Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager

Governor's Early Literacy Foundation

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Job Summary

Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) equips Tennessee’s children with books and innovative literacy tools that encourage lifelong learning and success. GELF is an independent and non-partisan 501(c)3 serving all 95 counties in Tennessee. Its mission is to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee. GELF pursues its mission through key programs and initiatives: Birth-5 Book Delivery through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, K-3 Home Library, Caregiver Engagement, Book Buses, Storybook Trails, the Statewide early Literacy Education Collaborative of Tennessee (SELECT), Tenn Under 10, and more. GELF serves approximately 600,000 children; 185,000 caregivers; and 13,000 teachers each year. More information about GELF’s programs and impact can be found on its website: www.governorsfoundation.org.

Job Summary:

Join our team at Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) in a new, key role within our development department. The Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager will report to the Director of Development and play a crucial part in growing and maintaining financial support for the advancement of the Foundation’s mission and programs. The ideal candidate will have a strong fundraising background, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a passion for the Foundation’s mission to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee.

Job Responsibilities

Job Responsibilities

Fundraising and Development

• Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of GELF’s mission, vision, values, culture, and programs to better support its success and clearly communicate its work
• Identify and research local/statewide/national corporate and foundation funding opportunities
• Manage a dynamic corporate/foundation fundraising calendar, anticipating needed information and meeting deadlines for applications, requirements, and reports
• Prepare, write, and submit corporate/foundation support proposals and grant applications, securing funding for programs, special projects, and events
• Manage timely funder recognition and corporate benefits
• Monitor grant-funded progress, compliance, and expenditures in collaboration with the Programs and Finance Departments
• Prepare, write, and submit corporate/foundation grant reports
• Foster and maintain authentic relationships with new and current corporate/foundation funders in partnership with the Director
• Craft compelling case for support statements and fundraising communication strategies in collaboration with the Director, Communications department, and President & CEO
• Schedule meetings and attend local/statewide events to form new funding opportunities
• Assist the Director with the development of the annual fundraising budget, fundraising administration processes, and periodic strategic planning
• Other duties as assigned

Event Planning and Support

• Assist the team with volunteer recruitment for special events, utilizing the opportunity to engage corporate supporter’s employees
• Support the planning and execution of fundraising/friends-raising events, in collaboration with the Director and Operations department
• Support statewide early literacy impact by leading and/or supporting fundraising education presentations/workshops for GELF’s program partners and affiliates statewide

Administration

• Enter and maintain up-to-date corporate/foundation gifts, data, records, and communications in Salesforce
• Prepare invoices and monitor grant payment receipts in collaboration with the Operations and Finance departments
• Update GELF’s profile on nonprofit reporting sites, including Giving Matters, GuideStar, Charity Navigator, etc.

Culture

• Engage in a dynamic, supportive culture that promotes personal and professional development by participating in quarterly professional reading, self-directed professional development and training, and ongoing team-building activities
• Maintain a commitment to GELF’s values of boldness, openness, optimism, knowledge, and stewardship (BOOKS)

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Minimum of 3 years of fundraising/development experience, with at least 2 years of grant writing experience
• Familiarity with fundraising best practices and ethics
• Marketing/communications/sales experience a plus
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Experience with databases/CRMs (Salesforce experience a plus)
• Exceptional attention to detail and organization abilities
• Strong people skills and emotional intelligence
• Driven, self-motivated, and goal-oriented
• Comfort working both autonomously and collaboratively
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong desire to learn

Travel: This position requires some limited travel across Tennessee, with some overnights expected. The candidate must have a current driver’s license.

Reports to: This position reports to the Director of Development.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no direct report responsibilities.

Hours & In Office Expectations:

The position is full-time and exempt, with a remote work schedule. Ideally, candidates will live within the region of Tennessee they are serving. This role will require a regular cadence of in-person time at the foundation’s Nashville offices, as well as participation in GELF events, offsites, and other occasions to build culture and relationships with the entire team.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

To apply, please follow this LINK. After you have completed the assessment, please send your resume and cover letter to careers@governorsfoundation.org by June 16, 2024.

Our Hiring Process:

We truly value the people we bring onto our team. As a result, we are careful in our selection process. As an applicant, here is what to expect:

• Phase 1 – Selection of potential candidates – We will filter the best-match candidates into the top 10 and contact them by email to set up a preliminary interview.

• Phase 2 – Preliminary interview – This will be a short 15–20-minute virtual interview to help us select the top 3-5 most suitable applicants. You may be asked to complete an additional assessment to prepare for the interview.

• Phase 3 – In-person interview and team meeting – We will invite the top 3 candidates to come to our offices for an in-person interview and to meet our team. It’s an opportunity for interviewees to get to know our team and for our team to get to know the potential candidates. This usually takes 1.5-2 hours.

• Phase 4 – Selection and Job Offer – once we have narrowed our search, our hiring committee will make a candidate a conditional offer.

Please Note: The deadline above does not prevent the organization from beginning the hiring process. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible if they are interested in pursuing this opportunity

Details

• Date Posted: June 8, 2024
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Fundraising / Revenue Development
• Service Area: Children / Youth
• Start Date: 07/29/2024
• Salary Range: $62-$65,000
• Working Hours: M-F 8am-4:30pm