Development Officer - Institutional Advancement

Organizational Description Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice is the nation's leading progressive Jewish organizational voice dedicated to organizing and mobilizing American Jews to find solutions to the most pressing problems in America. Inspired by Jewish values, Bend the Arc is creating justice and opportunity for all through community organizing and investing, leadership development, civic engagement, and progressive political activism. We work beyond religious and institutional boundaries to leverage the Jewish community's historic roots in domestic affairs and civil rights to shape the national conversation and build a more equitable and just America. Bend the Arc's range of programmatic work includes base building, community organizing, leadership development, community investing, political advocacy, and national and local campaigns.

The Position: Development Officer-Institutional Advancement

We are seeking a skilled writer and people person to join our Development team and be responsible for all of our work with foundations and other institutional funders, which accounts for a significant percentage of our $5 million and growing annual budget. The ideal candidate will be a team player, willing to demonstrate initiative and take a risk, and be a person for whom collaboration is important.

Job Responsibilities

• Write all letters of inquiry, proposals, reports, and general correspondence for current and prospective foundation funders
• Manage all relationships with foundation professionals and board members
• Keep foundation professionals up-to-date on activities and progress toward goals through phone calls, site visits, written correspondence, and e-mail communications with support from Bend the Arc program and development staff
• Organize quarterly foundation funders conference calls/meetings with our C.E.O. and other program staff
• Work with Bend the Arc program and executive staff to develop content for proposals, reports, updates and budgets
• Track and manage work needed to meet deadlines for all letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports
• Provide excellent "customer service" in the form of timely reporting, professional deliverables, and thoroughness and attention to specifics of funder requests
• Utilize online research tools, foundation websites, foundation funder lists on websites/annual reports of similar organizations, and staff and board connections to conduct research on prospective funders
• Schedule and facilitate regular meetings with various Bend the Arc executive and program staff to stay updated on all programs and initiatives

Bend the Arc has a fast-paced work environment, but also values personal development and work-life balance. Experience in social justice and/or a Jewish organization is a plus, but not a requirement.

Position Requirements:

• Five years work experience in positions that require on-going writing assignments
• B.A. degree, Masters is a plus
• Demonstrated success in working with people
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with a diverse array of people, including foundation and institutional professionals and board members
• Ability to write clearly and succinctly
• Keen political understanding and strategic thinking
• Demonstrated success at keeping multiple projects organized; good short- and long-term planning skills; strong administrative and time-management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Inquisitive, sense of humor, proactive, solution-oriented, collaborative, conscientious, responsible and efficient with a positive attitude; skilled and effective team player
• Computer literacy (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Flexible schedule; ability and willingness to work some nights and weekends

Strongly Preferred:

• Experience with social justice work in a Jewish context
• Knowledge of the regional/statewide Jewish and social justice communal landscapes, as well as the labor movement/landscape.
• Leadership training, service learning and/or Jewish educational experience
• Jewish knowledge/literacy
• Interfaith experience

Applications due: ASAP, interviews conducted on a rolling basis.

Reports to: Development Director