Posted on August 3, 2012

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Director of Development

Position Summary: Curriki is seeking an energetic and experienced fundraising professional with a proven track record to expand and manage its development functions. The Director of Development will be responsible for diversifying and growing the organization’s funding base by creating and driving a strategy to support strategic growth for the organization that will propel it into the future. The Director of Development will help to lead a $2 million organization that places high value on innovation, creativity, strategic planning and programmatic excellence. You will be reporting to the CEO, and working closely with the Board Founder, and Curriki’s small, dynamic staff. This is an exciting position for a resourceful and strategic thinker to help take Curriki to the next level.

About Curriki: Curriki is a nonprofit social entrepreneurship organization dedicated to improving education by empowering teachers, students and parents with universal access to free and Open and Shared Educational Resources. Curriki is the leading K-12 online global community for teachers, students and parents to create, share, and find open learning resources that improve teacher effectiveness and student outcomes. Curriki was founded by Sun Microsystems in March 2004 and became an independent 501(C)(3) organization in 2006 to further Curriki’s mission.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of the Development Plan, including developing an annual action plan, and annual and long-range (3-5 years) fundraising goals; provide detailed reports about the fundraising progress on a regular basis and evaluating effectiveness of fundraising activities;
• Assume a hands-on, creative leadership role in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of foundation grants and new major gifts, personally cultivating and soliciting donors as appropriate; implement a structured program for generating new leads and responding to inquiries, involving, where appropriate, the CEO, other Curriki personnel and members of the Board;
• Identify, research and investigate new opportunities for funding from a wide variety of philanthropic and individual sources to expand Curriki’s donor base;
• Increase capacity of organization to cultivate and nurture relationships with current and potential corporate and foundation sponsors, high net-worth individual donors, and the Curriki community and other organizations that share similar objectives as Curriki to reach annual fundraising goals; develop and manage BOD fundraising capacity;
• Lead all grant-writing efforts for the team; collaborate with Curriki COO/CFO and other members of the program team to meet funding reporting requirements;
• Plan and direct implementation of special events, tracks event donors, and develop and maintain relationships with event sponsors;
• Lead the development of strategic communication plan and marketing efforts including the development of fundraising materials;
• Work closely with program staff to integrate Curriki’s mission, "brand" and growth strategy in innovative ways by effectively incorporating marketing/communications to provide visibility for Curriki;
• Lead the strategy for maximizing the use of Salesforce.com to improve fundraising efficiency, track donors' projects, steward donors through the dissemination of project reports, etc.;
• Manage all donor communications in coordination with CEO and other Curriki staff;
• Ensure frequent development-related updates to the organization’s website and social media sites;
• Train the CEO, other staff, and the Board in the fundamentals of soliciting donors;
• Ensure that all materials and activities are in line with Curriki’s mission and core values;
• Perform other related duties, responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Five or more years of increasingly responsible experience in designing, directing, and participating in a major, successful fundraising effort, including proven effectiveness in soliciting major gifts ($500,000) from individuals and family foundations, raising at least $1M annually and experience significantly growing revenues over time;
• A successful track record of personally identifying, cultivating and soliciting individual high net-worth donors, corporations and foundations for support; a record of measurable results in organizing and implementing major gifts, annual funds, direct mail, planned giving and special events;
• Demonstrated experience in raising funds by developing and implementing strategic fundraising plans that incorporate a concise definition of goals, targeted audiences, and strategies in line with institutional and academic goals;
• Solid major gifts understanding (pipeline, prospect research, prospect management) and an appreciation of donor relationship management;
• Knowledge and understanding of the local, regional and national funding environment;
• Committed to and enthusiastic about Curriki’s mission and education in general;
• Strong understanding about technology as it relates to Curriki’s mission and long-term objectives;
• A track record as an effective communicator; highly skilled in writing and speaking; adept at crafting proposals, donor correspondence and other kinds of materials, with the ability to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences, ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to present complex data in a succinct, compelling way;
• Strong computer skills including the ability to use donor research and tracking databases, and social media;
• Ability to work independently and to manage multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Creative thinker and ability to improvise in a busy, dynamic, and virtual environment.

Work Environment: Curriki is a virtual organization with under 10 employees/consultants and we expect applicants to maintain their own physical workspace. We conduct staff and contributor business throughout the United States.

Application Procedure: At a minimum, all application materials should include:

Cover Letter
Resume
Recent salary history