finance, Programs, Evaluation, Communications, etc) to drive continuous improvement; and
- Serve as a bridge for cross-functional collaboration across Teach Plus teams to strategically communicate our work more broadly and oversee the production of key collateral and content and project manage key development initiatives.
Additionally, each Regional Development Director will lead on key initiatives in support of departmental and organizational goals depending upon their areas of expertise and interests in one or more of the following areas:
Individual Giving
The Regional Development Director may partner with the VP of Development to develop and execute an individual giving strategy, supporting major gifts in states and at the national level, including:
- Conduct prospect research to identify potential donors in Teach Plus states;
- Develop messaging and collateral to support individual giving and major gifts strategy;
- Provide professional development; and
- Support executive directors in developing advisory boards, planning events, etc.
CEO Support
The Regional Development Director may partner with the CEO to support funder communications and prepare for funder meetings, including:
- Conduct prospect research on prospective foundations and donors, and produce briefing materials and talking points for the CEO;
- Draft funder communications for CEO; and
- Manage calendar of CEO fundraising meetings.
New Site Development
The Regional Development Director may partner with the Chief of Policy, Planning & External Affairs to engage in new site development, identifying additional states and communities for Teach Plus expansion, including:
- Conduct prospect research to identify potential funders in new states and districts;
- Meet with prospective donors to discuss expansion; and
- Create collateral, concept papers, and funder proposals to support new site expansion.
Communications Tools and Strategy
The Regional Development Director may also work across a number of departments to increase Teach Plus’ ability to tell its story through a variety of media, including:
- Collaborate with the VP of Development and Program Team to lead the development and revision of collateral materials used in partnership development;
- Partner with the Communications team to adapt and create funder-facing communications pieces that can be used by sites across the network; and
- Partner with VP of Development to support the Communications team in the collection and creation of impact stories across the network.
What You’ll Need to be Successful
- A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, including at least 3-5 years of cultivating and prospecting funders;
- Proven track record of soliciting and closing individual, corporate, and/or foundation gifts and grants; experience in education, nonprofit or philanthropic organizations and/or within the region or similar regional structure a significant plus;
- Exceptional organizational skills; demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously; and ability to meet deadlines;
- Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills;
- Proven writing, editing, and oral communications skills;
- Self-motivated, with strong problem-solving abilities and strong attention to detail;
- A passionate commitment to advancing equity and improving public education, including supporting outstanding and diverse teachers to contribute to the success of all students;
- Salesforce experience preferred.
Commitment to Diversity
To better serve the teachers and students at the core of our mission, Teach Plus is committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds and gender identities to apply to our positions.
Location
This position will be conducted virtually (primarily from a home office), with occasional travel (10%). Candidates located in Teach Plus sites or who have experience fundraising in Teach Plus sites will be prioritized. A successful candidate will have the ability to build relationships and meet with potential funders in partner sites (in-person and/or remotely).
What We Offer
The starting salary range for this position is $110,000-$120,000, and salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s specific qualifications, years of relevant experience, specialized knowledge, and internal equity. Teach Plus provides a comprehensive benefits package and time-off, including 15 vacation days, 3 personal days, 5 sick days, 13 holidays, July break, Winter break, paid parental leave, and a 4-week paid sabbatical for every five years of service.
