FULCRUM Literacy, Director of Development and Communications

Edgility Search•Oakland, CA

32d•Hybrid

About The Position

ORGANIZATION FULCRUM is a nationally recognized nonprofit committed to ending one of the country’s most solvable problems: illiteracy. Founded in 2019 by award-winning educator Kareem Weaver and Liza Finkelstein, FULCRUM grew from work supporting literacy initiatives in Oakland into a national organization working to ensure all children have access to evidence-based literacy instruction. FULCRUM’s mission is to radically improve universal student reading outcomes by catalyzing the awareness, adoption, and effective implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction in school systems, educator preparation programs, and policy nationwide. Its vision is a nation where all children learn to read. FULCRUM works across systems to change hearts and minds, catalyze action, and create the conditions necessary for lasting improvements in literacy. The organization partners with school districts, state departments of education, educator preparation programs, policymakers, community organizations, and system leaders. Its work includes advising school systems and state agencies, coaching school and system leaders, hosting Literacy Learning Walks, supporting educator preparation programs, developing tools and resources, and bringing together stakeholders who have historically operated separately. As FULCRUM enters its next stage, the organization has an opportunity to translate its growing reach, relationships, expertise, and influence into a broader and more sustainable base of philanthropic support. To learn more about FULCRUM, please visit www.fulcrumliteracy.org . OPPORTUNITY FULCRUM is seeking a Director of Development and Communications to build and lead an integrated strategy for growing and diversifying the organization's philanthropic revenue while expanding awareness of FULCRUM's work and impact. Reporting directly to Co-Founder and Executive Director Kareem Weaver, the Director will assume day-to-day ownership of FULCRUM's development function, creating the strategy, systems, pipeline, and disciplined follow-through necessary to support the organization's long-term financial sustainability. This leader will deepen relationships with existing funders while identifying and cultivating new philanthropic partners—including individuals, foundations, corporations, and other potential supporters beyond FULCRUM's existing education-focused network. The Director will also oversee FULCRUM's external communications strategy, capitalizing on an already significant platform and ensuring that the organization's story, impact, and point of view reach audiences who can help advance its mission. Rather than treating fundraising and communications as separate functions, this leader will connect FULCRUM's compelling content, thought leadership, relationships, and national visibility to opportunities for investment and partnership. This is an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneurial development leader and exceptional communicator who can see possibilities in an existing network, build relationships from the ground up, establish effective systems, and move comfortably between strategy and execution. The Director will enable Kareem and the broader FULCRUM team to focus their time where they add the greatest value while ensuring opportunities are consistently cultivated, tracked, and moved forward.

Requirements

An accomplished development leader with 7+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising, philanthropy, business development, or a closely related field, with demonstrated success generating meaningful revenue from institutional and/or individual funders.
Experience working with a diverse set of stakeholders regardless of Race, Ethnicity, Geographic Location and Political Affiliation.
A builder and strategist with demonstrated experience developing or significantly strengthening a fundraising function, creating a prospect pipeline, opening new funding relationships, and moving opportunities from identification through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
An exceptional relationship builder and fundraiser who can authentically engage sophisticated philanthropic audiences, establish trust with existing supporters, initiate relationships with prospective funders, and confidently make the case for investment.
A strong writer, storyteller, and communicator who can translate complex ideas, programmatic work, data, and impact into clear and compelling messages for funders, partners, policymakers, educators, and broader audiences. Both comparison JDs make writing and compelling communication central candidate requirements.
A systems-minded operator with experience using CRM and development data to manage prospects, forecast revenue, track commitments, inform strategy, and create organizational accountability.
A strategic communications leader who understands how brand, thought leadership, storytelling, and content can advance fundraising and organizational strategy, and who can effectively manage external communications partners and vendors.
A highly collaborative, low-ego partner who can work effectively with a visible founder/Executive Director and across programmatic and operational teams, bringing strong judgment about when to lead independently, when to collaborate, and when to leverage the Executive Director's voice and relationships.
An entrepreneurial and self-directed leader who thrives in a small, evolving organization, can establish priorities amid competing demands, and is equally comfortable designing strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute it.
Deeply committed to FULCRUM's belief that literacy is a fundamental civil right and energized by the opportunity to help create the conditions necessary for all children to learn to read.

Responsibilities

Lead Development Strategy & Grow Revenue: Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising strategy aligned with FULCRUM's strategic and financial priorities; build and manage a robust pipeline across institutional philanthropy, individual giving, corporate partnerships, and other potential revenue streams; identify opportunities to diversify FULCRUM's funding base beyond its current education-focused network; personally cultivate, solicit, and steward priority funders and prospects; and develop compelling proposals, pitches, reports, and other funder materials.
Build Relationships & Leverage Executive Leadership: Develop authentic, long-term relationships with current and prospective funders, philanthropic partners, and other external stakeholders; strategically leverage Kareem's relationships, visibility, and national platform while increasingly owning relationships and opportunities that do not require his direct involvement; prepare Kareem and other leaders for high-value funder interactions; and create intentional pathways for converting introductions, speaking engagements, partnerships, and other external connections into sustained relationships and philanthropic opportunities.
Build Development Systems & Drive Execution: Establish the infrastructure, processes, and operating rhythms required for a disciplined development function, including effective use of FULCRUM's CRM; maintain a clear and accurate picture of prospects, asks, commitments, stewardship, revenue projections, and cash-flow implications; establish dashboards and regular reporting; manage grant calendars and funder requirements; and partner closely with Finance and Programs to ensure proposals, budgets, reporting, and revenue projections are accurate, timely, and aligned with organizational priorities. This emphasis on infrastructure closely mirrors the benchmark roles, which make CRM, donor data, reporting, and development operations core responsibilities rather than administrative add-ons.
Lead Strategic Communications & Storytelling: Develop and oversee an integrated communications strategy that strengthens FULCRUM's visibility, reputation, and fundraising efforts; sharpen FULCRUM's case for support and translate its work, impact, data, and learning into compelling stories for diverse audiences; oversee digital and print communications, including the website, email, social media, reports, presentations, and other collateral; and partner with staff and external vendors to ensure a consistent organizational voice and compelling content. The role will build on FULCRUM's existing media , newsletter, podcast, resource, and thought-leadership presence rather than creating a communications function from scratch.
Serve as an Organizational Leader & Cross-Functional Partner: Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Executive Director and collaborate closely with Programs, Finance/Operations, organizational leadership, and external partners; connect programmatic strategy and impact to fundraising and communications opportunities; help determine where leadership time will have the greatest external impact; manage communications consultants and other external partners and, as the function grows, potentially build and manage additional development and communications capacity.