Director of Development

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Oversee and grow a portfolio of mission-driven foundation, corporate, and individual funders with contributions ranging from six to seven figures.

• Transform Meritus College's preliminary outcomes data and founding narrative into engaging and fundable stories.

• Integrate traditional higher education philanthropy practices with the agility and resourcefulness of an early-stage startup.

• Direct the fundraising strategy for the launch of Meritus College.

• Develop and implement innovative fundraising initiatives and operational methods.

• Identify, research, and nurture new funding relationships.

• Lead the proposal writing process with assistance from Merit America's Development team.

• Employ entrepreneurial thinking and creativity in fundraising efforts.

• Monitor and evaluate the health of the funding pipeline, trends among funders, and related outcomes.

• Manage relationships with funders from initial outreach through solicitation, closing, and ongoing stewardship.

• Aim to advance $10M in funding proposals to the proposal stage or beyond within the first year, with team collaboration.

• Compose correspondence that aligns data and mission with funder interests.

• Act as a representative of Meritus College during meetings and presentations with funders.

• Cultivate and renew relationships with funders to establish long-term trust.

• Collaborate with academic, data, and operations teams to collect evidence and impact data.

• Work with Meritus College leadership to enhance the advancement function.

• Report to the Managing Director of Development and work closely with the larger Development Team as well as academic and operational leadership.

⛳️ Requirements

• Proven experience as the fundraising lead or as a close collaborator with the fundraising lead for a new initiative at a college or university, such as a new degree program, school, campus, institute, accredited entity, or a nonprofit developed within an institution.

• Familiarity with accreditation processes, credit portability and transfer, academic model design, and the diligence required by institutional funders for new or recently accredited programs.

• Demonstrated success in fundraising or partnership building, or in supporting those who have achieved it.

• Capability to articulate a case for support while evidence is still being gathered.

• Proactive mindset with the ability to prospect cold leads, draft proposal templates, and work with partial information.

• Comfort with the uncertainty associated with a new college and a growing organization.

• Proven experience in leveraging resources, including AI, for research, drafting, and prospecting purposes.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to convert data and mission into a compelling case for support.

• Confidence in presenting a new institution with integrity and transparency.

• Strong belief in enhancing access to higher education for working adults and non-traditional students.

• Alignment with the values of Merit America.

• Candidates must reside within the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

• Full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia is required.

• Merit America does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

• Preferred qualifications include experience in startups or scaling nonprofits, established funder relationships, Salesforce or similar CRM experience, and comfort with AI tools.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance with 100% coverage for employee-only plans.

• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account options.

• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account availability.

• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit.

• Reimbursement for education and personal development.

• Access to a catalog of courses for professional learning and development.

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.

• Unlimited vacation policy after a 90-day introductory period.

• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits after one year of employment.

• 11 federally recognized holidays.

• Two-week holiday office closure in December/January.

• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic contributions from Merit.

• Wellness benefits and resources.

• Employee discount perks program.

• Stipend for phone or technology expenses.

• Stipend for home office setup.

• Opportunities for community building through affinity groups and various meetups, both virtual and in-person.

• Potential to earn an incentive bonus of up to $20,000.