Director of Development and Communications

DIY Girls’ mission is to increase girls’ interest in technology, engineering and making through innovative educational experiences. DIY Girls provides STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)-based educational programs and workshops designed to promote girls’ engagement and exploration with technology, encourage self-confidence and support aspiration to technical careers.

Position

The Director of Development and Communications will directly support the Executive Director and Board with meeting or exceeding the yearly revenue targets while identifying strategies for year to year growth. In this newly established role, the Director of Development and Communications will lead development and communications activities and manage a Development and Communications Coordinator. The Director of Development and Communications will be the key external face of DIY Girls with funders, including managing funder relationships. 

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of DIY Girls’ fund development plan
• Actively engage the Executive Director and Board of Directors in development planning and ongoing fundraising efforts
• Develop annual grant projections and lead grants strategy and implementation
• Write and submit letters of intent, grant proposals, and reports to funders
• Research prospective individual, corporate, foundation, and government grants
• Continuously monitor philanthropic trends in grant opportunities within the Los Angeles region and nationally in STEM/STEAM
• Cultivate and manage relationships with corporations, foundations, and individual donors
• Work closely with the Director of Programs and Partnerships to continuously engage corporate sponsors in partnership opportunities
• Support the Executive Director during site visits and funder meetings as needed (including coordination, prep, and follow-up)
• Lead the planning of our annual event, including securing and managing sponsorships
• Lead our annual summer and end of the year fundraising campaigns
• Serve as staff liaison to our board fundraising committee and provide support as needed
• Assist with Board “Friendraiser” events as needed and develop new ideas for fun and engaging events to increase supporters
• Create a major gifts program, including donor identification, cultivation, and stewardship
• Manage DIY Girls’ social media accounts and monitor online reputation
• Manage e-communications, updates to website, and marketing materials
• Oversee media and press opportunities, including press releases and media advisories
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual with a passion for DIY Girls’ mission, excellent organization skills, consistency, and reliability. The successful candidate will effectively lead and manage development and communications activities, partner with the ED and Board, and work collaboratively with the team.

Specific requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 4-5 years experience in non-profit development, including grant writing, event planning, and relationship management with funders
• 1-2 years of management level experience
• Highly motivated and organized with strong attention to detail
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong grant writing and project management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to cultivate donor and funder relationships
• Ability to produce high quality work in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with a website management program such as Squarespace, an email marketing platform such as MailChimp, and a CRM platform such as Airtable preferred