Senior Manager, Development & Communications

The Organization:

The Marshall Legacy Institute is a small nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to extend the vision and legacy of Nobel Peace Laureate General George C. Marshall by helping war-torn countries alleviate suffering, restore hope, promote social-economic growth and nurture stability.

Our programs build local capacity in war-torn countries, both through humanitarian landmine action programs, as well as broader social impact programs that address economic and legal challenges, and provide unique, global educational opportunities.

The Position:

The Senior Manager, Development & Communications is responsible for leading the organization’s fundraising and external communications efforts to strengthen long-term financial sustainability. This role serves as the primary point of contact for private foundation and individual donors, manages grant writing and prospect research, and oversees public-facing communications including social media and digital content.

This position is the lead staff member responsible for planning, organizing and executing the annual MLI Gala, our organization’s flagship fundraising event.

We are looking for a strong writer with heavy attention to detail, a relationship builder, and strategic thinker who is passionate about advancing our mission, with experience managing special large-scale events.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Donor Relations

• • Serve as the primary point of contact for private foundation donors and individual donors
  • Cultivate, steward, and maintain relationships with current and prospective donors
  • Draft compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, donor reports, and acknowledgements
  • Conduct grant research to identify new foundation, corporate, and individual funding opportunities
  • Track fundraising activity and maintain accurate donor records.

Communications & Public Engagement

• • Lead the organization’s external communications strategy to support fundraising and visibility
  • Manage social media accounts, including content planning, posting, and engagement
  • Draft and edit public-facing content such as newsletters, website updates, impact stories, and program highlights
  • Ensure consistent messaging and branding across all communications
  • Collaborate with program staff to translate impact and outcomes into clear, compelling narratives
  • Supervise and manage interns who support the organization’s communications and public engagement efforts to include social media, digital content, newsletters, and other communications tasks.

Annual Gala

• Develop and manage the Gala timeline, work plan and task tracking to ensure all deadlines are met
• Coordinate logistics including venue, vendors, program flow, guests and event-day execution
• Lead donor and sponsor engagement related to the Gala, including sponsorship outreach, benefits fulfillment and post-event communications
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, board members, and event volunteers to support fundraising goals and attendee engagement.
• Oversee Gala-related communications, including invitations, promotional materials, social media and follow up messaging
• Track event revenue and expenses and manage post-event reporting and donor acknowledgements

Strategy & Collaboration

• • Work closely with the Executive Director to develop annual development and communications plans
  • Support board members with fundraising and donor engagement efforts as needed
  • Assist with planning and promoting fundraising campaigns or special events
  • Monitor and report on fundraising and communications metrics to inform strategy

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, communications, or a related field
  • 4–6+ years of experience in nonprofit development, with demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing and donor engagement
  • Excellent writing and editing skills, particularly for grant proposals, donor communications and digital communications
  • Experience managing fundraising events
  • Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities independently

Preferred Skills

• • Familiarity with donor databases, graphic design platforms, and website development software
  • Experience working with foundations and institutional funders
  • Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices
  • Comfort working in a mission-driven, fast-paced environment

MLI offers excellent health and retirement plan benefits. Domestic and international travel opportunities may also be available.

English, fluent