Senior Manager of Development

Mediators Foundation Overview

Mediators Foundation (Mediators) has supported and enhanced the work of America’s leading bridge-builders and civic thought leaders since 1986. Today this nonpartisan organization is rapidly growing to adapt to current events and needs, with a particular focus on serving and strengthening the wider civic ecosystem through three pillars of work: Project Cultivation, Consulting, and Field Building Initiatives.

Through Project Cultivation, we continue to support, interconnect, and collaborate with emerging initiatives and leaders to lay the groundwork for long-term impact. We’ve also recently launched a Consulting pillar to better translate the diverse expertise in our network into action. In response to persistent systemic gaps, Mediators is also working to catalyze collaborative Field Building Initiatives that go beyond single-issue approaches to stitch together disparate efforts across the ecosystem, and currently includes:

• Better Together America (BTA), a nation-wide, nonpartisan network of, by, and for local, regional, and state Civic Hubs. BTA was formed around a shared recognition that local groups and efforts could create greater impact by replacing siloes and silver bullet approaches with community-centered, collective action.
• Civic Exchange (CE), the first nonpartisan collaborative resource sharing platform built with and for the civic ecosystem. CE is open for collaborative fundraising for specific periods during the year and is deeply rooted in relationships and mutual trust.

Position Summary

The Senior Manager of Development is responsible for co-designing and implementing comprehensive fundraising strategies to advance Mediators’ mission and strengthen the civic ecosystem. Working in close partnership with the President and collaborating with many other Mediators teams, this part-time role serves as a key relationship-builder and driver of a diversified and resilient revenue stream.

This position requires an experienced development and fundraising professional deeply committed to civic engagement and collaborative partnerships who can work independently and as part of a virtual team. As a small and dedicated team, we’re looking for someone excited to grow alongside us as we build our capacity to support and enrich the civic ecosystem. Our work is fundamentally relational, and is energized by the spark that comes from engaging with new people, voices, and ideas. We’re excited to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Relationship Cultivation

• Fundraising Strategy. Co-develop and implement an organizational major gifts and institutional grants fundraising strategy that supports Mediators in achieving a sustainable and diversified revenue stream.
• Donor Relations. Nurture new and existing relationships with major donors, community foundations, family foundations, and individual holders of wealth to broaden the giving network and strengthen Mediators’ impact throughout the civic ecosystem. The ideal candidate is someone who can both build upon existing leads as well as identify new networks and opportunities for growth.
• Lead Cultivation. In collaboration with the Director of Partnerships, identify and cultivate promising leads, transfer hot or qualified leads to the Mediators President to secure commitments, and lead the formalization of donor agreements.
• Grant Identification and Coordination. Identify grant opportunities and coordinate proposal development with the team.

Information Management, Reporting, and Compliance

• Internal Tracking and Record-Keeping. Maintain records of prospective, active, and past donors, track all funds, and generate internal reports on development activities.
• Reporting and Compliance. In coordination with the Operations Manager, monitor for and ensure compliance with legal regulations, ethical standards, and reporting requirements governing nonprofit fundraising activities.

Communications and Messaging

• Gift Acknowledgement. Ensure timely and appropriate acknowledgment of all contributions.
• Development-related Communications. Generate and direct the development of timely and compelling communication materials such as donor appeals, annual reports, impact statements, and grant narratives that convey organizational impact and increase awareness of Mediators’ work throughout the civic ecosystem.
• Strategic and Consistent Messaging. Ensure messaging is consistent and strategic across all donor and development-related communications.

Qualifications

This role requires:

• Minimum of 3-5 years (6-8 years preferred) of professional experience, with significant experience in nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, or development. Equivalent experience in related areas will be considered.
• Demonstrated success in securing grants or major gifts from individual donors, foundations, and/or corporate sponsors.
• Proven track record of building lasting relationships with donors and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with careful attention to detail.
• Ability to independently manage responsibilities and priorities as well as coordinate with multiple projects across a highly collaborative virtual team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with various audiences including donors, partner organizations, and the public.
• Passion for nonpartisan civic engagement, community-driven action, and/or democratic processes. The ideal candidate has at least 2 years of experience with nonpartisan democracy and/or civic health organizations or efforts, preferably at the local level.
• Proficiency with donor management systems, fundraising platforms, and related tools. Equivalent experience with other database or knowledge management systems will be considered.
• Basic proficiency with collaborative tools such as Google Workspace, Zoom, Canva, and related software.

Preferred, but not required:

• Familiarity with local, state, regional, and/or national philanthropic communities, especially those interested or engaged in funding efforts within the civic ecosystem. The ideal candidate has established relationships with regional funders, community or family foundations, and/or individual holders of wealth.
• Knowledge of collaborative fundraising models, collective impact approaches, current fundraising best practices, and/or emerging trends in philanthropy.
• Experience managing or coordinating multiple areas of work simultaneously.
• Experience working in a part-time or flexible work environment and maintaining open communication with a larger team.
• Ability to proactively express needs and concerns.
• The ideal candidate values adaptability and is excited to develop alongside a growing team from a variety of different backgrounds.