Director of Development

About the organization

Literations envisions a day when all students, regardless of zip code, enter the fifth grade as proficient readers poised for academic success. Our mission is driving educational equity through experienced community volunteers empowering young readers for lifelong learning. We serve communities where opportunity gaps exist to ensure all students have the resources to become literacy proficient. Our experienced community volunteers are matched 1:1 with early elementary students from one of our 17 partners. These pairs meet weekly throughout the school year to accelerate students’ reading growth. Our highly-effective programming annually supports over 600 children to help them succeed in school and beyond. Literations is an affiliate of AARP Foundation Experience Corps, a national leader in engaging older adult volunteer coaches to improve grade 1-4 student literacy.

Position Overview

We are seeking an entrepreneurial, strategic, and metrics-driven Director of Development (DoD) to step into a newly created role designed to exponentially scale our organization's footprint. Serving as a critical thought partner and strategic ally to the Executive Director , this leader will help shape our long-term trajectory while building a highly sophisticated advancement infrastructure. This position carries a primary foundational mandate: to design and co-lead a multi-channel growth strategy that aggressively accelerates our revenue and unlocks the capital required to achieve our 10-year vision.

The ideal candidate has a history of building high-yield fundraising engines, bringing specific expertise in high-value corporate engagement, revenue-generating event production, team leadership, and executive-level collaboration. The DoD will provide strategic oversight of all development functions, supported by two experienced managers: a Senior Development Manager who leads individual and major giving (with the Executive Director stewarding our highest-level donor relationships) and an Institutional Relations Manager who leads grant writing and Foundation Relations. This structure will allow the DoD to focus the majority of their time on growth strategy, corporate partnerships, signature events, and team leadership.

The DoD will serve as a member of Literations’ Leadership Team and oversee the Development team.

Core Responsibilities

Executive Thought Partnership & Strategy

• Strategic Alliance: Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic thought partner to the Executive Director, collaborating on organizational sustainability, financial forecasting, and long-term scaling opportunities.
• Relationship Cultivation: Partner closely with the Executive Director to identify, approach, and steward high-profile major gift donors, institutional donors, corporate executives, and community leaders.
• Scale Revenue Pipeline: Design and execute a growth plan targeting new revenue streams to achieve an aggressive accelerated growth plan to achieve our 10-year vision.
• Board Engagement: Co-lead development presentations for the Board of Directors with the Executive Director, equipping board members with the tools and networks needed to champion the organization.

Team Management & Operations

• Team Leadership: Oversee a development department of three staff members, providing direct management, mentorship, and clear performance metrics for two direct reports: the Senior Development Manager and the Institutional Relations Manager.
• Supporting Individual & Major Giving: Supervise and coach the Senior Development Manager, who leads the individual and major gifts program day-to-day, while the Executive Director cultivates and stewards top-tier donors. Set annual goals together, review portfolio and moves management progress, help remove barriers, and ensure individual giving is integrated into the overall revenue strategy. The DoD will maintain a limited personal portfolio and join select donor meetings as strategic priorities require.
• Supporting Institutional Giving: Supervise and coach the Institutional Relations Manager, who leads grant writing and foundation relations. Partner on an annual grants strategy and calendar, help identify and prioritize new foundation, corporate foundation, and public funding prospects, review and strengthen high-priority proposals, and ensure grant reporting and compliance deadlines are consistently met. Join key funder conversations alongside the Executive Director as needed.
• Infrastructure Building: Establish standardized development operations, enforcing clean data tracking, donor pipelines, and reporting frameworks.

Corporate Engagement & Events

• Corporate Pipeline Execution: Build out a robust corporate giving program, pitching regional and national brands for CSR partnerships, grants, and employee engagement.
• High-Yield Event Production: Evaluate and elevate our signature event portfolio to optimize profitability, looking specifically at corporate tables, sponsorship tiers, and live donor appeals.

Multi-Year Campaign Leadership

• Working with the Executive Director, Board, and staff, plan and lead a multi-year fundraising campaign to advance our 10-year vision. This includes feasibility and readiness assessment, goal setting, gift tables, case development, volunteer and campaign committee structure, and phased public and quiet stages.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Leadership Experience: At least 5 years of fundraising leadership experience, with a proven history of managing staff, growing revenue, and working directly alongside executive leadership.
• Executive Presence: High emotional intelligence and professional maturity, with a demonstrated ability to serve as an effective proxy and thought partner for the Executive Director.
• Team Management: Experience managing professional staff, explicitly supervising multiple direct reports.
• Proven Track Record: Tangible evidence of securing six-figure organizational growth, high-value corporate sponsorships, and scaling signature fundraising events.
• Knowledge Across Giving Channels: Working knowledge of individual and major gift best practices, institutional giving, signature events, corporate partnership, and fundraising campaign management.
• Campaign Experience: Direct experience planning, managing, or playing a significant role in a multi-year capital, comprehensive, or endowment campaign. Experience leading a campaign from feasibility through completion is strongly preferred.
• Technical Proficiency: Strong command of modern CRM ecosystems (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser's Edge) to enforce team accountability and clean pipeline data.