Development Manager

Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa (AGE Africa) believes that targeting adolescent girls is key to achieving women’s socio-economic empowerment as the experiences, knowledge, skills, and agency acquired in adolescence have important implications for an individual’s prospects in adulthood. Through our three-pronged approach of scholarship initiatives, peer-driven life skills curriculum, and post-secondary transitions support, over 90% of our beneficiaries finish secondary school, and almost half will continue to higher education. 

This marks an exciting year in AGE Africa’s history. AGE Africa’s budget has grown exponentially, more than doubling the number of comprehensive scholarships and pivoting our CHATS Girls Clubs to a digital platform extending our reach throughout Malawi. We are proud of our work and the impact we are making to transform the lives of girls. AGE Africa is at the tipping point for growth, offering unique opportunities for our next Development Manager. Is that you? To learn more about our work, please visit ageafrica.org. 

POSITION SUMMARY

As the Development Manager for AGE Africa, you will be responsible for executing comprehensive fundraising and communications plans that increase revenue, steward and cultivate relationships with donors, raises AGE Africa’s profile and visibility, and supports AGE Africa’s growth. 

You will act in a key role on our dynamic, small-but-mighty team that punches above our weight class as you lend your talents to ensuring AGE Africa’s immediate and long-term success. This role reports directly to the Executive Director to accomplish AGE Africa’s ultimate goals for our US-based team. This position manages AGE Africa’s Development and Communications interns. The Development Manager position offers unique opportunities to work with our team in Malawi and promises flexibility in all aspects of the role.

This position is based in Washington, DC (while Covid-19 restrictions are still in place, there is flexibility in working remotely with an agreed-upon date to return to DC) with health insurance benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. The salary for the position is budgeted for $60,000 and is commensurate with experience and additional qualifications. Applicants who can start by end of April are preferred, but this is not required. The Development Manager is expected to be available for, at minimum, quarterly board meetings, occasional evenings for future post-pandemic events, monthly early morning staff meeting calls with the Malawi team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• With the Executive Director, create and execute a robust fundraising plan that surpasses AGE Africa’s 2021 fundraising goal.
• Lead planning and implementation of AGE Africa’s annual board-driven fundraising event, Ride for Malawi, to higher annual totals using creative fundraising methods and donor appeals.
• Design and lead AGE Africa’s crowdfunding efforts on our preferred digital platforms during critical online fundraising campaigns.
• Identify major donor and institutional funding prospects and make recommendations to the Executive Director regarding relationship-building with these prospects.
• Oversee the production of and create content for AGE Africa’s annual report and digital appeals.
• Monitor and evaluate AGE Africa’s progress toward annual fundraising targets and adjust strategy to meet our goals as needed.

GRANT WRITING AND GRANT MANAGEMENT

• Research and write proposals for multiple institutional funding partners each year. Work with the Executive Director to complete high-level technical proposals.
• Lead support of current grant-based funding relationships, track progress towards partnership requirements, and monitor organizational compliance for funding agreements.
• Coordinate grant reporting efforts, including those dictated by signed obligations and those that are donor-requested on an as-needed basis.
• Develop materials and processes to improve application preparations and report development efficiency for the overall organization. 
• With the Financial Consultant, track financial obligations connected to grant funding opportunities, including restricted funds.

PARTNERSHIP STEWARDSHIP AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Steward a portfolio of major donors and institutional funding partners through sustained outreach and personalized storytelling. This includes specialized stewardship for AGE Africa’s major donor program.
• With the Executive Director, execute a communications plan that leads to deeper and broader engagement with current and potential supporters.
• Write and create content alongside the Development and Communications interns for AGE Africa’s website, newsletters, and social media channels.
• Oversee aspects of fundraising administration.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising - strong preference given to previous experience in event planning, grant writing, and management.
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral, and written communication abilities, with proven ability to write compellingly and persuasively.
• Proven track record of raising funds from individuals, foundations, or corporations by executing a development strategy.
• Experience in donor cultivation and relationship-building strategies for major donor and institutional funding prospects.
• Knowledge of major funding mechanisms, including donor-advised funds, corporate matching programs, and everything from small foundations to large international funding initiatives.
• Previous exposure to work that aligns with AGE Africa’s mission of providing life-changing opportunities to young women through targeted initiatives in education, mentoring, and leadership development.
• Knowledge of WordPress or similar website management systems.

IDEAL QUALITIES

• You are passionate about girls’ education
• You think of yourself as a hard worker, a self-starter, and is someone unafraid to take on new opportunities and responsibilities.
• You have strong attention to detail, believe in reviewing your work diligently, and ask for feedback when you believe it may strengthen your efforts.
• You have no trouble with (and sometimes enjoy) multitasking and can make steady progress on multiple projects simultaneously.
• You enjoy working independently and can adapt to work well in a small team.
• You have the ability to connect with others, build relationships, and bring a sense of enthusiasm to meeting new people in a variety of contexts.
• You carry an audit-like mindset; you have a knack for identifying how a process or situation could improve, and you feel comfortable making suggestions to that end.
• You are energized by travel opportunities and adapt well to new environments.

To Apply:  Please email cover letter, CV, and writing sample to cgaxiola@ageafrica.org. Please put your name and the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.