Teach For America Nashville-Chattanooga
Manager, Corporate and Foundations Relations
Teach For America Nashville-Chattanooga
Job Summary
THE ROLE
The Manager, Corporate and Foundation Relations (MCFR) will drive our local efforts to raise at least $1.7 million annually from corporate and foundation contributions, partnering closely with the Managing Director, External Affairs, the Managing Director, Chattanooga (based in Chattanooga), and the Executive Director (based in Nashville) in this work. The MCFR is responsible for developing and executing the strategies, key tactics and operations necessary to build and maintain this base of corporate and foundation supporters. We are looking for an individual who is passionate about our mission and believes deeply in the importance of investing others in our work to achieve educational equity and excellence. We are also looking for someone who can craft a compelling story about our organization and is able to tailor it for different audiences. Our ideal candidate will possess a high level of personal responsibility for achieving results, have strong creative thinking skills, be a collaborative team player, and possesses strong project management skills. The MCFR will report directly to the Managing Director, External Affairs and will be a member of the four-person External Affairs team.
THE ORGANIZATION
There are more than 16 million children growing up in poverty in the U.S., and less than 10 percent of them will graduate from college. These statistics are not a reflection of our children’s potential; we know that children growing up in poverty can and do achieve at the highest levels. Rather, these statistics reflect the systemic lack of access and opportunity for children in low-income communities.
Teach For America’s (TFA) mission is to find, develop, and support a diverse network of leaders committed to expanding opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. We are seeking individuals who align with our mission, core values and commitment to Diversity Equity & Inclusiveness and are ready to join us in this global movement.
THE TEAM
Teach For America finds, develops, and supports equity-oriented leaders – individually and in teams – so they can transform education and expand opportunity with children, starting in the classroom. It takes a collective effort to reimagine and build equitable systems of education. Teach For America – in partnership with other champions for Nashville and Chattanooga’s students – is a part of this work. We have 160 Teach For America corps members who teach in over 50 schools across Nashville and Chattanooga, reaching over 13,000 students. Nearly 1,000 Teach For America alumni call Nashville or Chattanooga home and have assumed notable positions in school leadership and education policy. Our goal is that by 2030, twice as many children in communities where we work will reach key educational milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and co-creating a future filled with possibility.
Job Responsibilities
THE PERSON
The Manager, Corporate and Foundation Relations will be responsible for, but not limited to:
Portfolio Management (45%)
Overall Management of Portfolio (20%)
- Develop measures of success, craft strategies and determine key tactics in collaboration with the Managing Director, External Affairs (MDEA), Executive Director (ED), and the Managing Director, Chattanooga (MDC) to ensure the region meets its corporate and foundation giving goals.
- Achieve the mutually agreed upon annual corporate and foundation goals, including renewals and/or upgrades of current funders and securing new funders
- Develop tactics to engage corporate partners, including volunteerism, opportunities to engage in our work, etc.
- Plan and execute excellent donor interactions and communications for individuals within your portfolio (setting up meetings, touchpoints, marketing materials, follow-ups, etc.).
- Develop and maintain strong operations timeline (e.g. donor-tracking systems, data management, etc.), using our constituent database system where appropriate.
Donor Stewardship within the Portfolio (15%)
- Set up and maintain Donor Stewardship Plan for members of your portfolio, including specialized stewardship plans for our highest-level donors
- Reach out to external partners and set up meetings with members and potential members of your portfolio.
- Innovate on strategies and use the stewardship plan and other systems (TFACT) to deepen partnerships with existing and new corporations, including planning and executing differentiated strategies of engagement that will lead to multiyear partnership and funding.
- Analyze the interests of donors to develop and tailor compelling pitches, campaigns, engagement strategies and stewardship activities.
- Prioritize key actions for the ED, MDC, and MDEA to take in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors through external meetings, events and correspondence, and follow up on what was accomplished by the ED, MDC, and MDEA.
Prospecting for New Donors (10%)
- Assess corporate and foundation philanthropy in the local landscape to inform goals and strategies.
- Conduct research on donors and prospects to identify their capacity and interest in giving.
- Analyze the interests of prospects to develop compelling pitches, campaigns, engagement strategies and stewardship activities.
Grant Writing (30%)
- Write compelling grant narratives and pitches including proposals, reports and correspondence that are tailored to donor interests
- Compile and manage a grants calendar to ensure all grants are completed and submitted on time.
- Create and maintain up-to-date supplemental materials (e.g. financial documents, organizational charts, data, etc.).
- Develop a process in partnership with regional staff to stay apprised of programmatic activities and results and to gather statistics and stories to share in donor communications.
External Affairs Team Support (10%)
- Support and partner where needed in developing and executing broader external strategies. Examples might include event support, stewarding partner relationships, etc.
Regional and Organizational Stewardship (15%)
Support team-wide priorities for Nashville-Chattanooga and organizational-wide initiatives. Examples include:
-
- Participating in staff committees and task forces
- Corps member recruitment, admissions, and matriculation
- Team meetings and professional development
- Regional events and programming (such as teacher orientation and end-of-year celebration)
- Collaborate cross-functionally to leverage portfolio connections to secure volunteers and in-kind donations
Qualifications
THE MUST-HAVES
Skills
- Exceptional written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to tailor approach and messaging towards the perspective of others
- Critical thinker who displays sound judgment in prioritizing problems to solve and opportunities to pursue
- Proven ability to constantly learn, grow and improve from past experiences
- Skilled in using logic and data to perform analysis and can translate into actionable solutions
- Ability to influence others toward outcomes through sophisticated relationship management
- Excellent relationship builder
- Highly organized, deadline-driven and with exceptional detail orientation
Prior Experience
- 3+ years of work experience preferred
- Fundraising and grant writing experience preferred
Work Demands
- Willing and able to work some early mornings, evenings or weekends when that furthers team or regional goals
- Willing and able to travel 2-3 times per year for professional development purposes
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree Required
Additional Information
Benefits
THE PERKS
By joining staff, you join a network of individuals committed to pursuing equity for all students and developing themselves as professionals in the process. We as an organization value the longevity of our employees and offer a full benefit plan that has proven to be pretty competitive. The salary for this position is also competitive and depends on your prior work experience. Please be advised, you will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.
WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Teach For America encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort.
Teach For America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
*This job description reflects Teach For America’s assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing in this herein restricts management’s right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time.
How to Apply
NEXT STEPS
Interested in this position? Apply now! Visit our official posting to apply. If you still have questions regarding the role, feel free to contact our recruitment team at staffing@teachforamerica.org or visit www.teachforamerica.org/about-us/careers.
Details
- Date Posted: March 5, 2021
- Type: Full-Time
- Job Function: Fundraising / Revenue Development
- Service Area: Children / Youth