Manager, Development

Manager, Development

Who we are

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to higher education civic and community engagement, Campus Compact enables higher education institutions to develop students’ citizenship skills and forge effective community partnerships. Our resources support senior administrators, faculty, staff, and students as they pursue community-based teaching, scholarship, and action in the service of positive change.

Today, we stand at a defining moment: we are ready to scale our impact when the stakes for our work have never been higher. We know that higher education has a critical role to play in fostering democratic principles and culture by addressing polarization, strengthening civic participation, and ensuring students are prepared to navigate and shape our democracy. Thanks to the investment of philanthropic partners, Campus Compact is preparing for a period of significant growth and expansion, particularly in the areas of innovation, scaling, and coalition building.

About the role

The Manager, Development supports Campus Compact’s fundraising and development efforts through a combination of grant writing, prospect research, data management, reporting, and development operations. This role works across the organization to ensure accurate and effective management of donor and prospect information, identify and pursue funding opportunities, develop high-quality grant materials, and provide research and reporting that supports fundraising strategy.

The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, analytical, organized, and comfortable managing multiple priorities and deadlines. They bring strong written communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues across functions.

Essential Responsibilities

Grant Writing & Pre-Award Support — 40%

• Support the development and submission of grant proposals, letters of intent, progress reports, and other funder communications and materials.
• Research and identify prospective grant opportunities aligned with Campus Compact’s programs, priorities, and strategic goals.
• Coordinate the development of proposal materials, including gathering information and content from staff, program teams, and other internal stakeholders.
• Draft, edit, format, and synthesize content contributed by colleagues to produce clear, compelling, and cohesive proposals.
• Assist with proposal budgets and coordinate with appropriate internal stakeholders to ensure accuracy and alignment with grant requirements.
• Track proposal deadlines, submission requirements, and the status of pending grants and sponsorships.
• Develop and maintain templates, tools, and process documentation to improve the efficiency and consistency of grant development activities.
• Support ongoing improvements to development workflows, systems, and processes.

Data Management & Annual Giving Strategy — 35%

• Serve as the lead for implementing Campus Compact’s annual giving strategy, building the organization’s annual giving program and infrastructure from the ground up.
• Partner across development and organizational teams to establish annual giving priorities, audiences, messaging, calendars, campaigns, and tracking mechanisms, using donor data and insights to inform strategy and continuously improve results.
• Develop and maintain the systems, processes, and reporting needed to support annual giving outreach, donor engagement, retention, and growth.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely donor, prospect, and engagement information within relevant development systems.
• Support data integrity, consistency, and quality across systems used by the development and donor experience functions.
• Produce standard and ad hoc reports, lists, analyses, and summaries to support fundraising, stewardship, donor engagement, and organizational decision-making.
• Maintain and update Campus Compact’s profiles and organizational information with external nonprofit and philanthropic information services, including Charity Navigator and Candid, on an annual basis.
• Track and manage operational workflows, deadlines, and outputs across multiple development initiatives.

Prospect Identification & Research — 25%

• Provide prospect research and prospect management support to fundraising staff and teams, responding to both individual fundraising needs and broader team priorities.
• Conduct comprehensive prospect research using wealth screening tools, publicly available information, and other research resources.
• Develop and implement research strategies to identify prospective individual, institutional, and philanthropic funders.
• Analyze and synthesize biographical, philanthropic, financial, organizational, and historical information.
• Develop clear, concise, and actionable prospect profiles, briefings, and research summaries.
• Identify connections, interests, giving patterns, and other relevant information that can inform cultivation and engagement strategies.
• Translate research findings into relevant information and recommendations for fundraising staff.
• Maintain accurate prospect research records and ensure information is documented appropriately within development systems.
• Support prospect pipeline development and management in alignment with Campus Compact’s fundraising priorities.

Core Competencies

Data Management & Analytical Rigor

Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage data accurately and consistently. Comfortable working with CRM and development systems, producing reports, analyzing information, and identifying opportunities to improve data quality and operational effectiveness.

Grant Writing & Research

Strong written communication and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate materials. Demonstrated grant writing experience and a track record of funded proposals are preferred.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Ability to coordinate work across multiple teams and functions, gather information from diverse stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and contribute to a cohesive development and donor experience.

Autonomous Execution & Judgment

Ability to work independently, anticipate needs, prioritize effectively, manage multiple deadlines, and exercise sound judgment with appropriate attention to detail and follow-through.

Organization & Operational Excellence

Highly organized and comfortable managing detailed processes, documentation, deadlines, databases, and multiple projects simultaneously. Demonstrated interest in improving workflows and creating efficient, consistent systems.

Professional Communication & Discretion

Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work professionally with colleagues, partners, vendors, donors, and other stakeholders. Demonstrates discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential or sensitive information.

Preferred Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated grant writing experience; a track record of funded proposals is preferred.
• Experience with prospect research, fundraising databases, CRM systems, or development operations.
• Experience managing and analyzing data, producing reports, and maintaining data quality.
• Strong research, writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a high degree of accuracy.
• Experience working collaboratively across teams and with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Notion and the ability to learn and effectively use development and research systems.

What Success Looks Like

The Manager, Development brings rigor, organization, and follow-through to Campus Compact’s development operations. Success in this role means that grant opportunities are identified and pursued thoughtfully, proposals and reports are accurate and compelling, prospect research is actionable and timely, and donor and development data is reliable and useful. The Manager helps create efficient, well-documented systems that enable the broader development function to operate effectively and advance Campus Compact’s fundraising goals.

Writing Sample: Candidates advancing to the panel interview will be asked to submit a writing sample that demonstrates their grant-writing skills. The sample should be a grant narrative or proposal section they have written or substantially contributed to. Candidates may redact confidential or identifying information. We will use the sample to assess clarity, organization, ability to synthesize information, audience awareness, and effectiveness in communicating a compelling case for support.

As an employee of Campus Compact you strive to represent & live Campus Compact’s Shared Values & Commitments in both how you show up for and work with your colleagues as well as Compact’s partners and communities:

• Equity: We prioritize full participation and diversity of thought, experience, and background. We center equity in our actions, processes, and practices to uplift diverse voices and perspectives.
• Growth mindset: We consistently push ourselves and each other to do and be better. We are motivated by growth—embracing new ideas, prioritizing continuous learning, and meeting challenges head-on.
• Accountability: We recognize that long-term change requires individual and shared ownership of personal and organizational actions. We own our mistakes, give each other grace, collaborate openly, and hold ourselves to high standards of integrity.
• Responsiveness: We ensure our offerings, resources, and approaches are flexible, grounded in feedback, and responsive to the challenges of our time.
• Transparency: We are direct and authentic within our team, with our members, and with our partners. We know that building trust starts with consistent, honest, and transparent communication.

Physical requirements:

• This is primarily a sedentary position requiring the ability to sit at a desk and use a computer and phone most of the day.
• Minor bending and lifting periodically (mostly related to help with events and office management needs)
• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Information:

• Position Type: This is a remote, full-time, exempt position.
• Location: This is a remote position with occasional travel required for staff gatherings and Compact Events, most specifically our annual All Staff, in-person Retreat.
• Reporting Structure : Senior Director, Development
• Compensation Band: $72-77K
• Benefits: Campus Compact provides a competitive benefits package, including national healthcare coverage, generous paid time off, and an employer retirement contribution. The organization prioritizes employee well-being and professional development and lives out those values through a flexible work environment, an inclusive and caring culture, and dedication to professional development.
  • Organizational Breaks:
    • Winter Break: Dec. 24th - Jan. 1st
    • Summer Reset: Week of July 4th