Development and Partnerships Program Coordinator

Job Description

Strong Towns, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, is seeking a full-time Development and Partnerships Program Coordinator to help grow and manage our partnership program and fundraising efforts.

The mission of Strong Towns is to replace America’s postwar pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We work to elevate local government as the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments. We focus on five core campaigns: ending highway expansion, safe and productive streets, incremental housing, transparent local accounting, and ending parking minimums and mandates.

Our goals are ambitious, but we’ve made meaningful progress:

• Our media site, YouTube channel, and social platforms reach millions of people each year and are shaping the national conversation on growth, development, and the future of cities.
• More than 6,500 people financially support Strong Towns as members, including at least one person in every U.S. state and hundreds more internationally.
• Our development and partnership program connects leading organizations and professionals with a national movement that is transforming how we build and finance our places.
• Our sponsorship program gives supportive organizations and companies a mutually beneficial way to support our efforts.

We are looking for a highly organized, outgoing, and proactive team member who loves connecting with people and helping systems run smoothly. You’ll play a key role in building meaningful relationships with sponsors, donors and partners who believe in our mission, as well as helping coordinate the behind-the-scenes work that makes that growth possible.

If you’re the kind of person who keeps track of every detail, enjoys meeting new people, and can juggle multiple projects while keeping a smile on your face, we’d love to meet you. Think of yourself as the friendly air traffic controller helping our partnership and development efforts take off. This role has a great opportunity for advancement and career growth.

Duties

The Development and Partnerships Program Coordinator will be part of our Events and Partnerships team, reporting to the Director of Events and Partnerships. The position’s duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinating communications and outreach to sponsors, donors and corporate partners.
• Supporting the Director of Events and Partnerships in managing the sponsorship pipeline, outreach calendar and follow-up tasks.
• Assisting with proposal writing, partnership agreements, sponsor fulfillment deliverables (logos, content placement, recognition, etc.), and possibly grants in the future.
• Maintaining accurate records in our CRM (HubSpot) and ensuring contacts, tasks and deal stages are up to date.
• Coordinating development campaign logistics, such as mailings, reports and acknowledgment letters.
• Helping plan and execute sponsor-related activities at Strong Towns events, such as the National Gathering, regional gatherings and various tours.
• Supporting donor communications, tracking contributions, and helping prepare thank-you messages and stewardship updates.
• Monitoring and reporting key metrics for sponsorship and fundraising performance.
• Collaborating within the team to maximize the value of event visits by team members.
• Collaborating with colleagues across departments to ensure partner deliverables are met and development efforts are aligned with organizational priorities.
• Bringing energy, creativity and reliability to every interaction, whether you’re on a call with a sponsor, updating a spreadsheet, or helping plan an event.

Qualifications

This could be you if:

• You are highly personable, enthusiastic and professional — someone who thrives on connecting with others and building relationships.
• You have strong organizational and communication skills and love keeping projects on track.
• You’re comfortable using digital tools such as CRMs, spreadsheets and shared documents to manage information.
• You’re motivated by mission-driven work and want to help a national nonprofit grow its reach and impact.
• You can handle multiple priorities, deadlines and requests gracefully.
• You enjoy being part of a small, collaborative team and are eager to take initiative.
• You bring a positive, can-do attitude. No task is too big or too small!
• Bonus: You have some prior experience in fundraising, sponsorship sales, marketing or nonprofit development.

Compensation

This is a full-time position with a salary of up to $60,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Strong Towns provides a 401(k) retirement plan, a flexible QSEHRA healthcare plan, a communications and equipment stipend, and parental leave.

Location and Work Environment

This is a remote position open to candidates anywhere in the United States. Our team collaborates digitally from locations around the country and gathers in person 1–3 times per year for staff retreats (travel expenses are covered). While there are occasional deadlines or events requiring evening or weekend work, our schedule is flexible and family-friendly.

To Apply

If you are interested in this position, please fill out this form to apply.

Only applications submitted through this form will be accepted. Please do not send us a resume or cover letter. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 26. We are looking to fill this position by the end of November with the hope that our new hire can join us for our annual staff retreat in Orlando, December 8-11.

Hiring Timeline

We encourage you to visit strongtowns.org/employment to learn more about our unique hiring process.

• October 22 at 1 p.m. CT: Zoom briefing and Q&A on this role. Sign up here. (Even if you cannot attend, we encourage you to submit your question and register on the form. We will email out the recording afterward.)
• October 26 at 11:59 p.m. CT: Round 1 Questionnaires due.
• November 3: Select candidates invited to complete Round 2 Questionnaire.
• November 9 at 11:59 p.m. CT: Round 2 Questionnaires due.
• November 17-20: Interviews with select candidates.

Commitment to Inclusion

Jane Jacobs described cities as co-creations. We agree with her when she wrote that “cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” A strong town can only be created by everybody.

To that end, we strive to ensure that everyone can witness, within the Strong Towns movement and message, a meaningful part of themselves and their experiences. As an organization, we make a concerted effort to expand the diversity of our movement (racial, geographic, political, economic, gender, ability, religion, etc.) so our understanding can be informed by the full spectrum of American life. We warmly encourage anyone who would bring a new background and perspective to our organization to apply for this role.

Strong Towns provides a 401(k) retirement plan, a flexible QSEHRA healthcare plan, a communications and equipment stipend, and parental leave.