Portland Public Schools (PPS) is seeking talented people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to lead change and inspire PPS students. At PPS, every employee, despite having different roles, is an educator. We hope to attract talented educators who model the core PPS Educator Essentials. With the District’s focus on eliminating systemic racism and its adverse impact on student learning, we seek to hire individuals who bring to our district a deep commitment to racial equity and social justice. Non-Discrimination / Anti-Harassment Policy
Basic Function
As the Fund Development Specialist, you will serve as an integral team member for PPS' Strategic Partnership Department, a dynamic team responsible for bringing external resources to the school district.
Representative Duties
- Support, participate in and/or lead development functions, systems and procedures to achieve district fundraising goals.
- Measurably and notably increase corporate/business partnership support from workplace giving programs, employee engagement partnerships and, especially, corporate financial sponsorships, special events, and special projects.
- Grow and effectively manage a caseload of corporate/business relationships, ensuring each relationship is stewarded well and that an annual communication and solicitation strategy is in place, with goals, for each relationship.
- Actively engage in and document: robust networking efforts; prospect research and leads identification; tours; partnership proposals; face to face and phone solicitations; progress reports.
- Work collaboratively with and act as a liaison between the Strategic Partnerships Department and corporate, and philanthropic partners and prospects to determine corporate giving priorities, giving capacity, and community relationships.
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit new business partners and prospects by using face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and research to raise philanthropic dollars on behalf of Portland Public Schools.
- Understand, utilize and update business processes, policies, guidelines, vernacular and tools to manage corporate/business and philanthropic relationships.
- Research and prepare executive briefing and materials for use by leadership in meetings and presentations.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Portland Public Schools Racial Equity and Social Justice Commitment by developing a thorough knowledge and application of the district Racial Educational Equity Policy, the PPS RESJ Framework and Plan, and the PPS RESJ Partnerships Investment Strategy and other board policies; participate in staff development, in-services and trainings related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and in K – 12 education; model appropriate behaviors; develop, recommend and implement improvements to educational practices with awareness and understanding of their impact in a racially and culturally diverse community.
- Assist in the monitoring and oversight of grants received by PPS, preparing grant proposals; reviewing funding limitations and other requirements specified by grantors.
- Draft high quality proposals, grant requests, partnership appeals, letters, emails, and other fundraising communications to support best practice corporate and foundation engagement.
- Support implementation of tracking systems for grants and fundraising activities, including reviewing and assessing current system for grants management; analyzing effectiveness of current system; coordinating with Finance and Accounting to assess and incorporate donations into grants management system; and working with central staff to improve and augment system to better support new development structure.
- Coordinate all aspects of donor stewardship and related database management; assuring the integrity of data input and investor information, upkeep of grant and investor management so ware sufficient to be able to produce gift reports, donor rosters, acknowledgements, donor pledge commitments and reports.
- Contribute to the overall success of PPS by assuming primary responsibility for special projects as assigned and performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned in a timely, thorough, and professional manner.
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of:
- Urban public school landscapes including policies, politics, education practices and funding.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to convey information to a variety of audiences (e.g., large groups, staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos).
- Fundraising best practices.
- Software and data systems.
Ability to:
- Define and implement effective business practices.
- Quickly master new technology and systems.
- Strong analytic and systems thinking necessary to interpret data to inform goals andstrategy, as well as build infrastructure where none exists.
- Coordinate and manage complex cross-functional projects with multiple competing priorities or perspectives.
- Build relationships across all organizational levels and functions.
- Manage ambiguity,risk,and changing direction of projects and strategies.
- Excellent interpersonal, leadership, and managementskills and high professional standards for work quality.
- Work effectively in high-pressure situations that require sound decision making.
- Ability to engage, inspire, and influence people.
Education and Experience
Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Non-Profit Leadership, Public Relations, Communications, or other subject areas closely related to a specific departmental program or function.
Experience: Three (3) or more years of experience full-time equivalent performing professional-level management and/or administrative duties in functional areas such as: program/office/operations management, budget developmentand/oradministration, development and administration of contractual agreements and/or grants, or other closely related functional areas. Any other combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities maybeconsidered.
Special Requirements: Somepositions in this classification may require the use of a personal automobile and possession of a valid Class COregondriver's license.
Working Conditions
The working conditions are outlined in the job classification for the position and are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Persons with certain disabilities may be capable of performing the essential duties of this class with or without reasonable accommodation, depending on the nature of the disability.
Remote Work Eligibility: hybrid
Classification and Salary:
This position is classified as Fund Development Specialist, Pay Grade 29, on the Non-Represented, Confidential, Professional and Management Employees salary schedule FLSA Exempt. The Non-Represented Confidential Professional Management and Employees Salary Schedule for 260 day employees can be found here.
Salary Range: $88,243 - $105,366
This position is a 260 day work year.
