Mighty Writers · 3 days ago
Senior Development Manager
Greater Philadelphia
Contract
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expMighty Writers is seeking a Senior Development Manager to enhance their fundraising strategy and financial sustainability. This role involves cultivating relationships with donors, managing grants, and executing a diversified fundraising strategy aligned with the organization's mission.
CharityEducationNon Profit
Hiring Manager
Julie Gilbert
Responsibilities
Partner with the Director of Development to implement MW’s annual fundraising strategy, revenue goals, and multi-faceted donor engagement plan
Serve as second-in-command of the Development Department, providing strategic input on department planning, operations, and resource allocation
Provide resources, guidance, and feedback to the Grants Manager and Development Specialist as needed to ensure timely, accurate, and compelling grant submissions, reporting, and campaign planning and tracking
Collaborate with Executive Director, Development Director and leadership team to integrate development priorities with organizational strategy, program needs, and external partnerships
Represent Development in cross-departmental meetings, helping to strengthen communication
Support Development Director in managing Mighty Writers’ portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation donors; cultivate relationships through meetings, calls, site visits, and stewardship events
Lead or support the development of funder presentations, pitch materials, and donor communications in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team
Ensure all donor stewardship practices are consistent, timely, and mission-aligned, including donor acknowledgments and impact reporting
Assist with planning and executing fundraising campaigns, year-end appeals, donor events, and special campaigns (e.g., summer programming, capital projects)
Supports the Grants Manager in managing the entire grants life cycle, including prospecting, proposal writing, budgets, submissions, and reporting
Oversee large scale, state grants and their deliverables to ensure accuracy, alignment with funder requirements, and consistency with MW’s program model and financial systems
Support Development Department operations, including donor database management, reporting, task tracking, and CRM optimization (e.g., Salesforce, etc)
Establish and strengthen standard operating procedures (SOPs) to increase efficiency, accuracy, and transparency
Partner with Finance to reconcile revenue, track expenses, and prepare data for audits and board reporting
Track departmental KPIs and prepare regular performance updates for the Director of Development and Executive Team
Partner with the Marketing & Communications team to align fundraising messaging with brand strategy and program stories
Work with Program Directors to gather program data, success stories, and impact metrics to support fundraising and stewardship needs
Support organization-wide initiatives, community events, volunteer engagement, and strategic planning efforts
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or fundraising certification is a plus
Minimum 5–7 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, preferably in a youth development, education, or community-based nonprofit
Demonstrated success in donor cultivation, grant writing, and managing a small fundraising team
Strong writing, editing, communication, and interpersonal skills
Experience with donor CRMs and data-driven fundraising practices
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization
Excellent leadership, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills
A passion for building and serving urban and rural communities
Proven ability to develop good rapport with people of all ages and backgrounds
Ability to work evenings or weekends as required for programs and events
Commitment to the mission of advancing literacy and equity for children and youth
Preferred
Bi-lingual English/Spanish
Benefits
401(k)
Dental insurance
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Retirement plan
Vision insurance
Company
Mighty Writers
Mighty Writers is a nonprofit organization that offers writing programs for kids.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Grace Bernicker
Director of Partnership Programs
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