Elevate

Elevate is a small business serving a critical niche in the nonprofit sector. Our unique model allows us to provide affordable and impactful foundation fundraising strategy and grant writing capacity to our roughly 85 clients – lean and effective nonprofits in need of sustainable funding to carry out their social change missions.

Elevate seeks skilled professional grant writers with the confidence, flexibility, and persistence to consult nonprofit organizations on institutional fundraising. Our Team Directors support 5-6 client teams, serve as the key Elevate liaison with each client, foster strong client and team relationships, develop and execute a custom fundraising strategy for each client, and oversee the work of junior staff. Strong candidates have at least four years of experience in foundation fundraising, including writing and submitting grants for nonprofits, formally and informally mentoring junior staff, and developing and executing an effective fundraising strategy. We seek effective institutional fundraisers – nonprofit grant writers, managers of institutional giving, and development managers – to join our young and growing team.

The full-time annual salary for this position is in the low- to mid- $60,000s. 

As a Team Director at Elevate you will:

• Build smart, effective institutional fundraising programs that increase the impact of nonprofits of many different sizes and focuses;

• Make high-impact strategic decisions to support your clients;

• Manage and mentor early career development professionals who are eager to learn from you about institutional fundraising;

• Manage competing demands from your clients and your teams with diplomacy and poise; 

• Learn constantly from your clients, your teams, your peers, and your supervisors.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement comprehensive institutional fundraising strategies in close partnership with clients that establish short- and long-term goals, prospecting priorities, and systems for cultivation and stewardship;

• Lead 5-6 client teams in collaboration with junior staff; 

• Maintain strong relationships with clients by consistently delivering high-quality work on a reasonable and professional timeline within Elevate’s contracted scope of work for that client;

• Mentor and support junior staff;

• Draft proposals, reports, LOIs, and concept papers to ensure highly strategic writing on the most complex proposals or reports.

Ideal candidates will:

• Have 4-5 years of nonprofit development experience, including significant experience in institutional giving and grant writing;

• Have experience managing a team or mentoring other professionals; 

• Be a flexible and solution-oriented team player who is excited by new projects and challenges;

• Demonstrate excellent nonprofit strategy, writing, and argumentation skills;

• Enjoy mentoring junior staff by articulating strategic considerations as well as providing constructive feedback and professional advice; 

• Be an effective and decisive leader; 

• Have patience, poise, humor, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves with our clients; 

• Contribute positively to Elevate’s culture, commitment to equity and inclusion, and company values. 

We welcome applicants who have a strong interest in the position and are able to demonstrate their ability to successfully meet the expectations of the role, yet have a professional background that does not align perfectly to the description of our ideal candidate. Note that we are hiring full time salaried staff based in the metro Washington, D.C. region. 

Your resume and cover letter should detail the following:

• Relevant skills and experience;

• Your interest in the position, including your interest in advancing in your career at Elevate, specifically;

• Your professional strengths;

• Examples of your experience in developing and implementing an effective institutional fundraising strategy; 

• Evidence of your alignment with our company values. 

We accept applications and hire on a rolling basis that is aligned with our staffing needs for new clients and projects. This process can take anywhere from one to three months from application to start date.