Director of Development

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Global Village Project

In 2009, Global Village Project was founded as a model for innovative, equitable refugee education. As the only school in the U.S. for refugee girls, we aim to remove the barriers to students’ learning and amplify their voices as creative young leaders. Our full-day academic program currently serves 47 refugee girls, and will scale to grow up to 100 students in the next four years. Our program is designed specifically for our students’ needs as English language learners, with trauma-informed practices and restorative justice at its center. We are a team of educators, of lifelong learners, and of people who care deeply about girls’ education, and together we are building a multicultural, multilingual community of students and staff.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Global Village Project’s Director of Development, you will lead a team dedicated to securing the revenue that will elevate our organization at a pivotal stage of growth. As Director of Development you will integrate individual and institutional giving, foundations and grants, special events, and external communications strategies. You will have the opportunity to enhance the brand, relationships, and financial resources that will sustain GVP long into the future. This is a mission critical role that will bring a key perspective to our senior leadership team, partnering with the CEO, other department directors, and the Board to shape the strategic decisions that expand and deepen our impact.

We recently completed a successful Capital Campaign that allowed us to purchase and renovate a new school to enable our enrollment to scale up to serve 100 students. As we expand enrollment in our new school, our annual budget will increase as will our fundraising needs - from $3M per year today to $4M per year by 2030.

As Director of Development, you will supervise and mentor 5 development and marketing team members (a Development Manager, a Development Coordinator, a Marketing & Communications Coordinator, a part time Sr. Grants Specialist, and a Data & Record Coordinator) and will report directly to the CEO & Head of School. This role is responsible for meeting or exceeding annual contributed revenue goals across all fundraising channels.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Revenue Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Execute a multi-channel fundraising strategy, focused on growth, that supports organizational goals and ensures sustainable and diversified revenue across multiple channels, including: annual giving, events (The Welcome Walk and Tribute to Education), foundation & grants, corporate giving, and the Georgia Tax Credit program- GOAL.
• Facilitate recurring pipeline assessments to track progress against goals, surface areas of concern, and recommend course corrections.
• Partner with the CEO, executive leadership, the board development committee, and the development team to evaluate existing fundraising approaches and shape new strategies that reflect both organizational goals and donor motivations.
• Track emerging philanthropic and fundraising trends, using those insights to build creative strategies that grow and diversify the donor pipeline and boost overall contributed income.

Major & Strategic Gifts

• Manage a portfolio of top-tier major donors and prospects (individual gifts ranging from $1k - $100k). Steward relationships with existing donors and develop pipeline of potential donors.
• Develop metrics and goals and create reports to enable staff, board, and the development committee to monitor development and fundraising progress.
• Work with the Sr. Grants Specialist on grant and foundation research, proposal development, grant writing, and reporting. Develop strategy for identifying and growing foundation grant opportunities.

Corporate & Event Revenue Strategy

• Manage the corporate fundraising strategy, including sponsorship and partnership development.
• Lead the strategic vision and direction for GVP’s two signature fundraising events, The Welcome Walk and Tribute to Education, and other mission-driven events such as donor appreciation events, to align fundraising outcomes with event execution.

External Engagement & Brand Awareness

• Oversee marketing and communications strategy for the organization, including newsletters, collateral and promotional materials, social media communications, PR channels, and website to deepen stewardship, raise organizational visibility, and open up new philanthropic and partnership opportunities.
• Serve as an organizational representative at community events, donor gatherings, media events and partnership functions, building visibility and philanthropic engagement in ways that reflect the mission.

Data, Reporting, & Insights

• Oversee the management and setup of our new CRM (Bloomerang) strategy, ensuring data accuracy, ensuring donor insights are put to effective use, and keeping the system aligned with both fundraising priorities and external engagement efforts.
• Track core fundraising metrics — including revenue mix, pipeline coverage, and donor retention — to gauge organizational performance.

Leadership & Team Performance

• Provide direct leadership and coaching to development and marketing/communications staff, setting clear performance expectations around fundraising targets, portfolio management, event management, external communications and publications, donor stewardship, and holding team members accountable to those standards.

Board & Leadership Engagement

• Partner with the CEO & Development Committee Chair to equip board members to actively participate in fundraising by providing training, tools, and engagement strategies.
• Attend Board and Development Committee meetings; assume responsibility for all development reports to the Board.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors and CEO in organizational strategic planning.
• Develop and nurture the sense of community and philanthropy among faculty and staff, students, families, volunteers, mentors, board members, alumnae, neighborhood and community businesses, and other community members.
• Contribute to a culture that values community, collaboration, and lifelong learning while upholding GVP’s guiding principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with proven achievement in wide-ranging development techniques and strategies across multi-channel fundraising streams (major gifts, grants and foundation giving, events, planned giving, etc).
• Demonstrated success managing a $500k+ portfolio with accountability for annual revenue goals and fostering long-term donor relationships.
• Knowledge of budget development and administration, financial reporting, and ethical and compliance rules related to fundraising.
• Ability to craft compelling donor messaging and campaign materials, aligned with organizational brand and mission.
• Strong donor relationship management skills, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Demonstrated organizational and project management skills, including effective use of CRM or donor management systems
• Strong track record in leading and managing a team, with success in not only achieving collective objectives but also maintaining a growth-oriented, inclusive culture.
• Highly professional demeanor with the ability to work successfully with a wide variety of constituents, including, but not limited to, donors, board members, volunteers, community partners, and colleagues.
• Proficient in computer skills in Microsoft Office or Google Suite, as well as fundraising CRM.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and work independently
• Required attendance at evening and weekend events as necessary in support of the mission.

ABOUT YOU

• You relish a people-facing role that allows your interpersonal skills to shine. You are energized by the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with stakeholders and supporters while casting a vision for partnership.
• You lean towards big picture thinking , looking for ways to integrate your team’s individual expertise and tactical priorities into an overarching, long-term strategy.
• You’re eager to work with numbers and data to tell our story of impact and to inform your decision making. You prioritize strong, clean data analysis and will be looking to emphasize this across your team.
• You’ll be excited to work in a highly-collaborative, cross-functional team . While we’ll consider you the subject matter expert on fundraising, we’ve found inclusive decision making to be vital to our success.
• You are an organizer and a problem solver , finding creative ways to engage a wide variety of audiences with a common goal of supporting GVP.
• You are comfortable making an ask , connecting GVP’s financial goals to unique individuals and organizations who are potential donors.
• You bring a lens of cultural humility and a dedication to equitable and inclusive practices . We are a team that cares deeply for one another, and that constantly strives to encourage and hold one another accountable to our culture agreements and core values.
• You are a lifelong learner. While you bring deep expertise in fundraising, you are also open to learning from your team and your colleagues.

Does this sound like you?

If you see yourself in this job description but don’t feel like you meet every single criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway! We take a holistic approach to all of our hiring practices, believing in the power of lifelong learning, and want to hire those who best align with GVP’s mission and values.

GVP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, marital status, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, people of color, and those with refugee and immigrant backgrounds who are excited about contributing to our mission.

DETAILS & BENEFITS

Location: This position will require offsite meetings with donors in and around metro Atlanta, but will be based out of our school office in DeKalb County. Limited telework opportunities may be available.

Job Type: Exempt, full-time role

Salary: $90 - 100K annually, based on years and depth of relevant experience

GVP provides the opportunity to work within a vibrant community dedicated to teaching and learning, social justice, and service. We are located at 2135 Shamrock Drive in unincorporated DeKalb County. The position requires a criminal background check. Primary elements of the benefits package include:

• 20 days of paid time off per year in addition to staff-wide designated paid holidays, with additional flexibility during summer hours
• Health insurance, including optional dental and vision coverage, and an HRA plan; IRA plan with 2% annual employer contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Life insurance
• Support for professional development opportunities

HIRING PROCESS

Interested candidates should upload their resume and cover letter to the Director of Development Application Form. Resumes and cover letters can also be mailed to Global Village Project c/o Shaakira Silvera, P.O. Box 1548, Decatur, GA 30031.

Applications will be reviewed beginning August 31. Interviews will include a Zoom screening, an in-person visit to GVP for a 2-part interview with the team and the CEO, and will include a meeting with representatives from the Board of Directors. Our intent is to fill the position for a start date in late September.