Development Manager

Job Posting: Development Manager
Location: Currently remote, will be based in our Brooklyn, NY office in DUMBO
Status: Full-time/Overtime Exempt
Salary: $75,000 per year plus health benefits, generous paid time off, and professional development opportunities
Reports to: Executive Director

Founded by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady in 1996 to remedy the under-representation and isolation of African American poets in the literary landscape, Cave Canem Foundation is a home for the many voices of African American poetry and is committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets.

A 501-c-3 nonprofit literary service organization with administrative and programming headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, Over the years, we have grown from a gathering of 26 to become an influential movement with a renowned faculty, a high-achieving global fellowship of 500 poets, and a workshop community of over 1,000. Core programs include community-based workshops; cross-cultural talks and readings by acclaimed poets and scholars; book prizes publishing new voices; and our flagship annual writing retreat for today’s most promising poets of African descent.

Cave Canem seeks a Development Manager who is passionate about poetry and the literary world, and excited to administer the existing revenue streams: a robust pool of individual donors, a healthy and diverse portfolio of foundation and government grants, as well as corporate sponsors and institutional partnerships.

The impact on the field of American arts and letters cannot be overstated: in its first quarter of a century, Cave Canem has profoundly impacted the place of the Black voice in poetry. The role of the Development Manager will be a key partner to executive leadership in moving the institution towards one that is as financially strong as its reputation and impact on the literary and poetry fields.

For this role, we seek strong writers and storytellers. We are looking for candidates who will speak boldly on behalf of the organization and its incredible national impact and reach to mobilize support through philanthropic partnerships and investments.

The Development Manager should have an administrative and fundraising background, with particularly strong self-management, organizational, and communication skills.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to:

• Together with Executive Director, manage and execute multiyear fundraising plan, including income projections and expenses, coding and reconciling contributed income;
• With assistance from the Executive Director, oversee and manage the execution of Cave Canem fundraising activities, including the planning and management of special events;
• Initiate new and relevant fundraising opportunities in foundation and government funding, manage grants calendar, provide foundation research and follow-up, draft grant proposals and write reports;
• Identify individual, corporate and foundation gift prospects;
• Oversee the execution of social media fundraising campaigns and other digital fundraising initiatives with Cave Canem’s Communications & Engagement Manager;
• Ensure that Cave Canem maintains current and long-standing relationships with funders, both individual and institutional;
• Manage Development staff, including a Development Coordinator, grant writer(s) and others working with the organization on a contract basis, and occasional interns;
• Other duties as needed and necessary, including full participation in the Annual Retreat and other Cave Canem events.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Exceptional grant writing and storytelling abilities;
• Five+ years of progressive administrative/fundraising experience; nonprofit experience a plus;
• Forward-facing ability to represent the institution to potential funders and large investors; the ability to eloquently and comprehensively express the value proposition of the organization;
• Knowledge of the nonprofit arts fundraising landscape, including experience with foundation and government grant portals;
• Experience establishing new and innovative funding relationships and partnerships;
• Alumni relationships and fundraising initiatives experience;
• Experience designing and planning special events a plus;
• Experience with the literary arts, arts service organizations, and/or discipline specific arts organizations appreciated.

To apply, please email a cover letter, resume, the names and contact information of two references and two writing samples as a single PDF document by email to: careers@ccpoets.org, subject line: DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.

Please put in the email subject: CAVE CANEM DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Though we will not be able to contact all applicants, we hope to invite a first round of interviews in December 2021.

Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cave Canem Foundation, Inc. is committed to building a culturally diverse community, and strongly encourages applications from female-identified candidates and candidates of color.