Development Manager II

Development Manager II

Early Edge California, a project of New Venture Fund, is currently seeking a motivated, personable, and detail-oriented individual with a passion for improving the lives of kids and families in California, to join our team as a full-time Development Manager. The Development Manager is a key position for Early Edge’s growing fundraising team. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer while working closely with the Executive Director and other development staff and consultants, the Development Manager will perform development, administrative, and programmatic activities to support the strategic implementation and management of the organization’s private fundraising program. This is a great opportunity for a self-motivated individual with a growth mindset to help build out a key organizational pillar at Early Edge.

Key Responsibilities

Development

• Identify and cultivate individual, business, and philanthropic opportunities for funding the organization, working closely with the organization’s leadership and development team.
• Manage the development of major donor solicitation materials.
• Maintain a database of all development partnerships and opportunities in the organizational customer relationship management (CRM) system (NEON).
• Contribute to the development of public giving opportunities via the organization’s annual fundraising events, smaller-scale ‘friend-raising’ events, and email solicitations.
• Develop strategies for donor retention and growth, focusing on building long-term relationships with key stakeholders.
• Track and analyze fundraising progress and provide regular reports to the Executive Director and COO.

Event Planning for Fundraising 

• Plan, coordinate, and execute fundraising events, including the annual fundraising event and smaller-scale ‘friend-raising’ events.
• Manage event logistics, including venue selection, vendor contracts, and event timelines.
• Work with the Communications Manager to develop promotional materials and marketing strategies for events.
• Ensure successful event execution by coordinating with volunteers, staff, and external partners.
• Evaluate the success of fundraising events and develop strategies for improvement.

Communications

• Develop and manage a communications strategy with individuals, corporations, and other funders, including face-to-face, phone, and email interactions.
• Write development-related copy for Early Edge’s newsletter, website, and other external communications, in collaboration with the Communications Manager and Development team.
• Represent Early Edge, embodying the mission, vision, and culture of the organization with external partners.
• Coordinate and oversee the production of marketing and promotional materials related to development activities.

Programmatic Activities

• Develop and maintain relationships with education-oriented businesses and other client prospects, especially those located in Los Angeles/across California.
• Maintain a database of these partnerships in the organizational CRM.
• Submit and review quarterly a 12-month work plan.
• Collaborate with policy staff to align fundraising efforts with policy goals and priorities.
• Provide support for grant proposals and reporting to secure additional funding sources.

Candidate Qualifications & Desired Traits

• Shared belief in Early Edge’s mission and a commitment to improving the Early Learning space
• 3+ years of progressive experience in non-profit development, fundraising, or management-related fields, with a minimum of % year of work experience preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience that demonstrates strong communications skills (written, oral)
• Experience with customer relationship management systems, such as NEON, Raiser’s Edge, or Salesforce
• Excellent analytical, written, verbal, communications, problem-solving skills.
• Proactive, motivated self-starter who thrives in a team setting
• A “people person” capable of building deep and genuine relationships with various stakeholders, and possessing a comfort level with a wide variety of sectors that make up the world of fundraising, including the philanthropic community
• Ability to think strategically, introducing innovative ways to build and deepen existing and nascent partnerships
• Project management skills including the ability to meet deadlines and effectively handle a variety of time-sensitive tasks and competing priorities with minimal supervision
• Proactive nature and eagerness to learn with a growth mindset
• Positive attitude, curiosity, and flexibility – and a sense of humor!

Nice-to-Have Qualifications Although Not Required

• 6+ years of progressive experience in non-profit development, fundraising, or management-related fields
• Knowledge and understanding of the Early Childhood field
• Experience in donor cultivation and fundraising; fundraising certification is a plus
• Past in-person and virtual event planning experience
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish

Compensation and Location

Early Edge offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees (and their families). Employees are able to enroll in a 401k retirement plan and are eligible for a 3% automatic contribution and up to a 3% employer match on 401k contributions. Employees are also eligible for pre-tax transportation benefits. Employees will receive 120 hours of vacation time, 80 hours of health leave, up to 2 days of casual leave, and 20 hours of volunteer leave annually. Employees will also receive 13 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 90 days of employment.

Early Edge also provides dedicated professional development funding for all full time staff and encourages and supports growth opportunities.

This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position, 40 hours per week with some nights and weekends required to attend events. The target starting salary range for this position is $65,000-$78,000. Compensation will be based on factors such as relevant skills, experience and/or education. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer.

This position is based in the Los Angeles area. We are seeking a candidate who is within commuting distance of Los Angeles. Our office is currently working remotely, with semi-monthly in-person meetings and activities. Frequent local travel and occasional travel outside of the LA-area may be required for event support. A hybrid remote/office schedule may be required in the future. 

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references, combined into one document. In the file name and email subject header, please write the name of the position you are applying for and your last name: e.g. “Development Manager_Smith.”

We invite you to utilize your cover letter as an opportunity to share how your background and experience align to this position.

Please email your application materials to jobs@earlyedgecalifornia.org by the Priority Application Deadline of Friday, August 30. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

This role is ideal for a strategic thinker with a passion for fundraising and a commitment to advancing Early Edge’s mission. If you are dedicated to fostering equitable solutions in early childhood education and have a track record of successful development and fundraising engagement OR you are committed to learning and building your career in this area, we encourage you to apply.