STEM Library Lab, is seeking an energetic and creative new team member to help us grow our organization as our first Development Manager. 

Full time 40 hrs/week.

Primarily on-site, flexibility with partial remote work

Paid Medical and Dental/Vision Insurance

PTO

Expected Salary: $50-$60K, potential for increase upon 6 month performance review

About STEM Library Lab

Founded in 2016, STEM Library Lab (SLL) began as a nonprofit equipment lending library that fosters high-quality active learning by providing teachers with access to equipment, programs, experiences, and STEM instructional support to drive student success. Since founding, we have grown and expanded our programs to include a Teacher Free-Store, Professional Development sessions, Service Learning and EdOpportunities Database. Since inception, we have worked with over 800 teachers across more than 100 schools.

Serving with STEM Library Lab will give you an opportunity to be a part of a small, passionate team that values open communication, new ideas, and the ambitious pursuit of educational equity. Since this will be our fifth full year of operations, you will learn how to launch and grow a nonprofit and have a direct impact on how we develop. Together, we can make sure students in every classroom have exposure to quality educational experiences that prepare them for a 21st Century future.

Development Manager Position
The Development Manager will leverage relationships and storytelling to engage with funders through four avenues: 1) philanthropic foundations locally, regionally, and nationally, 2) corporate giving and sponsorship of events or programming, 3) capital renovation campaign, 4) recurring individual donations.

This position will conduct the full vertical of development, from cultivating donor leads using our existing pipelines, to drafting and submitting narrative proposals, to stewarding funder relationships during and after giving. In this position it will be both frontline and backend, ensuring that STEM Library Lab’s programmatic team has the resources they need to conduct and grow our suite of programs for local teachers. A component of this includes planning fundraising events including small gatherings for large donors, and larger signature fundraising events for the broader community.

The Development Manager will report directly to the Director of Operations, who oversees fundraising, finance, HR, marketing, and other day-to-day activities. Alongside the Director of Operations and the Executive Director, the Development Manager will serve as a thought partner to develop and implement a long-term plan to execute strategic fundraising across the four areas above. This person will be responsible for metrics set by the leadership team but will be expected to self-manage in order to prioritize and develop the role as they see fit.

Primary metric of success:

1. Total amount raised to support SLL’s existing programming and growth

Primary responsibilities include:

1. Increase fundraising efforts through direct activities and stewarding donor relationships:
2. 1. Research possible grant opportunities from philanthropic and corporate sponsorships that will be a good fit for STEM Library Lab;
   2. Raise funds by writing grant proposals, and soliciting in-kind donations;
   3. Steward relationships with funders by preparing acknowledgement letters, writing thank you cards, and supporting preparations for donor visits, and writing progress reports.
2. Streamline future fundraising efforts through development of systems and protocols:
3. 1. Use existing documentation to improve record keeping by designing boilerplate templates;
   2. Keep up to date records of current and historical grantmaking;
   3. Coordinate fundraising efforts of other like-minded organizations to find collaborative opportunities; improve efficiency for similar programs across the region;
3. Coordinate specific campaigns and special projects:
4. 1. Coordinate the fundraising for our $450K capital campaign to renovate our STEM Ecosystem Hub facility in Metairie;
   2. Develop a recurring donor campaign centered around soliciting operational funds from individuals to support ongoing costs associated with the building;
   3. Plan and execute special events including small gatherings for large donors, and a signature fundraising annual event in celebration of local teachers.

Qualifications- Who We’re Looking For:

The ideal candidate will have a track record of successful grant writing and at least 2 years of experience in a formal fundraising position. They should be outgoing and ready to engage professionally with stakeholders including high-dollar donors, foundation staff, and community members. This position is a storyteller, and the candidate should have strong analytical writing skills, in order to develop grant narratives that effectively tell the story of STEM Library Lab’s impact and growth.

The ideal candidate should have some background in event planning. They should be detail oriented and able to self-manage including setting schedules, priorities, and workflows.

Additional qualifications include:

●        Strong passion for STEM Library Lab’s educational equity mission; SLL is an Equal Opportunity Employer and diverse candidates are encouraged to apply;

●        Ability to work with diverse sets of educators, students, and community stakeholders;

●        Desire to work in a small, startup environment that will require self-motivation and flexibility;

●        BS/BA is preferred, 4+ years’ experience in a nonprofit or sales/fundraising setting is preferred;

●        Strong oral/written communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to maintain effective and professional work relationships;

●        Attention to detail is a must for this position. Strong program organization skills, in particular time management and process-setting;

●        Proficiency in Google and Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word and Excel;

●        Driver’s license or reliable access to transportation required;

●        Ability to work within the hours of 10am-6pm Monday-Friday, with occasional duties on weekends as events require.