Development Specialist

JOIN OUR TEAM!

NC Counts Coalition is excited to announce the creation of the Development Specialist position. 

The Development Specialist will work closely with NC Counts’ communications and leadership team,  and the Executive Director in the areas of fundraising, public relations, and donor management to create and operationalize a development strategy in support of our vision for an equitable, just, and empowered North Carolina. We are looking for a strategic and creative development professional to help us translate our recently developed strategic framework into measurable goals, objectives, and outcomes. Specifically, the Development Specialist will provide leadership and vision for outreach activities, leverage fundraising skills, and foster relationships with donors. The Development Specialist must have strong communication,  teamwork, and fundraising skills, a steadfast work ethic, and be able to travel nationally to grow this dynamic organization with a budget of approximately $3,500,000.

ABOUT NC COUNTS COALITION
NC Counts Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to building a healthy, just, and equitable North Carolina through cross-sector partnerships that advance systemic solutions for communities facing systemic barriers, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-wealth, immigrant, and other communities.

Building on our momentum and partnerships from the 2020 Census, NC Counts has created a lasting infrastructure to drive civic engagement, mobilize for equity, and prepare for future census operations. Our work ensures that census efforts promote fairness, strengthen democracy, and serve as tools for equity, supporting fair representation, equitable resource distribution, and informed policymaking.

Historically, the census has undercounted BIPOC communities, immigrant communities, and low-income populations, resulting in disparities in political power, government funding, and private-sector investment for these communities. By convening and creating a collaborative space for alignment and partnership among North Carolina nonprofits, grassroots communities, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations, NC Counts successfully mobilized trusted messengers to encourage census participation in historically undercounted communities and achieved a census count that led to North Carolina gaining an additional congressional seat. Our work on the census showed us how the collective power of nonprofit and grassroots organizations, supported by government agencies and philanthropy and united around a vision for inclusion and equity, is immeasurable. 

NC Counts Coalition (NC Counts) has built a large body of work in a relatively short amount of time. From the 2020 Census, to redistricting, to health equity, and now to digital equity and inclusion, NC Counts uses a long-term power-building model to support increased civic engagement in BIPOC communities, LGBTQ+, low wealth, immigrant, and other communities. Candidates must bring to the table a nimble attitude, an entrepreneurial spirit that centers equity,  and the ability to work in a fast paced environment, as NC Counts is a fast-acting organization tethered to a rapidly changing time and place, and expectations and definitions of success will be fluid as the organization grows and navigates new challenges. NC Counts Coalition employees can expect to see changes in the programs and responsibilities as community needs and funding imperatives change over time.

One of NC Counts Coalition's core values is accountability to the communities we serve. Our communities must be centered in the work we do. Therefore, candidates must be able to demonstrate their strong commitment to advancing racial equity and social justice and must have shared lived experiences with the communities we serve. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS POSITION INCLUDE

Strategic Planning

• In partnership with NC Counts’ leadership team, design and oversee the execution of a comprehensive development plan to sustain and grow philanthropic support, continue to steward institutional giving, and develop and expand our individual giving program.

Grant Management

• Research potential grant opportunities and relevant data for grant drafting.
• Develop strategies for securing grants with input from the leadership team.
• With the leadership team, write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports to communicate the organization's mission, programs, and impact effectively.
• Ensure accurate, complete, and timely submission of grant applications and reports, adhering to funding organization requirements.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather necessary information and data for proposals and reports.
• Track all grants, manage deliverables, and ensure compliance with grant agreements.
• Draft and edit cultivation emails, donor correspondence, and other materials to ensure professionalism and clarity.
• Maintain and manage a management system, including data entry, gift reporting, donor acknowledgment, and generating fundraising reports.
• Create reports to show fundraising progress and evaluate the effectiveness of current and past campaigns.
• Schedule meetings with prospective and current supporters as needed.
• Perform administrative tasks such as filing, data entry, and maintaining organized systems to support fundraising efforts.
• Complete deliverables with a hands-on approach, including drafting letters and emails to assist in leading fundraising efforts.

Development Operations

• Support implementation and management of the NC Counts’ CRM (HubSpot) to ensure strong and clean data entry processes, and the production of analytical data utilized to measure success and set goals for the team.

Board Support

• Work with the Director of Communications to coordinate the Board of Directors development committee, convening the committee 4 times per year in support of the development strategy, leveraging the time, talent, and generosity of Board members.

Donor Cultivation and Relationship Management

• In coordination with the Development Team staff, steward relationships with NC Counts’ donors and prospects; foundation and institution contacts and prospects; and sponsorship contacts and prospects.
• Serve as a thought partner to our Executive Director, helping to strategize around how to best utilize her time and talents in service of development goals. 
• Develop new and creative ideas for recruitment, cultivation, and stewardship of donors including special events, house parties, property donations, alumni outreach, etc.
• Develop and implement NC Counts’ annual fundraising plan.
• Secure financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Develop and foster ongoing relationships with major donors.
• Creating and implementing a strategy for a large, sustained base of annual individual donors.

Donor Communications

• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to create strategies, systems, and processes to advance shared development and communications goals, working in partnership to manage the development of new print and digital materials for NC Counts and the organization’s donor audience including materials for direct mail, planned giving, program information, and annual report.

Program Planning & Strategy

• Collaborate with the senior leadership team and other team members to deepen understanding of programmatic strategy in order to best advise on funding strategies, timelines, and opportunities, both in the short and long term, helping to deepen our capacity for impact.
• Lead and support events 

Finance

• On an ongoing basis, ensure open communication and proactive coordination of fundraising activities with the operations staff to produce and reconcile accurate revenue reports and monitor cash flow to inform timely decision-making.
• Developing and tracking proposals and reports for all foundation and corporate fundraising.