FULCRUM Literacy, Director of Development and Communications

Edgility Search•Oakland, CA

4h•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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

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.
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.
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.
Systems-minded operator with experience using CRM and development data to manage prospects, forecast revenue, track commitments, inform strategy, and create organizational accountability.
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.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

Responsibilities

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.
Develop compelling proposals, pitches, reports, and other funder materials.
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.
Create intentional pathways for converting introductions, speaking engagements, partnerships, and other external connections into sustained relationships and philanthropic opportunities.
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.
Partner closely with Finance and Programs to ensure proposals, budgets, reporting, and revenue projections are accurate, timely, and aligned with organizational priorities.
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.
Partner with staff and external vendors to ensure a consistent organizational voice and compelling content.
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.