Development Officer

BKBW seeks an experienced fundraising professional to build and expand BKBW’s fundraising program, with a FY22 goal of $750K+, and expectations for significant growth. As the organization’s inaugural development position, the Development Officer will primarily focus on ongoing cultivation and growth of our institutional portfolio and will play a key role in growing our base of corporate and individual donors. Working closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors, the Development Officer will provide leadership and successful execution of the organization’s fundraising strategy. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities Include:

• Working from a board approved fundraising plan (drafted in 2021) to implement and build on organizational strategies to expand our individual donor and institutional grant portfolio.
• Proactively identifying new funding prospects, developing cultivation opportunities, managing acknowledgement processes and creating ways to steward and engage donors in BKBW’s work.
• Supporting the Executive Director and board’s engagement with key stakeholders, individual donors, and foundations including crafting solicitation and cultivation materials and correspondence.
• Working with the Executive Director to engage the board in fundraising activities and support and encourage Board participation.
• Working with the Board, host committee, and event consultant to design and carry out an annual spring fundraiser.
• Drafting grant proposals, reports and correspondence to funders and prospects that are responsive to donor priorities and craft strong arguments for organizational support.
• Overseeing the organization’s calendar of proposals, reports, funding obligations, events, publications and public outreach activities to ensure timely submission of proposals and reports.
• Support marketing and communications efforts by attending/leading relevant Board committee meetings and developing regular correspondence that support campaigns, appeals, and cultivation efforts.
• Managing the donor database (Little Green Light), including tracking and evaluating performance, and coordinating all correspondence through the database.
• Working with finance to reconcile fundraising income with Quickbooks on a monthly basis.
• Maintaining quarterly KPI reporting to share with the Board and development committee.

Skills & Experience

• Passion for BKBW’s mission and pedagogy, and a desire to be part of a small but mighty organization, with plans for significant growth.
• Experience in fundraising, communications, and/or non-profit programming related to direct service work, youth development, environmental justice, maritime education, or related field.
• Experience successfully growing a development portfolio and a desire to work with the Executive Director to ensure annual growth goals are met or exceeded.
• Exceptional communications, organizational skills, independent initiative, and flexibility to be part of a fast-paced but casual work environment
• Experience adapting proposals and reports to ensure alignment with funders’ specific interests and goals and using data and metrics to present a strong case for funding.
• Detail-oriented with strong understanding of organizational systems and interdependence, an ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously, and high standards for presentation of written material.
• Impeccable time management, follow-through, and flexibility in executing strategies, changing strategies as needed, and meeting goals.
• Experience working directly with Executive Directors and Board members required.
• Event and donor database management experience highly preferred.
• Experience using Asana, Slack, or similar project management/communications tools preferred.

Benefits

• $80K annual salary
• Generous medical and dental benefits
• Retirement plan options after one year of work
• Friendly office environment, with beautiful views and easy access to the Brooklyn waterfront
• Partially remote work possible.