About Urban Alliance

Urban Alliance (UA) is a national evidence-based nonprofit that is building a diverse next-generation workforce by providing young people, mostly students of color, with skills training and mentoring, and connecting them to paid work experiences to increase their economic mobility. With over 25 years of experience, UA connects young people with the skills, social capital, and career exposure needed to overcome systemic barriers to economic opportunity.

UA provides a bridge between students, employers, and schools to build early, long-term, and life-changing workforce experiences. UA’s signature High School Internship Program (HSIP) provides comprehensive soft skills and digital literacy training, paid internships with local employers, mentoring, case management, and post-high school planning support to ensure that participants enroll in college, secure living wage work, or enroll in continued career training after high school.

Founded in Washington, DC in 1996, UA has since evolved into a national organization with nearly 60 staff, $13M annual budget, and regional operations in four locations: Baltimore, Chicago, the Greater DC area, and Detroit. Through partnerships with major employers such as Bank of America, the World Bank, LinkedIn, and Rocket Family of Companies, UA has served nearly 30,000 students since 1997, with more than 6,000 of these students completing the HSIP. The flagship HSIP has been externally validated through a six-year Randomized Controlled Trial completed in 2017 by Urban Institute, which found that 1) young men who completed the program were more likely to enroll in college by 23 percentage points; 2) students in UA’s target GPA band (2.0-3.0) who completed the program were more likely to enroll in a four-year college by 18 percentage points; and 3) UA participants demonstrated greater comfort and retention of soft skills.

UA’s proven impact and national visibility has fueled rapid growth in recent years. As a recognized leader in measuring and delivering significant outcomes for underserved youth, UA has been featured in Moneyball for Government and several national media outlets, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy, NPR, and Forbes. It has also been featured by the Obama Foundation and Urban Institute.

Position Summary

Reporting to the National Director of Partnerships, the Development Director’s primary responsibility is to raise money from private and public sources. In partnership with UA’s Resource Team comprised of the Development team, CEO, and regional Executive Directors, the Development Director will lead all efforts to ensure UA meets/exceeds its annual philanthropic revenue goals. Together, the team will ensure there are strong fundraising operations and infrastructure (talent, tools, process) in place.

Ninety percent of the Development Director’s time will be spent raising money. The Development Director will have a strong work ethic and ensure there is strong cross functional collaboration and cohesiveness so that fundraising matches the organization’s operation and programmatic needs. This individual will possess strong knowledge of tactics and techniques for raising money, primarily from institutional funders, and have the ability to manage up and down, and hold other Resource Team members accountable.

The ideal candidate will bring five years or more of demonstrated fundraising experience and results from various revenue streams, including but not limited to, private and family foundations; corporations; federal and state funding; and individuals. The candidate will also demonstrate an unwavering commitment to give young people access to opportunities through paid work experiences that allow them to maximize their financial and upward mobility, ensuring this principle is reflected in the organization’s fundraising strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising (90%)

• In close collaboration with the Resource Team, meet/exceed revenue targets from philanthropic partners annually.
• Write accurate, timely, and high-quality grant proposals and reports, and ensure cross functional collaboration with program and finance teams so that funding requests match the programmatic and organization’s needs.
• Continually build a robust pipeline of opportunities including researching new and securing renewal opportunities.
• Cultivate new and stewards existing relationships, leading and mobilizing UA staff to participate on pitch calls, site visits, etc.
• Design and implement a stewardship plan in partnership with the National Director of Partnerships to ensure we are engaging with our prospective and current funders well.
• Partner with other members of the Resource and/or Communications Teams to create donor/funder-facing collateral.
• Utilize Salesforce to maximize fundraising (e.g., update accounts and opportunities; manages deadlines and grant deliverables; tracks and manages portfolio/pipeline to ensure revenue targets are met).
• Collaborate with the regional Executive Directors to ensure each region has a robust pipeline of revenue-generating partnerships to ensure we have enough funding to hit programmatic targets.
• Partner with the Resource Team to steward existing funder relationships and implement expanded funding strategies that generate new revenue from diverse sources including corporations, foundations, individual donors, and government agencies to ensure organizational sustainability.
• Support National Director of Partnerships in coordinating with teams across the organization to ensure grant deliverables are met.

Administration and Leadership (10%)

• Support the Resource Team to ensure infrastructure (team, tools, process) is in place. For example: Update supplemental proposal materials and attachments as needed.
• Work closely with the finance team to support all finance functions, including but not limited to, supporting UA’s annual financial audit; participating in regular revenue reconciliation activities; informing proposal budgets; supporting the finance team on grant expenditures and helping identify potential strategies to address over- and underspending; coordinate invoice submission requirements for funders; communicate financial reporting requirements to funders and support finance in submission of these reports in a timely manner.
• Work closely with program staff and project managers to monitor progress on grant deliverables.
• Consult with COO to ensure the organization’s compliance with all grant requirements, including for federal, state and local government funding.
• Work closely with the Resource and/or Communications teams to help with any donor/funder-related marketing materials that includes but is not limited to Annual Report and Annual Appeal projects.
• Support the regional offices by attending and supporting program events as requested.
• Model Urban Alliance’s core values: Students First, Take Care of Each Other, Follow Through, Open & Direct Communication, and Dedication to Mission

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; advanced degree preferred
• At least five years of non-profit fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in securing and managing grants at the $100K+ level
• Exceptional organization and time management skills, with strict adherence to deadlines
• Ability to engage with multiple and diverse organizational stakeholders in the development, submission, and implementation of complex grant proposals
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Proven successful project management ability
• Strong collaboration skills
• Ability to proactively identify potential challenges and course-correct as needed
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while balancing multiple priorities
• Knowledge of MS Office Suite is required
• Experience with donor databases; Salesforce experience preferred
• A passion for youth development and a desire to work for an organization dedicated to closing the racial-economic opportunity gap

Benefits

At Urban Alliance one of our core values is taking care of each other, and this includes offering competitive benefits, paid time off, and options for remote work. The total compensation package for this position is between $80,000 – $85,000 based on experience In addition to having paid time off between December 25th and January 1st, we provide 18 days of paid time off plus 10 paid federal holidays, as well as birthday and diversity paid holidays. Additional days are provided to staff after three years. Depending on the calendar, additional paid closure days and early closure days are established each year. Our benefits include a comprehensive health plan with 90% individual healthcare coverage for employees, optional 403(b) retirement plans with a 3% match, and optional FSA and Dependent Care benefits. This position can be based in one of any of our four locations but will ideally be based in one of our Midwest offices. We offer hybrid work schedules with generally 2 days/week in-office and 3 days/week remote. Travel to each of the four regions (Washington DC, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago) for professional development or occasional site visits may occur periodically. Work hours are 35 hours per week and determined based on program needs to allow for both flexibility and work-life balance.

Urban Alliance Vaccination Policy

As established by the Urban Alliance Board of Directors, all employees are required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious reasonable accommodation is approved. If offered a job, the candidate must be able to prove that they have been vaccinated with one of the CDC-authorized vaccines, including either Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson / Janssen or request and be granted an accommodation before their start date.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Urban Alliance is a racial and social justice organization committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Urban Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Applicants from all underrepresented groups, including people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and DACA recipients are encouraged to apply.