Manager of Development

The Opportunity Network ignites the drive, curiosity, and agency of underrepresented students on their paths to and through college and into thriving careers, powered by our commitment to access and community.

Since 2003, The Opportunity Network has ignited the drive, curiosity, and agency of students from historically and systemically underrepresented communities to connect them to college access and success, internships, career opportunities, and personal and professional networks. Our programs, OppNet Fellows, Career Fluency® Partnerships, and UninterruptED, are all anchored in our proprietary Career Fluency® curriculum, which articulates the necessary skills and mindsets for college and career readiness. All of the work OppNet leads is in service of realizing our vision of a nation connected through vibrant communities and networks actively in pursuit of social justice and educational equity—a nation where all young people can freely create their own path to enduring success that honors their passions, ambitions, and full identities

The Person 

The ideal candidate is a strategic and driven individual with a passion for fundraising and for educational equity. The candidate should demonstrate keen ability to meaningfully support the full lifecycle of institutional fundraising, including, primarily, grant proposal and report writing, in addition to prospecting and research, and cultivation and stewardship. The candidate should demonstrate a track record of success in the above, as well as enthusiasm for learning, growing, and stretching their skills. 

Further, the candidate should possess excellent, clear, and compelling written and verbal communication skills (including and beyond proposal and report writing), and should be an attentive and open-minded listener, with the ability to synthesize information and connect the dots, while also knowing when and how to seek more information, context, and rationale on directives and projects. In their writing, the candidate should demonstrate an understanding of nuance in tone, voice, brand, and content, and the ability to adapt their writing to fit the audience and goals for each piece of writing. 

The candidate should demonstrate keenly honed project management skills, organization and attention to detail across all aspects of their work, strength in prioritizing and multitasking, a maturity in soliciting and receiving feedback, and the ability to think creatively, critically, and strategically. The candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented role where their work matters every day. The candidate must also balance working collaboratively with colleagues across the Strategic Advancement team and organization with the ability to work independently with focus and a drive for quality. 

The ideal candidate will also personally connect to the important work we do and value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across the organization. The candidate will demonstrate DE&I values by actively participating in all organizational-wide learning sessions and self-reflection, as well as working with others to enact changes that contribute to meeting the organization’s DE&I goals.

Responsibilities 

Grant Writing and Reporting

• Write and edit sterling-quality letters of intent, proposals, applications, reports, and other communications to funders and prospects on schedule and often with multiple simultaneous deadlines
• Liaise with program teams and other departments to maintain up-to-date knowledge/understanding of program activities, outcomes, and needs, and to keep teams abreast of funding opportunities and grant awards, including, as appropriate, reporting implications and needs
• Coordinate language development with institutional giving team, including development of new language as appropriate, as well as splicing, synthesizing, and expanding upon existing language, depending on the specific needs and aims of each piece of writing 
• Serve as lead copywriter and copy editor for many proposals, reports, and other communications for the institutional giving team 

Portfolio Development 

• Take ownership of portfolio of funders and prospects, including all information regarding the status of the relationship, proposal and reporting deadlines, compliance requirements, and stewardship strategy and communication
• Research and apply keen and insightful analysis for new institutional funding prospects for program initiatives, capacity building, and general support grants 
• Track trends in New York City and national philanthropy and monitor giving to peer and like-minded organizations
• Coordinate communications, meetings, and site visits with funders and prospects to build relationships throughout the year, including developing and/or adhering to processes that bring other key OppNet staff and leadership along in the preparation for, execution of, and debriefs on meetings, site visits, etc. 
• Maintain crisp, clear, updated files on institutional funders and prospects

Systems, Processes, and Team Administration

• Maintain donor database (Salesforce), including data entry, creating new records, entering revisions and updates, and adding notes and actions
• Assist in the maintenance of all team files, systems, and processes, including taking ownership of certain existing systems and processes, as well as partnering to conceptualize, build, and maintain new systems and processes, where identified and needed
• Schedule, coordinate, and participate in external and internal meetings as requested
• As needed, assist with volunteer, visibility, and employee engagement opportunities throughout the year 
• Provide additional support to Strategic Advancement and organizational projects

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 3–5 years of direct and consistent fundraising and grant writing experience, with demonstrated track record of success 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workplace 
• Excellent and persuasive communication skills, with keen and strong facility in grant proposal and report writing and acute ability to adapt messaging to fit audience and goals
• Strong attention to detail and organizational and project management skills
• Strategic and curious thinker who approaches challenges open-mindedly, creatively, and with thoughtful solutions
• Comfort in team-oriented environment with open communication and constructive feedback
• Ability to work in a deadline-driven, evolving environment with precision and flexibility 
• Maturity, professionalism, integrity, and respect for confidential information
• Commitment to OppNet’s mission and the social change sector

The Opportunity Network strongly values equity and challenges historical inequity with a persistent focus on dismantling systemic racism. We work towards a more just society and as such we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.