Director of Philanthropic Engagement, Early Childhood/Racial Justice

The Role 

EmbraceRace had an operational budget of $1.7 million in 2023.
We are looking for a Director of Philanthropic Engagement to help
us generate and manage at least $2M dollars in revenue in your
first year, with expected growth annually to fuel our journey to
develop race-brave kids of all racial identities. The Director of
Philanthropic Engagement will help shape and implement our
fundraising development strategy at a crucial time for the
organization. We seek a self-directed, energetic leader eager to
develop and deepen relationships with individual donors,
foundations and corporate partners, someone genuinely passionate
about our racial justice mission and excited by the opportunity to
move our small-but-mighty organization to significantly higher
levels of programmatic and movement-building impact. 

This is a full-time (40 hour per week) position. The person who
occupies the position can live anywhere in the United
States. 

You will do this by:

Leading Identification and Cultivation of New
Donors (25%)

Developing and executing against
cultivation plans for both institutional (foundations and
corporations) and individual prospective donors to bring in new
revenue opportunities and secure funding 
Conducting comprehensive research to
expand the funding pipeline and design solicitation strategies
tailored to different donor segments, including high-net-worth
individuals and institutional partners
Creating and maintaining high-quality
external materials to support fundraising, including pitch decks
and one-pagers
Authoring outreach to current and
prospective funders to ensure the Executive Directors are set up to
successfully support fundraising 

Managing a Portfolio of EmbraceRace Donors (25%)

Serving as a key external
representative for EmbraceRace, developing and executing engagement
and renewal strategies for a diverse donor base (current and
incoming) alongside the co-Executive Director 
Designing and implementing targeted
campaigns, stewardship, and engagement plans to renew and/or
upgrade existing funders 
Create meeting prep materials to
ensure meetings with donors are purposeful, engaging, and
tailored 

Leading Grant Management and Fundraising Campaigns
(20%)

Overseeing the full grants cycle,
from drafting compelling grant applications to managing reporting
calendars and deliverables, ensuring alignment with donor
expectations and organizational needs.
Spearheading individual giving
campaigns and events, utilizing strategic segmentation and
personalized communication to increase donor engagement and
recurring contributions.

Developing Strategies to Reach Philanthropic Goals
(20%)

Leading the creation and execution of
a comprehensive development strategy to achieve and surpass
philanthropic targets
Designing a fundraising strategy
attached to our inaugural Conference on Children’s Racial Learning
in spring 2025
Developing and maintaining systems
and infrastructure to support gold-standard fundraising and
tracking
Implementing a dashboard with key
performance indicators to monitor progress towards goals, ensuring
active cultivation and stewardship of new and existing funders

Leadership and External Relations (10%)

Partnering with the EmbraceRace team
to create an active and collaborative culture of philanthropy
within the organization.
Partnering with the Co-Executive
Director to engage the National Advisory and manage the fundraising
committee, leveraging their expertise to foster fundraising
initiatives.
Collaborating with the Communications
Manager to bolster EmbraceRace’s visibility, aligning communication
efforts with fundraising goals to attract and retain donors.
Potential for supervisory
responsibilities.
Occasional travel.

The ideal candidate will possess the following
skillsets:

Strategic Planning and
Execution: Ability to set clear goals, develop
comprehensive strategies, and implement plans to achieve
philanthropic targets. This includes the skill to navigate the
complexities of various giving sectors (individual, foundations,
corporate) and to adjust strategies based on performance metrics
and external factors.
Relationship Building and
Management: Strong interpersonal skills to build and
maintain relationships with a diverse range of donors, partners,
and team members. This encompasses both the ability to engage
effectively with high-level stakeholders and to collaborate with
internal teams and advisory committees.
Communication and
Persuasion: Exceptional written and verbal communication
skills, with the capacity to create compelling narratives for
different audiences. This includes the development of grant
applications, campaign materials, and the ability to articulate
EmbraceRace’s mission and impact persuasively to inspire and secure
funding.
Analytical and Research
Abilities: Proficiency in donor research, data analysis,
and the use of CRM systems (like Salesforce) to inform
decision-making. This skill is vital for understanding donor
histories, predicting future giving patterns, and identifying new
funding opportunities.
Ability and Ease with
Discussions about Race: High degree of thoughtfulness and
attention to how to communicate respectfully about children’s
racial learning and the mission of EmbraceRace. Ability to engage
donors and stakeholders in meaningful conversations about race,
inclusivity, and equity.

The Person

Successful candidates will see themselves in the following
examples:    

You possess a growth-oriented
mindset: You believe in the potential for growth,
innovation, and continuous improvement within yourself and the
organization. You encourage a proactive approach to challenges,
seeing them as opportunities to learn and expand the organization’s
impact. 
You operate with equity and
inclusivity: You have a deep commitment to understanding
and valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially regarding
racial equity. You recognize that this mindset is crucial for
effectively communicating EmbraceRace’s mission and engaging with a
diverse group of donors, partners, and communities.
You are collaborative and
adaptive: You demonstrate the ability to work effectively
in a dynamic, team-oriented virtual environment, adapting to
changing needs and priorities while maintaining strong
relationships with colleagues, donors, and partners. 
You are positive and
tenacious: You demonstrate determination and optimism,
even in the face of challenges or setbacks. You know, through
experience, that this approach is crucial to navigating the complex
landscape of philanthropy, building relationships, and securing the
resources necessary for EmbraceRace to achieve its ambitious
goals.

The ideal candidate will have the following
qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree
(Required) 
5+ years of experience with
fundraising in a non-profit environment and/or in philanthropy
(Preferred) 
Ability to set up systems and
processes to streamline fundraising (Required)
Excellent oral and written
communications skills (Required) 
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and
Google Suite (Required)
Comfort with CRM platforms like
Salesforce (Preferred) 
Existing donor network and
willingness to leverage it on behalf of EmbraceRace
(Preferred)

BENEFITS

Proteus Fund is committed to ensuring that its employees are
supported holistically, from compensation, benefits and
resources to an enriching work environment and collaborative
culture. Proteus Fund leads the market in a number of its
offerings, including a sector-leading retirement plan
contribution and robust benefits package.

The recruiting team will share more information regarding this
commitment and offerings. 

• Medical and dental benefits for employee and eligible
  dependents available on the first day of work.
• Retirement savings account (401k) with an organization
  contribution of 10% of annual salary
• Three weeks’ paid vacation in first year of work; four weeks in
  subsequent years
• Fifteen sick days per year
• Three personal days per year
• Fifteen paid holidays
• Professional development initiatives for growth
• Life Insurance
• Paid Family Leave, short-term, and long-term disability

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? 

The deadline for application submissions is Monday,
April 22.

If you are excited about the role and see connection between
your experiences and what we are looking for, please submit only a
resume and answers to the following two questions to
[email protected]. Put “Director of Philanthropic
Engagement” in the subject line. 

In 250 words or fewer, tell us why
you believe you are a good fit for EmbraceRace.
In 250 words or fewer, describe one
of your biggest fundraising successes and what it reveals about
you. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

Please note, in an effort to maintain and safeguard staff’s
health, well-being, and safety, Proteus Fund requires all employees
to be vaccinated prior to their employment and adhere to the
regular upkeep of COVID-19 vaccination requirements as per
CDC recommendations while employed. Proof of the
CDC-recommended level of COVID-19 vaccination is required as a
condition of employment with Proteus Fund.

EEO Statement 

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are
fundamental principles at Proteus Fund/EmbraceRace, where
employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual
capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color,
religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional
preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship,
disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as
established under law.

EmbraceRace

Established as a national nonprofit in 2016, EmbraceRace
supports parents, guardians, educators, and other caregivers
working to raise children who are thoughtful, informed and brave
about race so that multiracial democracy in the United States can
thrive. EmbraceRace provides essential tools, resources, and
networks needed to nurture resilience in children of color; nurture
inclusive, empathetic children of all stripes; raise kids who think
critically about race; and support a movement of kid and adult
racial justice advocates for all children. At a critical growth
phase following increased demand for its resources and
partnerships, especially after George Floyd’s murder, EmbraceRace
is poised to launch significant new initiatives aimed at empowering
parents, educators, and caregivers in building a more inclusive and
equitable future. 

EmbraceRace is fiscally sponsored by the Proteus Fund. Visit
https://www.embracerace.org/ 

About the Proteus Fund

Proteus Fund connects philanthropy to the frontlines of social
justice. We strive to advance the interconnected goals of racial,
gender, queer and disability justice, and an inclusive, fully
representative democracy. To do our work effectively and with
significant impact, Proteus Fund creates dynamic relationships
between progressive philanthropists, movement leaders, and other
allies that go far beyond transactional grantmaking. Our trusted
position among funders and field actors enables us to support, both
through collaborative grantmaking and other efforts, a broad array
of strategies to achieve social justice victories. Our donor
collaboratives are best-in-class models for bridging responsive
philanthropy and cutting-edge social justice movements for deeper
impact, aligning resources to address critical needs, and shaping
strategy alongside our partners. Through our fiscal sponsorship
program, Proteus Fund partners with initiatives which play a
powerful role in the larger ecosystem for social change, providing
them with tailored and comprehensive organizational support.

To date, Proteus Fund, and its affiliated 501c4 organization,
the Proteus Action League, have distributed $280 million in
grants, and provided other essential tools to
support activists, advocates, networks, coalitions, and
issue-specific campaigns at the local, state, and national
level. Proteus Fund is headquartered in New York City, with
staff based across the entire United States.