Development Manager

 iMentor is seeking a Development Manager (DM) to play a key role in the execution of iMentor’s institutional fundraising and stewardship strategies across foundation, corporate and government revenue sources. The Development Manager will join our 10-person Development team (headquartered in New York City), report to the Managing Director of Institutional Giving, and provide partnership support to a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects managed by our three Regional Executive Directors (Baltimore, Chicago, New York City). The Development Manager will be responsible for conducting the full range of activities to prepare and submit grant proposals, reports, and other donor-facing materials; managing grant compliance; and help to develop and execute effective stewardship strategies.

The ideal candidate will be an exceptional analytical thinker, writer, and storyteller who can translate iMentor’s work and impact data into compelling talking points, creative content, and collateral for institutional audiences across three distinct geographies. They will be excited to collaborate with team members across the organization to procure and elevate information and data for grant proposals and reports, as well as to implement a funder stewardship strategy that builds authentic connections with current and prospective supporters. The Development Manager will serve as a primary liaison with other key development stakeholders including finance, program teams, and research and evaluation. They will also possess a passion for relationship-building, a keen eye for detail and project management, and proven effective persistence.

iMentor is a fast-growing, entrepreneurial, and national organization with offices in NYC, Chicago, and Baltimore, with a growing portfolio of higher education and non-profit partners around the United States. This role also offers exciting potential opportunity for career advancement and growth within the department and/or organization. The Development Manager will have the exciting opportunity to help further iMentor’s work and impact on a nationwide scale. The development team operates on a hybrid work schedule. While remote candidates will be considered, those residing in one of iMentor’s base cities (NYC, Chicago or Baltimore) should be prepared to work in-person at one of the iMentor offices two days per week. 

Grants/Project Management & Writing (50%)

• Write exceptional grant proposals and reports, letters of inquiry, internal briefing documents and memos, and other donor materials, that effectively and succinctly capture iMentor’s work and impact
• Proactively manage internal grants calendar and schedule to ensure proposals, deliverables and reports are submitted on time, and work across iMentor departments to ensure grant requirements are met in a timely and coordinated fashion
• Update and maintain iMentor’s Salesforce database of institutional funders and prospects, and ensure accuracy of recording funder histories, activities, and profiles
• Work with development team to steward donors through communications, presentations, outreach, site visits and donor appreciation

Prospect Research & Cultivation Strategy Execution (30%)

• Research corporations, foundations and government grant makers, for strategic alignment.
• Support the execution of cultivation strategies by drafting e-mail outreach, meeting agendas, meeting talking points, presentation decks, meeting follow-up, and other ad-hoc collateral for both prospective and current funders
• Proactively manage internal moves management including logging meetings, tasks and deliverables

Stewardship, Cross-functional & Development Team Collaboration (20%)

• Build relationships with key departments across iMentor to aggregate, package, and present data and information that will strongly align with the grant-making priorities and mission-based interests of each prospective partner and donor
• Manage stewardship calendar and schedule to ensure that we are designing and executing on a comprehensive touchpoint strategy throughout the year for institutional donors
• Provide coordinative support for donor engagement and stewardship events, site visits, etc. (includes some weeknight evenings and limited travel).

Qualifications

• 5 years of work experience with 3+ years' experience in relevant field with demonstrated success in grant and proposal writing, development, member/constituent services, or journalism/public relations; experience in the nonprofit sector a must
• Excellent written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills with the ability to articulate clear, persuasive, and concise thoughts
• Strong researcher and relationship mapper; experience with philanthropy research tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Candid, ProPublica, etc. preferred.
• Understanding of fundraising landscape and fluency with effective donor communications practices
• Proven track record of successful internal and external relationship management with ability to propel connections toward mutually beneficial outcomes
• Deeply collaborative with the ability to support multiple staff across geographies and departments. Flexible and adaptive to effectively manage changing priorities and new opportunities
• Displays exceptional project management skills while balancing multiple, complex projects in a highly deadline-driven environment
• Takes a solutions-based, collaborative approach to drive change in work and navigate challenges
• Quick learner who demonstrates an eagerness to continually strengthen their understanding of iMentor’s work and seeks to hone written communication skills
• Demonstrated alignment with iMentor's mission, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Salesforce experience preferred.
• Our organization works in partnership with district public schools across the country. In doing so we must meet all compliance requirements of those districts including background checks. iMentor is committed to ensuring healthy and safe environments for our staff, mentors, and the students we serve. In order to fully comply with the NYC Vaccine mandate, all iMentor employees (regardless of role or region) are required to be fully vaccinated priority to their start date.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range $70,000 - $75,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• 18 days paid annual vacation (increasing annually to 21, 23, 25), 13 paid holidays + your birthday + one floating holiday, iMentor closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day, plus 6-7 sick days annually
• 401K match up to 4%
• Remote candidates are considered.
• If based residing in one of iMentor’s base cities (NYC, Chicago or Baltimore) prepared to work in-person at one of the iMentor offices. Remote candidates are considered.
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Dependent care and health care flexible spending plans
• 1 hour of wellness time off per week for wellness activities of your choosing
• Flexible personnel wellness budget for reimbursements or marketplace purchases
• Every staff member is eligible for organization-sponsored professional development annually
• 9 weeks of paid parental leave

About iMentor

Celebrating 25 years of impact, iMentor is one of the most innovative college success organizations in the country. iMentor believes that all students deserve an equitable chance to pursue their ambitions. Our program builds authentic mentoring relationships in order to bring greater equity to our students’ educational journeys. Through these long-term relationships, first-generation students of color from underserved communities increase their access to the knowledge, experiences, and resources required to succeed in college or their post-secondary pathway of choice, and to pursue their career ambitions.

By partnering with public schools serving primarily first-generation college students and providing every student in the school with a mentor, iMentor supports students’ post-secondary journeys with a level of depth and personalization that cannot be matched by traditional advising models. iMentor’s students are 37% more likely to enroll in college and are graduating college at double the rates of their peers. Since inception, iMentor has created and supported 40,000 mentoring relationships.

iMentor’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We believe that people of all backgrounds deserve equal access to educational opportunities. Recognizing that our country’s history of racism and systemic oppression continues to drive educational disparities for students of color, we give special focus to addressing the economic and racial divides that impact the communities we serve. We are committed to the collective work and intentional investment necessary to consistently move in the direction of educational equity and inclusion. Learn more at www.iMentor.org.

How to Apply

Visit www.imentor.org/jobs to submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for this position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

iMentor is an Equal Opportunity Employer