Development Director

The Organization 

Brighter Children (“BC”) was founded in 2013 to identify and support educational entrepreneurs who provide quality education to vulnerable children in some of the most impoverished communities in the world.  To date, BC has provided funding to five partner schools in Colombia, Honduras, Kenya and India thus impacting the lives of over 2,000 children.

BC’s development model combines the principles of venture capital with charitable giving to drive holistic, sustainable and scalable impact in the communities they support.  As a venture philanthropy firm, BC uses the charitable donations they receive to support education entrepreneurs who are building strong educational programs in impoverished communities around the world.

In the past 7 years, BC has scaled its impact and revenue at a 101% cumulative aggregate growth rate with an all volunteer team.  

You can learn more by reviewing BC’s 2019-20 Annual Report.

The Opportunity 

Calling all pioneers and change agents. Brighter Children is looking for its next champion that will help elevate our mission of Universal Primary Education and bring aligned investors and partners on board. This leader will evangelize the power of education as a ‘great equalizer’, pioneer innovative ‘Venture Philanthropy’, and harness their passion, skills, intellect and network to inspire change. They will have the highest integrity and inspire others to join the call.

Though this Development Director will be BC’s first full-time staff member, the position is already fully funded for the 24 months and will be supported by an organization with over 40 part time volunteer staff, with a 7 year track record, that has already attained Brighter Children’s status as a top 30 percentile non-profit, with 7 figures raised and a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency. 

This role will be supported by the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Founder’s Society Investors, Management and Operations team, Advisory Board, Associate Board and more. The role will report into the Executive Director, who in turn reports to the Board of Directors.  Together with the Executive Director, this leader will own the development quota and have leadership and oversight of related resources / functions. 

This is a rare opportunity to not just join something, but help build and champion a rapidly accelerating and innovative philanthropic startup that shares your values and  sees a world where every child has access to quality primary education. We are looking for a performer - salary will be competitive.

The Role 

The Development Director is responsible for the successful leadership and management of Brighter Children’s development function.  They will design, implement, and lead a sustainable development strategy to increase philanthropic revenue from a diverse portfolio of high net worth supporters.  They will own all aspects of fundraising: planning, strategy, administration, and early execution.  They will need to hit the ground running by managing and developing a pipeline of inbound corporate and private funders so BC can sustain its tremendous growth and impact - specifically - providing millions of vulnerable children with access to quality early education.  Key responsibilities include:

1) Leadership

• Exhibit true passion for the mission and the ability to effectively evangelize the BC mission and strategic vision to all stakeholders, including staff, Board, donors, and the public
• Demonstrate a proven track record of success in a leadership position, overseeing organizational business development and fundraising operations
• Act as a professional advisor to the Executive Director and Board of Directors to ensure the implementation of a sustainable development strategy
• Act as the external representative and brand ambassador for the organization
• Recruit and nurture staff/volunteers via training, development, mentorship, and performance management
• Drive measured growth and scale of the organization with a near-term future target of scaling 2x year-over-year

2) Fundraising

• Develop and implement all annual and periodic fundraising strategies meeting aggressive annual fundraising targets
• Research, cultivate, and directly solicit individual major gifts, working with the Executive Director, Founder and Board
• Source grant opportunities, prepare grant applications and reports in support of our programs and aligned with giving strategies
• Manage all aspects of Brighter Children fundraising donor dinners or fundraising events
• In coordination with Executive Director and other team members, create and manage all fundraising communication materials to engage and activate existing and potential donors
• Develop and ensure the application of best practices in tracking all donations, recording gifts, pledges, and administrative aspects

3) Relationship Management

• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with the Executive Director, Founder, Board, sponsors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders 
• Manage existing institutional giving programs such as Scholarship Club, Founders Society, and Brand Partners by building and nurturing relationships with individual and corporate donors

The Ideal Candidate

Education and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably focused in education, non-for-profit management, business administration, finance, or marketing
• 5+ years of work experience in a fundraising, sales or business development 
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and existing relations with donors, private or corporate, unique to the non-profit education sector
• Experience planning and executing fundraising campaigns, managing a portfolio of donors from multiple channels and writing grant proposals 
• Experience generating $1M+ in revenues from individual donors for a charity organization and  personal experience with closing $10,000 to 25,000+ gifts preferred
• Ability and willingness to participate in evening and weekend events or meetings
• Ability to work from home; located in either SF Bay Area or NYC Tri-state Area 

Personal Characteristics

• A collaborative, team-driven leadership style
• Superb relationship management, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Results-driven; comfortable with metrics and measuring outcomes
• Creative and entrepreneurial
• Curiosity, humility and a sense of humor
• A genuine, warm, open and engaging style

Benefits

We are committed to your professional growth and fulfillment.  We offer a competitive salary and an attractive benefits package:

• Medical insurance with dental and vision
• HSA and 401(k) contributions
• Generous time off with a flexible workplace and work schedule
• Opportunities to connect with students we serve around the world
• Competitive salary

To Apply

Please submit a 1-2 page resume and cover letter to careers@brighterchildren.org.  

Brighter Children is committed to maximizing the diversity of the organization.  BC is an equal opportunity employer and encourages women, minorities, and individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to apply to this position.