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Development Officer

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Location:

Remote with preferred base location in Phoenix Metro Area, Boston Metro Area, Chicago Metro Area, Los Angeles Metro Area, New York City, Washington, DC, or Bay Area. Travel multiple times per year is required, including cross-country trips and overnight stays.

Role:

Full-time, regular, salaried, exempt

Position Summary:

The Development Officer plays a key role in the Youth Engagement Fund (YEF)’s organizational sustainability by advancing the organization’s fundraising strategy. This includes grant writing and management, tracking donor engagement, communications, and YEF positioning in the philanthropic sector. The Development Officer works with the Deputy Director of Partnerships to drive and implement YEF’s development strategy by managing YEF’s relationship with funders, ensuring strong systems of grant management and reporting, prospecting new funders, organizing and writing grant proposals, and providing thought partnership on new fundraising streams and initiatives.

Core Responsibilities:

Grant Writing & Grant Management

  • Lead the drafting, editing, and finalization of Letters of Intent (LOIs), grant proposals, and reports for current and prospective funding partners, including foundations, individual donors, labor unions, and organizational partners.
  • Gather information for proposals and reports, including background documentation, programmatic details, and impact data in collaboration with the Deputy Director of Partnerships, programs staff, and broader YEF staff.
  • Copyedit and proofread submissions to ensure accuracy, clarity, and alignment with funder requirements.
  • Create and maintain proposal and reporting templates and boilerplate materials for organizational use.
  • Design, manage, and implement systems for tracking deadlines, deliverables, communications, and submission requirements for all grant deadlines.
  • Lead communications with funders related to grant timelines, documentation needs, and submission processes.
  • Coordinate deadlines with fiscal sponsor, ensure narratives are sent for review in a timely manner, request and acquire financial reports for internal review, and communicate any additional requirements as needed.

Fundraising Strategy & Funder Engagement

  • Support the Deputy Director of Partnerships in developing and executing YEF’s fundraising strategy.
  • Manage donor and funder communications, including stewardship and fundraising campaign letters, funder and donor updates, and donor engagement emails.
  • Ensure timely and consistent funder and donor stewardship through emails, reports, briefings, and other communications as applicable.
  • Help develop and oversee a comprehensive funder and donor stewardship plan and advise staff on cultivation events, programs, and engagement opportunities.
  • Meet regularly with program staff, and other staff as identified to align funder and donor cultivation and prospecting strategies with programmatic needs and impact insights.
  • Lead creation and upkeep of fundraising materials including writing, coordinating with YEF staff to gather relevant data, manage design and approval process.
  • Identify and cultivate prospective philanthropic partners in alignment with YEF’s mission and strategic direction.
  • Support expansion of individual-donor portfolio and engagement, including online fundraising initiatives.

Organizational Positioning & External Engagement

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, funders, sponsors, partners, and colleagues in the philanthropic sector.
  • Represent YEF at meetings, events, and convenings as assigned.
  • Support in tracking and managing opportunities for external engagement including sponsorship requests, session proposals, speaking engagements, and staff participation at conferences, and convenings.
  • Support on execution virtual and in person funder-related events (i.e. panels, sessions, briefings, site visits) by tracking outreach and material creation and coordinating logistical needs with Operations team.
  • Work with the Deputy Director of Partnerships and the Executive Director on implementation of YEF’s Guiding Circle (Advisory Board) engagement including materials creation for meetings, written communications, and overall engagement.

Organizational Management

  • Ensure that funder records, fundraising materials and documents are filed and updated regularly.
  • Work with other YEF staff to maintain organizational wide work plans and outcomes, including contributing to the agenda for internal team meetings.
  • Lead management and maintenance of YEF’s funder and donor database, EveryAction.
  • Participate in organizational and strategic planning efforts, contributing to long-term development strategy and organizational growth.

Skills and Qualifications:

Required Skills and Experience

  • 5+ years of experience in development, philanthropy, social justice movements, youth engagement, civic engagement, or related fields.
  • At least 2 years of experience working as development staff or in a similar role with significant grant writing requirements.
  • Excellent grant writing and grant management skills, including demonstrated success with grant proposals, LOIs, and grant reports.
  • Excellent team-building, collaboration, and facilitation skills.
  • Strategic thinking capabilities combined with strong project management, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
  • Ability to effectively and concisely communicate issues, program strategies, and outcomes to a wide range of audiences in both written and verbal form.
  • Ability to travel multiple times per year, including cross-country and overnight stays.
  • High degree of personal organization and results-orientation, with the ability to navigate an outcomes-driven environment.
  • Proven ability to exercise sound judgment and manage complex initiatives with minimal supervision.
  • Record of success building and maintaining tracking systems, including grant calendars, donor databases, and funder documentation workflows.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships across a diverse range of donors, partners, and stakeholders.

Demonstrated Experience and Commitment To

  • The Youth Engagement Fund’s mission and vision, including the practice of strong grant writing and grant management as well as effective grantee engagement to advance our mission.
  • Knowledge of race, class, gender lens and experience using it in verbal and written communications.
  • Ability to work independently and to work as part of a collaborative and highly relational team.
  • Bringing a positive, energetic, and highly relational approach to partner engagement and donor stewardship.
  • Advanced listening, translation, and problem-solving skills that support clear communication, donor cultivation, and organizational collaboration.
  • Representing the organization professionally and effectively in philanthropic, donor, and partner spaces.

Desired Skills

  • Experience leading or supporting youth-centered and/or people-of-color-centered programs, coalitions, or networks.
  • Experience with project management software and development tools (GSuite, Submittable, Zoom, AirTable, Microsoft office, and EveryAction).
  • High comfort level engaging with philanthropic leaders, major donors, and organizational leadership.

Compensation:

$88,000 - $115,000 annualized, depending on experience, qualifications and internal equity. This position is offered a full benefits package, including 100% medical coverage for the employee and 90% medical coverage for dependents; 100% coverage for vision, dental, life/AD&D, long-term disability. Additional offerings include a 401K retirement savings plan, Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), Medical FSA, Dependent Care FSA, commuter benefits, Employee Assistance Program, other supplemental benefits and paid time off.

To Apply:

  • Email a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to jobs@youthengagementfund.org
  • Writing samples should be limited to 1 page, and can be excerpts of longer documents. Examples of grant applications or fundraising materials are preferred.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The Youth Engagement Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy. NEO Philanthropy is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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The Youth Engagement Fund is committed to economic, racial, and social justice.We aim to attract, develop and retain exceptional people, and to create a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and that enables each of us to realize our potential. Women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply.