Development Manager at The Idea Village

The Idea Village is seeking a Development Manager who has a passion for startups and local economic development along with a demonstrated history of being relentlessly resourceful. We are a nonprofit that supports founders and high-growth startups through our accelerator programming and catalyst events such as New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), an annual celebration of innovation and culture.

We are seeking a skilled and driven Development Manager to join our (small but mighty!) team at The Idea Village. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies to meet our financial goals and objectives, while providing tactical support for campaign management and our annual development cycle. The ideal candidate will have a passion for startups, fluency in the language of economic development, and/or a demonstrated track record of implementing fundraising initiatives in the non-profit sector. With strong organizational and communication skills, you will manage a variety of tasks with a high level of attention to detail, comprehensive record keeping, as well as an ability to develop and maintain relationships with donors, volunteers, and staff, while supporting senior leadership. Join us in this exciting opportunity to lead and execute the fundraising efforts that will support the future of our organization and the economic vitality of the region.

As a unique non-profit startup accelerator, convener, and engine for economic development, we are looking for someone who is passionate about innovation and believes in the future of an exceptional New Orleans to help us mobilize a village of people who are committed to building industry-leading companies.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Individual Donor, Sponsorship, and Campaign Support:

• Provide overall management and organization for The Idea Village’s development, stewardship, and campaign efforts, including creating and maintaining prospect pipelines, developing and maintaining systems for tracking prospect moves, building prospect strategies, coordinating task assignments with staff, board and committee leadership, and maintaining timelines

• In concert with the CEO, board, and other team members, develop strategies for approaching development prospects, defining the relationship team to maximize results, and monitoring progress made with each prospect

• Serve as the primary staff liaison to any development focused committees

• Update prospect pipeline to reflect moves, new strategies, closes, declines, etc.

• Research, identify, develop and prioritize new campaign prospects

• Schedule meetings, prepare talking points and briefings, assemble presentations and full meeting prep for Board members, campaign volunteers, and staff

• Actively and energetically work to set both staff and volunteer leadership up for success in all donor and prospective donor interactions including framing meetings, providing context, and managing accurate and timely follow up

• Write development and campaign correspondence including solicitations, proposals, meeting requests, and meeting follow-up

• Capture post-solicitation and cultivate meeting feedback

• Update campaign reports and ensure that current campaign reports are easily accessible

• Develop and maintain updated lists of sponsorable assets and naming opportunities

• Keep donor recognition records, oversee acknowledgment of all gifts and pledges, prepare pledge payment reminders, and manage donor payment processes

• Maintain master development/campaign calendars and ensure prioritization of activities necessary to meet goals

• Plan and execute fundraising events and campaigns, including direct mail, email campaigns, and online giving programs

• Support the engagement of donors and VIP stewardship across The Idea Village events and activities

• Collaborate with communications team to develop marketing materials and donor communications

• Prepare weekly reports on fundraising activities and outcomes

Grant Development, Organization, and Reporting:

• Support the preparation and submission of grant proposals to private foundations and government entities

• Coordinate and support grant reporting including working with the programs team to develop grant report narratives and finance team to prepare budget reporting

• Build and deepen relationships with grant points of contact

• Maintain awareness of new grant opportunities

• Support CEO in honing the organization’s overall development strategy and communicating objectives

• Support the interface of development activities with investing and fund development

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business, nonprofit management, or communications preferred 

• Masters Degree a plus

• At least 3 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a proven track record of meeting fundraising goals

• Must be highly organized with exceptionally strong attention to detail

• Must demonstrate exceptional writing and communication skills including the ability to incorporate and extend new ideas as part of a persuasive argument

• Must demonstrate a passion for startups and an understanding of the role of startups and emerging technology companies as a tool for economic growth

• Must be a creative self-starter capable of working independently and as a critical member of a small team

• Must demonstrate a consistent “give-first” attitude and service mentality

• Prior experience with proposal development and grant writing is preferred

• Prior experience with donor databases and prospect tracking systems is preferred

• Demonstrated ability to stretch and strive for excellence

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment

• Working familiarity with government grant submission and reporting processes

• Familiarity or experience with capital campaigns a plus 

Compensation, Perks, & Benefits:

• Salary range for this position is $58,000-$65,000; exact compensation will be determined commensurate with experience

• Health and dental insurance

• Generous PTO policy including time off for all major holidays and summer flex schedule; opportunities for periodic remote work around job needs

• Accommodations for and/or assistance with relocation may be provided 

• Deep exposure to high-growth founders and a vast network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders

To learn more about The Idea Village, please see our core values, our history, and our impact.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time exempt position with variable hours. Duties may change based on the needs of the organization.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands and arms to handle and reach. 

Equal Opportunity Policy:

The Idea Village provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

This policy is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

APPLY HERE