Community Development Strategist

Job Title: Community Development Strategist

Organization: Dress for Success Seattle

Location: Seattle, WA

Type of Position: Full-time, Hybrid

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary: $80,000 - $90,000/year

Summary:

Dress for Success Seattle, a nonprofit organization supporting women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools, is seeking a dynamic and experienced Community Development Strategist.

The successful candidate will lead and oversee the fundraising efforts and public image initiatives of DFSS. This role involves developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies, managing donor relations, and enhancing the organization’s visibility and reputation through effective public relations. Additionally, this is a management role and will supervise a team of up to 4 staff members.

This role reports to the Executive Director and is a Hybrid role with M/F remote workdays and T/W/Th in-office workdays. Remote workdays may be adjusted as required/needed by work requirements.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

Fundraising:

• Create annual fundraising strategy in collaboration with Executive Director and implementing plans to increase individual donors, sponsors, and corporate partnerships
• Prepare and submit corporate partnership proposals, sponsorship packages, and other fundraising materials.
• Support execution of fundraising events, ensuring successful logistics, promotion, and follow-up by the event coordinator.
• Oversee the maintenance of accurate donor records and database management.
• Support the grant writer and Executive Director with information, data, and grant review as needed.
• Maintaining individual, grant, foundation, and corporate gifts in CRM, providing reporting when needed.

Donor Relations:

• Identify, research, and cultivate relationships with potential donors, including individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with current and prospective donors, engage lapsed donors, and build new donor streams.
• Evaluate current donor recognition and stewardship programs and develop and implement new strategies for relationship building and management.
• Track data and giving trends, while coordinating with the Program team to communicate regularly with donors to provide updates on the impact of their contributions.

Public Image:

• Develop and execute public relations strategies to enhance the organization’s visibility and reputation.
• Work with team to create, manage, and distribute press releases, newsletters, social media, and other communications materials.
• Coordinate media relations, including responding to inquiries and arranging interviews.
• Monitor and analyze media coverage and public perception of the organization.
• Leading and executing marketing and communication functions throughout the year, such as Impact Video shoot and Partner Appreciation event.

Responsibilities around team leadership include but not limited to:

• Supervise staff supporting the development, events, marketing, and social media efforts of the organization.
• Contribute to a positive and collaborative team culture that promotes creativity and effective problem-solving.
• Collaborating and demonstrating role flexibility in service to what organization needs emerge.
• Support staff and board members with various projects and tasks as needed.
• Delivering on other duties as assigned or required to operate DFS Seattle successfully.

Preferred skills, capabilities, and experience:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Background in fundraising/development, logistics, event planning, people coordination, and other relevant experience.
• Able to work with autonomy and find creative solutions using self-directed skills
• Able to reach out to the community confidently, enthusiastically, and effectively via email, in-person, and virtually.
• Able to create and nurture genuine relationships with a diverse community of sponsors, corporations, and individuals.
• Able and willing to work with staff, volunteers, clients, and corporate sponsors from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs, gender identities, body shapes, education, economic disparities, and life challenges.
• Exceptional people skills, able to welcome and encourage people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs, gender identities, body shapes, and education levels.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and data management.
• Professional proficiency in additional languages is a plus!
• Strong commitment to supporting women.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Excellent project and program management skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.

DFSS encourages applications from women, the BIPOC community, and the gender expansive community, including those who identify as female, non-binary, and gender queer.

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DRESS FOR SUCCESS ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The very purpose of Dress for Success is to celebrate every woman’s ability to succeed. Consequently, Dress for Success shall make its services and programs available to persons regardless of age, race or ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or handicap. Dress for Success shall not, in any way, discriminate against any person based on his or her age, race or ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability.

Job Type and Benefits: Full-time, Hybrid, with employer paid medical, dental, vision for staff member. Additionally, DFSS offers discretionary PTO, all federal holidays paid, and summer and winter breaks. (40 hours a week)

Salary: $80 - $90k.