Manager, Donor Communications

World Change Starts with Educated Children®

IMPORTANT: All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the country where the position is located. Room to Read is not able to provide sponsorship.

Position Overview

The Manager, Donor Communications is a senior proposal writer and project lead responsible for developing high-quality proposals and reports for institutional, corporate, foundation, government, and high-net-worth donors. This role plays a critical part in securing large, complex, multi-year funding opportunities that support Room to Read's Literacy and Gender Equality programs globally.

The position leads proposal development processes from strategy through submission, working closely with cross-functional global teams to develop compelling, donor-ready narratives that align with organizational priorities and donor requirements. The Manager, Donor Communications, also helps strengthen proposal systems, tools, and organizational capacity across the organization.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Director of Strategic Content and Creative.

Responsibilities

Proposal & Report Development (60%)

• Lead the writing and project management of complex, high-value proposals and donor reports for institutional, corporate, foundation, government, and high-net-worth individual donors.
• Manage proposal development processes from kickoff through submission, including timelines, workflows, responsibilities, and review cycles.
• Develop compelling donor narratives, including program approaches, theories of change, implementation plans, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) components.
• Coordinate proposal development across Programs, Finance, Research/MEL, Operations, and Development teams to ensure cohesive, donor-ready submissions.
• Facilitate review processes with senior leadership, technical experts, and country teams; incorporate feedback into final deliverables.
• Ensure all submissions comply with donor requirements, formatting guidelines, and internal quality standards.
• Manage external grant writers, editors, and consultants as needed to support proposal and report deliverables.

Content & Process Improvement (20%)

• Build and maintain proposal templates, boilerplate language, technical content libraries, and donor-facing resources.
• Develop and improve systems, tools, and workflows that streamline proposal and reporting processes across global teams.
• Contribute to internal guidance materials, trainings, and documentation related to proposal development.

• Provide coaching, mentorship, and quality assurance support to colleagues contributing to donor communications.

Strategic Proposal Leadership (10%)

• Review funding opportunities (RFPs) to assess strategic fit, eligibility, competitiveness, and compliance requirements.
• Provide recommendations and go/no-go input to leadership on major funding opportunities.
• Advise relationship managers and internal teams on proposal strategy, positioning, and win themes for major bids.
• Support development of competitive funding strategies for complex donor opportunities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management (10%)

• Partner closely with relationship managers, technical teams, finance staff, and leadership throughout the proposal development process.
• Collaborate effectively with geographically dispersed teams across multiple regions and time zones.
• Maintain strong communication and coordination with internal and external stakeholders to support successful submissions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in grant writing, donor communications, or proposal development within an NGO, INGO, or international development organization.
• Demonstrated success leading and securing complex 6- and 7-figure grants from institutional, bilateral, multilateral, corporate, and foundation donors, with preferred experience developing proposals for institutions such as U.S. Government, FCDO, GAC, World Bank, or similar.
• Proven experience managing complex proposal development processes involving cross-functional global teams, multiple stakeholders, and competing deadlines.
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to translate complex education and development concepts into compelling narratives for a wide range of donors
• Strong understanding of donor compliance requirements for major grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or managing the work of colleagues, consultants, or external writers.
• Strong project management, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Salesforce or similar CRM systems, digital workflow tools, and AI-assisted writing tools used to improve productivity and quality.
• Strong communication and intercultural collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in international development, communications, journalism, public policy, or a related field.
• Familiarity with education, literacy, and/or gender equality programming.
• Experience working with teams and programs across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and/or the Middle East.

We Offer:

The salary range for this role is $86,000 to $97,000. Compensation may vary depending on several factors including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, and relevant education or certifications.

Benefits include:

• 100% employer-paid premiums for your medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 50% medical and 100% dental and vision premium coverage for eligible dependents
• 22 days of PTO (+1 additional day accrued each year up to 27 days)
• 12.5 paid holidays
• Immediate enrollment in a 401(k) plan with up to a 6% match
• $600/yr allowance for home office
• Certified Great Place to Work

Child Protection Principles

• Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation
• Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation.
• All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse.
• All children should be treated with respect and dignity.
• The well-being of the child is Room to Read's first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse.
• Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles

• Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
• Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated.
• All adults should be treated with respect and dignity.
• Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor's rights and dignity at the forefront.
• Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel must adhere to Room to Read's Child Protection Policy, Child Protection Code of Conduct and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy.

About Room to Read:


Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow - creating lasting change. Through our Literacy Portfolio, we train and coach teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; create and publish quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establish children's libraries filled with diverse children's books that can be enjoyed at school and home. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports adolescents, particularly girls, in developing life skills that promote gender equality, helping them to pursue lifelong learning and make informed decisions.

We support young people of all genders to overcome gender biases and build the knowledge and skills to create a gender-equal world. Room to Read collaborates with local communities, partner organizations, publishers, and governments to test and implement innovative models that can be integrated into the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children in 28 countries.


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