Director of Philanthropy

Director of Philanthropy

• Lead the fundraising team toward meeting annual targets  
• Co-develop and execute the annual fundraising strategy with the CEO and leadership
• Set and meet goals for prospecting, pitching, closing, and stewardship – the whole fundraising lifecycle – to continually improve outcomes
• Differentiate approaches for different types of prospects: foundations, corporations, HNWIs, etc.
• Oversee, manage, and mentor the fundraising team 
• Shift strategic approaches as the landscape evolves 

• Oversee the philanthropy operation and team 
• Execute against the annual + quarterly philanthropy targets 
• Lead regular team meeting and pipeline reviews
• Establish weekly/monthly accountability mechanisms, tracking, and targets
• Stay abreast of organizational strategy and operations
• Establish strong relationships with x-team leaders 
• Keep the organization abreast of progress to goal, deadlines, and opportunities

• Oversee the entire end-to-end lifecycle of a grant – lead sourcing, qualification, cultivation, closing, reporting, stewardship, and renewal 
• Ensure each stage of the lifecycle is healthy and proactively flag and mitigate challenges based on active monitoring and data 
• Stay abreast of network banks, industry trends, and relationships 
• Ensure strong documentation and reporting for existing grants
• Ensure reporting deadlines and milestones are met
• Oversee diligence stages, communicating with the donor to ensure expectations are met 

• Work with the team and with existing knowledge to source new leads, traveling approximately 2x per quarter to targeted events per year to build relationships alongside the CEO 
• Meet with prospective donors to qualify them prior to a meeting with the CEO or leadership team; tee up the CEO to close major grants
• Work directly with donors to schedule meetings, share prep notes, and set agendas  
• Manage fast donor follow up following all meetings, setting up accountability mechanisms for the team to ensure communication is happening all year, at every lifecycle stage 
• Divide stewardship responsibilities with the CEO for existing grants depending on the nature/size of the gift and expectations for reporting calls 
• Act as a representative and spokesperson for CommonLit in meeting and at convenings and events 

• Education
  • Bachelor’s degree required
• Years of experience 
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience with fundraising or equivalent partnership  development for K-12 education role (nonprofit, for-profit, startup) 
  • Experience managing sales or fundraising pipeline 
• Targeted experience requirement(s)
  • Knowledge and experience of K-12 education and/or adjacent industries strongly preferred
  • Lived experience or work experience in underserved communities 
  • Experience with the education landscape and education programs required.
• Experience in team management and project management required 
  • Exceptional team manager with a bias for action, concise communication 
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team, effectively prioritizing and delegating tasks as needed 
• Strong track record of managing and leading teams to meet or exceed their goals
• Comfortable using or learning how to use Google Suite, Slack, HubSpot, Zoom, Notion, etc., for collaboration
• Outstanding communications skills, including oral, written and presentation including the ability to synthesize complex questions and professionalism when representing CommonLit to external partners.
• Eagerness to grow CommonLit’s donor base to bring our innovative program to low-income schools across the United States
• Readiness to problem-solve and manage relationships both internally across organizational departments and externally with donors 
• Strong attention to detail and desire for feedback

• This role involves prolonged periods in a stationary position at a desk and working on a computer
• This role involves domestic US travel approximately 2x per quarter 
• Must be US-based 
• Must be available to work from 9-5 PM Eastern

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA and FSA Plans, including Medical FSA, Limited FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Company-sponsored basic life insurance, with additional options for supplemental life insurance
• Legal insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% safe harbor employer match
• Access to exclusive discounts, including pet insurance, hotel booking discounts, and more
• Remote work support, including a home office set-up stipend

• 16 paid holidays annually
• Paid time off accruals and sick leave
• Paid family leave, including caregiver leave, medical leave, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• 2 floating holidays
• Volunteer and school visitation leave
• Jury duty leave
• Bereavement and compassionate leave
• Blood, bone marrow, and organ donation leave
• Flexible work options
• Low-stress weeks around Thanksgiving and in late December

• Monthly remote activities, such as dumpling-making, yoga, and virtual escape rooms
• Monthly "CoffeeLit" sessions for connecting with colleagues
• Learning and development opportunities for teams and individuals