Director of Development, Pro Bono

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Pro News Coaches ( https://www.pronewscoaches.com/), a nonprofit Delaware corporation, is a team of former Wall Street Journal reporters and editors. By some estimates, two American newspapers are closing down every week, and those that survive have to do more with less. Our mission is to offer local news organizations nationwide whatever assistance they need to get the job done, in whatever way makes the most sense for them. That helping hand comes in the form of coaching or mentoring, editing assistance, access to workshops or seminars and helping our partners find time to develop and implement plans for bigger and more ambitious local news projects. We match the experience and skills of volunteer WSJ alumni (many of them retired) to the particular needs of our partners.

This organization is a non-profit run fully by volunteers working to support local news, one of the cornerstones of democracy. In lieu of getting paid, we’re hoping to make a difference.

Pro News Coaches is seeking an unpaid, part-time director of development to join our team and help this very young group mature and professionalize our fund-raising operation. This position will report to the chair of PNC’s Board of Directors. The work will involve outreach to new and potential donors, as well as communications with existing and past donors and our broader WSJ alumni network.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

· Set long- and short-term revenue goals and identify strategies to meet those goals in consultation with the board.

· Oversee all of PNC’s fundraising activities including foundation grants, individual giving and major gifts.

· Educate PNC directors about the ins and outs of fund-raising and charitable operations.

· Write proposals, reports, solicitations and other copy to support fundraising initiatives and ensure consistency and tone across all department communications.

· Identify opportunities to apply for grants and develop and submit those applications.

· Report on fundraising performance and provide annual forecasts.

· Grow relationships with potential donor foundations in the world of journalism, such as Poynter and Knight.

· Work with our fiscal sponsor (Local Media Foundation) to ensure sound record-keeping and tracking of donations and acknowledgements.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

· Experience leading multi-source development efforts for a small nonprofit

· Alignment with our mission to support local newsrooms

· Excellent communication skills in writing, on calls and in person

· A strong "get it done" attitude and willingness to explore new ideas

· Success soliciting and stewarding gifts from foundations and individuals, especially in the world of journalism

· Familiarity with fundraising tools and software including databases, email marketing services, word processing and spreadsheet applications

COMPENSATION AND WORKDAY DETAILS

· We are a nonprofit; this job is unpaid.

· Work can be done on one’s own schedule and will not be more than 10 hours a week.

· We are all remote and have no on-site work requirements.