Director of Development

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning is seeking a Director of Development to lead and grow the fundraising efforts of CASEL, the leading authority in the rapidly expanding field of social and emotional learning. This position works with the champions of the SEL field and holds a key role in the organization that is working to ensure equitable education outcomes for every child.

This Director position reports directly to CASEL’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Karen Niemi, and is instrumental to CASEL’s strategic, operational, and financial effectiveness.

The Director of Development leads the development department and grows CASEL’s funding base – including individual, foundation, and corporate donors. The Director is responsible for ensuring CASEL meets its annual fundraising budget goals, with a focus on achieving $6 - $8M million in revenue annually to support the broad adoption of social and emotional learning. The Director collaborates closely with the Communications team, works closely with Operations and Finance, and cultivates and maintains relationships that create long term sustainability and success for CASEL’s initiatives.

The Director will:
• Lead and manage a strategy for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of existing as well as prospective individual, foundation, and corporate donors.
• Initiate cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship meetings with donors and prospects.
• Collaborate closely with CASEL’s Executive team and Board of Directors to identify and develop effective solicitation strategies and compelling proposals for fundraising opportunities.
• Develop a thorough understanding of CASEL’s work and effectively communicate the organization’s accomplishments, goals, and strategies to prospective donors.
• Ensure the highest quality fundraising communications, including proposals, applications, correspondence, reports, budgetary and program information, and monitoring.
• Work closely with CASEL communications to develop promotional material and fundraising collateral for appeals and other solicitations.
• Set goals, benchmarks, and performance metrics that measure tangible results.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and laws and adherence to the highest accountability standards to donors, ethical principles, and standards for fundraising.
• Manage staff and consultants as needed.

The Director of Development must have a proactive collaboration style, a demonstrated commitment to equity, and a track record of consensus building among stakeholders. A background in SEL and/or education is a plus but is not required; a deep interest in SEL is a must.

CASEL seeks an individual who is highly motivated and committed to CASEL’s mission, with at least 7 years of accomplished professional experience as a fundraiser. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record of securing individual, foundation, and corporate funding. The Director of Development must be a skilled writer and presenter. This position requires strong strategic thinking skills, excellent organizational skills, and experience with process-building, planning and execution, multi-tasking, and self-management.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning is an equal opportunity employer. CASEL evaluates applicants for employment on the basis of qualifications, merit and work-related criteria without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, pregnancy, medical condition, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. CASEL employs and values a diverse work environment.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume that includes references to careers@casel.org. Please include the position title in the subject line of your email, and in your cover letter, mention where you heard of this position.