[Hiring] Development Specialist @Reach Out and Read

Role Description

The Development Specialist is an early-career fundraising professional who brings strong writing and editing skills and thrives on collaboration. After an initial onboarding period, they will take on a significant share of our grant writing, drafting proposals and reports for review by the Associate Director of Development, while keeping deadlines on track, maintaining Salesforce data, and ensuring funders are thanked and stewarded well.

The Development Specialist reports to the Associate Director of Development and works closely with program team members, coordinating with the Regional Executive Director to serve as an integrator who helps teams share information and meet funder commitments. As the Development Specialist grows in the role, they will have opportunities to take on more of the grant cycle, build relationships with funders, and develop their own portfolio over time.

Qualifications

• Commitment to equity in opportunities and outcomes for children, with recognition of factors including race, ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status.
• Approximately two to three years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, development, or a related role where writing was a regular part of the work.
• Project management skills: ability to juggle multiple deadlines, plan ahead, keep a calendar on track, and follow through on details.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to turn information from many sources into clear, compelling narratives and produce solid first drafts on a steady timeline.
• A collaborative approach and a track record of working effectively across teams, building trust with colleagues, and keeping people informed.
• Comfort working with data and an appreciation for why accurate, up-to-date records matter.
• Self-motivation and the ability to work independently in a remote environment while staying connected to the team.
• Experience supporting grant proposals, reports, compliance, or donor stewardship, even if you did not lead them (preferred).
• Experience with Salesforce or another donor database, including running reports (preferred).
• Familiarity with Asana, Canva, and similar project management and design tools (preferred).

Requirements

• Grant Writing and Reporting (50%):
  • Work alongside the Associate Director of Development to learn our programs, funders, and proposal library, then grow into drafting the majority of foundation and corporate proposals and reports.
  • Write and edit grant proposals, adapting existing templates and boilerplate and translating program impact into clear, compelling, funder-aligned narratives.
  • Coordinate the grant reporting process: gather program and financial information from colleagues, prepare drafts, and ensure interim and final reports are submitted accurately and on time.
  • Maintain and update proposal templates, boilerplate language, and resource documents, including visually engaging materials created in Canva or similar tools.
  • Support prospect research and funder qualification as requested.
• Grant Project Management and Collaboration (30%):
  • Manage the Northwest grants calendar, planning weeks ahead so applications, deliverables, and reports are on track well before deadlines.
  • Track grant requirements, deliverables, and timelines in Asana, keeping teams informed and following up with the right colleagues for content and approvals.
  • Help prepare agendas and materials for biweekly development team meetings.
  • Enter and maintain grant and donor data in Salesforce, ensuring accuracy and alignment with National standards.
  • Run recurring Salesforce reports, such as monthly or quarterly pipeline and grant status reports, to support team planning.
  • Clearly communicate grant requirements and restrictions to leadership and finance, and submit backup materials promptly.
• Donor Stewardship and Acknowledgement (20%):
  • Facilitate donor and funder acknowledgment, ensuring gifts and grants are thanked promptly and personally.
  • Prepare materials and briefings for stewardship and cultivation meetings led by the Associate Director of Development and Executive Director, and join select funder meetings to learn and inform upcoming proposals.
  • Draft follow-up applications and communications that result from these opportunities.
  • Support additional development projects as requested.

Benefits

• Annualized equivalent compensation range of $70,000 to $75,000, commensurate with experience.
• Eligible for overtime pay in accordance with Washington State law.
• Robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with match.
• Paid time off.
• Fully remote role, requiring candidates to be based in Washington State.
• Occasional local travel and three to five overnight trips per year (less than 5% of the time).