Strategic Development & External Relations Lead

About Esperanza For more than 40 years, Esperanza has supported students and families across Northeast Ohio through education, leadership development, and career readiness programs — growing from a single $250 scholarship in 1983 into an organization that serves more than 5,000 students and adult learners each year. Through mentorship, scholarships, career exploration, internships, and ESL and digital literacy instruction, Esperanza builds a continuous education-to-career pipeline that promotes academic persistence, college completion, and meaningful employment. With a 99% college persistence rate, a 90% graduation rate, and more than $2 million in scholarships awarded, Esperanza's work strengthens individual opportunity and builds a more inclusive, educated, and prosperous Northeast Ohio. Why Work at Esperanza At Esperanza, our name means hope — and that is the foundation of everything we do. For more than 40 years, we have been rooted in the communities we serve, working alongside students, families, and neighbors to open doors to education, leadership, and lifelong opportunity. We believe that every person has potential worth investing in, and that stronger communities are built one learner at a time. Our work is personal. We show up for students from high school through college and into careers, and we support adult learners navigating new chapters of their lives. We do this work because we believe in the power of education to change not just individual lives, but entire families and neighborhoods. If you join Esperanza, you join a team that leads with compassion, moves with purpose, and measures success by the growth of the people around us. We value cultural humility, community connection, and the kind of dedication that goes beyond a job description. We are a small organization with a big mission, and the people who thrive here are those who want their work to matter. Position Details Location: Cleveland, Ohio Reports To: President & CEO Supervises: Development staff, contractors, and vendors Classification: Full-time | Exempt Organization Size: ~\$3M annual operating budget Compensation: $90,000 – $100,000 annually, plus the potential for a bonus based on mutually established performance goals. The Opportunity Esperanza is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven Director of Development & External Affairs to lead fundraising, communications, and external engagement in service of the organization's mission. This is a hands-on leadership role combining relationship-centered fundraising with marketing, communications, and external affairs strategy. The Director will work alongside an active CEO and Board to deepen funder relationships, expand the grants pipeline, and build a stronger culture of philanthropy. In the first year, priorities include strengthening donor relationships, growing the grants portfolio, and increasing Esperanza's visibility with key external audiences. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who leads with cultural humility, operates with sound judgment, and is genuinely committed to the communities Esperanza serves. Fundraising Strategy & Leadership Lead a comprehensive annual fundraising plan aligned to Esperanza's mission, strategic priorities, and approved budget. Champion a culture of philanthropy, engaging board members and staff as active ambassadors for the organization. Build and steward relationships across all funding channels: individual donors, foundations, government funders, and corporate partners. Develop and manage a major gifts portfolio, including multi-year cultivation and stewardship strategies. Champion a culture of philanthropy, engaging Board members and staff as active ambassadors. Revenue Development Manage and grow the foundation, government, and corporate funding portfolio. Lead the grants strategy and oversee the full grant lifecycle — direction-setting, writing and editing, compliance, renewals, and outcomes reporting. Build a corporate sponsorship pipeline, cultivating multi-year relationships and leveraging events as structured donor engagement opportunities. Grow the individual donor program through intentional stewardship, tailored outreach, and a moves management approach. Fundraising Events Lead all phases of Fiesta of Hope — Esperanza's signature fundraising event — including planning, execution, budget oversight, corporate sponsorship strategy, event branding, and post-event donor engagement. Lead budget and fundraising strategy for the Back-to-School event, in close partnership with program teams who drive logistics and on-the-ground execution. Revenue Planning & Forecasting Maintain a rolling revenue forecast and pipeline across all funding streams, updated monthly and shared with leadership. Track progress against annual revenue targets, identify funding gaps early, and keep the CEO and Board informed on pipeline health and timing. Development Operations Own CRM health and data integrity, including donor profiles, segmentation, and entry standards. Establish and maintain clear procedures for donor acknowledgement, recognition, and stewardship. Produce consistent reports on revenue targets, pipeline health, and donor retention to support leadership decision-making. Leverage generative AI tools responsibly and ethically — respecting data privacy, donor confidentiality, and organizational integrity — to accelerate the pace of work and improve the quality of deliverables. External Affairs Develop and maintain an annual integrated communications plan that aligns messaging across fundraising campaigns, events, digital channels, and public-facing materials. Establish and uphold brand standards and voice guidelines, ensuring consistency across all communications. Oversee Esperanza's digital presence — including website and social media — setting strategy and holding vendors and staff accountable for execution. Direct creation of core organizational collateral, including funder presentations, impact reports, one-pagers, and sponsorship materials. Manage external marketing vendors, overseeing quality, contracts, and budgets. Track and report on key communications metrics — email open rates, social media engagement, and web traffic — using data to inform strategy. In partnership with the CEO, cultivate relationships to advance the organization's visibility and mission. Board & Leadership Partnership Serve as the primary development partner to the President & CEO; attend Board and Development Committee meetings. Deliver clear, decision-focused quarterly updates to the Board on revenue, pipeline, and communications effectiveness. Engage Board members in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding priority prospects. Requirements Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or a related field — or equivalent experience. 5+ years of fundraising experience with a demonstrated track record across multiple channels (individuals, foundations, corporations, and/or government). Strong relationship-building skills and comfort with direct solicitation. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences. Financial literacy and proficiency in Excel for forecasting and pipeline management. Experience with a donor CRM and data analytics. Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities. Experience working with contractors and vendors, and comfort directing others as the team grows. Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams and lead with cultural humility. Practical proficiency with generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar). Preferred Graduate degree or advanced professional training. Background in education, youth development, or workforce-related organizations. Experience in marketing strategy, brand management, or integrated communications — particularly in a nonprofit context. Familiarity with digital marketing platforms, email tools, CMS, or social media management tools. Experience modernizing development operations, including tools, processes, and reporting. Comfort learning and using digital tools, including AI platforms. Compensation & Benefits Salary range: $90,000 – $100,000 annually, plus performance-based bonus potential. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package that may include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; Short-Term Disability; 401(k) retirement plan; Paid Time Off (combining vacation, personal, and sick leave); paid holidays; and bereavement, jury duty, and military leave. A detailed benefits summary is available upon request. #J-18808-Ljbffr Esperanza Inc