Development & Communications Associate

Description

Our mission at Power of Two is to nurture the inherent potential in every child and family—equipping them with the tools to transform their own lives and strengthen their communities. We take a strengths-based approach to our work with families—93% of whom identify as people of color—to foster interpersonal relationships and resilience in communities that face prolonged exposure to toxic stress.

In the New York City neighborhoods we serve—Brownsville, Brooklyn, and the South Bronx—systemic racism, income inequality, deficits in the education system, and a rigid class structure isolate parents into cycles of trauma. Nurturing and responsive parenting is particularly difficult for caregivers who face these multiple stressors, which can leave them little emotional capacity to focus on children in a sensitive way. For their young children, exposure to stress can lead to disorganized and insecure attachments to their caregivers, dysregulated stress system functioning, and emerging behavior problems—issues that place children at risk for mental health disorders, physical health problems, and gaps in achievement later in life.

Power of Two was created to help families heal from the root causes of trauma, to build resilience, and to help children and communities to thrive. We owe much of our success to our meaningful and on-going consultations with the communities we serve and the integration of community perceptions and experiences into our program implementation model. Since our launch, we have served over 2,000 families across NYC, successfully helping families heal from trauma, increasing parental sensitivity and confidence and creating healthier pathways for nearly our littlest New Yorkers. 

We are seeking a passionate, effective professional with a minimum of two years of development or relevant related experience. As Development and Communications Associate, you will report to the Chief Advancement Officer and be an essential part of driving development and communications for Power of Two. You will be responsible for supporting revenue generation from individual donors, foundations, corporations and government grants towards an annual budget of $6.0 million. You will develop fundraising systems as the database manager and gift processor. You will draft, edit, and manage the production of a full range of social media and marketing materials to effectively support the advancement goals of the institution and to convey Power of Two’s mission to diverse constituencies. 

Responsibilities

Development:

• Produce major donor, board, and special category solicitations/support materials with the intent to retain or upgrade gifts when possible;
• Draft grant proposals and reports, newsletters, and stewardship letters;
• Manage development calendar and track deadlines for funding opportunities;
• Project manage major grant proposals;  
• Draft grant reports for existing funders;
• Manage the fundraising database: ensure that all development-related information is entered accurately and in a timely fashion; track correspondence and meetings with donors; design and run reports to support development efforts;
• Conduct prospect research to identify potential funders for Power of Two; 
• Maintain scheduling, gift acknowledgement, and stewardship;
• Work on special projects and annual fund mailings;
• Manage fundraising events and site visits, and organize volunteer days and events for corporate donors.

Marketing/Communications:

• Assist in the creation of outward-facing communications media and event materials (Social Media, Program Flyers, Email, Newsletters, Blog posts, Media Summaries, Press Releases, PowerPoint decks, etc);
• Create engaging, on-brand Social Media content and campaigns to further Power of Two’s Communications goals with assistance from the leadership team;
• Assist/lead in creation and design of print and digital material (Flyers, Envelopes, Posters, etc.);
• Collaborate with the program team in creation of program-specific media (Flyers, presentations, etc.).

Skills and Experience

• Excellent writing, editing, and marketing skills with proven ability to customize communications to multiple audiences;
• Two to three years of professional experience; fundraising and marketing experience and with foundations and large individual donors a plus;
• Strong computer skills and proficient with Salesforce and Microsoft Office required; MailChimp, WordPress preferred;
• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent prior experience;
• Superior attention to detail, particularly visual detail;
• Knowledge of the impacts of systemic racism and intergenerational trauma on New York City’s communities of color preferred; 
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a collaborative team;
• Eagerness to ‘own’ projects and take appropriate steps to see them through in a timely manner;
• Experience working in fundraising, marketing, non-profit administration, or related field preferred;
• Friendly, curious, and hardworking team player invested in Power of Two’s mission, or social justice causes;
• Occasionally required to work a flexible schedule including evenings.