Interim Director of Development / Chief of Staff (Leave Coverage)

UpTogether•, (Multiple States)

13d•$2,300 - $2,800

About The Position

UpTogether works to disrupt the status quo approach to ending poverty because it's not working. We recognize that poverty is created by systems, rooted in racism and perpetuated by false views of people considered "poor." We seek to change systems and underlying beliefs so that all people in the United States are seen and invested in for their strengths and are able to build power, reinforce their autonomy, and drive their own economic and social mobility. Our systems change strategy is two-pronged: We work with our members, partners, funders, governments, community organizations and other supporters to: Invest in families and individuals experiencing financial hardship by providing them with direct cash they can use however they choose, no strings attached. Amplify stories and data that tell their true lived experiences so that, together, we show the impact of investing in people, provide evidence that it works, and influence state and local policies and practices that support and accelerate social and economic mobility. The strategy is grounded in our strength-based approach of community, capital and choice, which honors people’s initiatives, abilities and self-determination. How We Do It Why We Do It Community: We learn from financially under-resourced communities and co-create opportunities for people to build and strengthen their social networks. People benefit from the power of community and naturally and routinely exchange social capital and help one another. Capital We invest in individuals and families through unrestricted cash. People must have access to sufficient capital to invest in their own lives. Choice We trust that people are capable of making decisions for themselves and their families. People are experts in their own lives and must have full choice and control over their time and resources. At UpTogether, we work towards these values: Community: We’re better together than we are alone, and we know that with the support of our neighbors, family and friends, all of us will have a better shot at achieving our goals and dreams. Impact: We focus our time and energy on collective work that will have the largest impact for people experiencing financial hardship. Collaboration: We center the lived experiences of our members, partner with them to change systems and work with them to co-create opportunities for people to reach their financial goals. Racial Equity: We are committed to being an anti-racist organization, and we promote anti-racist policies that eliminate the racial wealth divide. Leadership: We intentionally create space for everyone to lead, regardless of their title. Choice: We respect everyone’s autonomy and know each person is capable of making their own decisions. The Position UpTogether seeks an experienced and strategic development leader to help steward our fundraising and partnerships work alongside an excellent team, and to provide strategic and coordination support to our Executive Team and Board of Directors on an interim basis – through December 2026. With the support of UpTogether’s CEO, the Interim Director of Development / Chief of Staff will primarily be responsible for ensuring the continuity of our fundraising, external relationships, and communications work that sits within our External Affairs vertical. Additionally, the Interim Director of Development / Chief of Staff will provide strategic thought partnership and careful project management follow-through to the CEO and Executive Team, and will help facilitate our remaining Board and Committee meetings, as we wrap the 2026 calendar year.

Requirements

10+ years of experience fundraising, with a proven track record of securing six to seven figure grants/gifts.
Experience working with a wide range of fundraising and diversity of donors inclusive of philanthropic, corporate, private, high net worth individuals (HNWI), and/or government is preferred.
Established grant raising and grant oversight experience preferred.
Ability to quickly learn and effectively articulate UpTogether’s mission and approach, to ensure strong relationships, proactive development of new opportunities, and strategic communications.
Prior experience in direct cash, guaranteed income, or economic mobility spaces a plus.
Experience preparing visually compelling, data-driven, and informative presentations, reports, and summaries for executive, Board Level, and external audiences.
Exceptionally strong Project Management Skills and ability to ensure timely follow-up.
Experience managing staff and overseeing contractors.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating impact data and case statements both verbally and in writing to diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in direct cash, guaranteed income, or economic mobility spaces a plus.

Responsibilities

Support the oversight and execution of the External Affairs’ functions for UpTogether through the end of 2026, serving as a strategic thought partner to the team and CEO. Be a relationship steward, cultivator of new funding opportunities, and coordinator, while ensuring continuity across national fundraising, partnership, and communications during the interim period.
Along with the CEO, provide bi-weekly support to the External Affairs team which includes Senior Partnership Managers and consultants, to facilitate ongoing pipeline development, fundraising, proposal development, and project execution. Assist with oversight of contractors to similarly ensure timely and quality execution of work.
Meet regularly with foundations, partners, municipal representatives, coalitions, and other stakeholders to maintain partner relationships and fundraising, as well as cultivate new prospects.
Submit pending / upcoming proposals and steward proposals through decision and fund implementation where funding is secured. Coordinate and support new proposal development, internal review, and grant applications. Maintain Salesforce records, proposal tracking, and project management flows.
Serve as point person for funding prospects that are already underway, in place, or requiring project development and fund design. Meet with existing stakeholders about specific fund-related needs, which may range from relationship development and maintenance, to identifying donors and partners, to scoping out fund design, and supporting implementation of existing and new funds through cross-functional coordination and partner engagement.
Actively prospect and lead new fundraising opportunities for both direct cash and operations.
Update pipeline dashboard and create relevant reports for the Board of Directors, Executive Team, and All Staff meetings to demonstrate revenue progress, trends, insights, and analysis.
Along with the CEO, lead strategic external communications, presentations, talking points, partner engagements, and any other external-facing materials.
Support UpTogether’s individual giving efforts by maintaining donor stewardship, coordinating donor communication and acknowledgment, helping the stewardship of donors.
Support planning and execution of UpTogether’s year-end giving campaign, coordinating campaign timeline, messaging, donor outreach, campaign materials, reporting and collaboration with Board of Directors and Executive Team.
Support the Executive Team and Board of Directors in regularly scheduled meetings, to ensure the continued coordination of governance and strategic work and the presentation of timely, data-driven information for decisionmaking.
Plan, coordinate, and facilitate quarterly Board of Directors meetings and bi-monthly Board Committee meetings. Prepare agendas and presentations, compile key information and data, highlight decision points, and send timely communications and correspondence.
Prepare meeting minutes, track follow-up tasks and ensure timely completion of action items by the Board, the Executive Team, and across departments internally.
Support Executive Team meetings and governance as-needed. Track strategic initiatives, key updates, and operational execution of time-sensitive Executive Team work. Facilitate dissemination of Executive Team updates, ensure coordination of follow-up needs across teams, and, incorporate input from the team to facilitate 360 flow of information.
Tie together fundraising developments and revenue information for Executive Team and Board Meeting presentations. Prepare metrics, insight, and analysis for the Executive Team and Board as needed.
Coordinate and help prepare agendas and presentations for monthly All-Staff National Team Meetings.