Senior Engagement & Development Associate

TSNE • Southington, CT

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The School and State Finance Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy organization dedicated to ensuring equitable education funding for all public school students in Connecticut. Since 2015, the organization has secured significant funding increases, engaged thousands of community members, and led the implementation of a student-centered funding formula. They serve as a trusted resource for policymakers, community leaders, and the public, providing transparent and accessible information on education funding. The School and State Finance Project is a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3-5 years of experience working as a community engagement professional with Connecticut experience preferred.
• 2+ years of experience within the development field (i.e. fundraising, grant writing, annual fund creation, sponsorship procurement) preferred.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to break down complex issues into more approachable and easy-to-understand content.
• Superb organizational skills with demonstrated ability to “multi-task” and produce high-quality work in a timely manner.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate across diverse audiences with varying knowledge levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proficiency in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as Gmail.
• Ability to work with others to create and implement plans.
• Commitment to learn more about policy areas the organization is working on, and become well-versed on the various subject issues.

Nice To Haves

• Connecticut experience preferred.
• 2+ years of experience within the development field (i.e. fundraising, grant writing, annual fund creation, sponsorship procurement) preferred.
• Familiarity with education policy issues preferred.
• Familiarity with Connecticut policy-making process preferred.

Responsibilities

• Help develop and execute the organization’s engagement and development strategies.
• Create and maintain the organization’s development and fundraising infrastructure.
• Aid in the creation and execution of programming.
• Identify development alignments when possible.
• Work across the organization to ensure strong connectivity through communities.
• Be a key voice in the creation of collateral materials to meet the needs of stakeholders.
• Participate in collaborations with stakeholders in order to develop high-quality, funder-aligned programming.
• Support the Engagement and Development team in developing and executing the organization’s engagement and development.
• Recommend and develop new ways to strengthen the organization’s development and fundraising infrastructure, leading change to optimize the internal logistics of grant applications and reports.
• Manage the organization’s grant application and reporting timeline, to ensure all participants meet deadlines, and aid in writing applications and reports.
• Identify grant opportunities that align with organizational initiatives, and cultivate relationships with funding organizations.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Engagement and Development in identifying new ways to stretch both breadth and depth of fundraising.
• Recommend and develop new approaches to leveraging the organization’s CRM, Hubspot, to strengthen both engagement and development efforts.
• Assist in executing the organization’s engagement and youth-led initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Engagement and Development and the Engagement Manager in developing and executing plans to grow the organization’s knowledge-building efforts regarding school finance policy and organizational initiatives.
• Assist in research and strategy regarding communities in order to inform the strategic plan of the Engagement and Development team, at both the state and local level.
• Meet with stakeholders to further engagement and development opportunities and initiatives, including in one-on-one, small group, and workshop or presentation settings.
• Assist in the crafting of approachable and accessible messaging and talking points for advancing the organization’s engagement and development efforts, collaborating with the Senior Engagement and Communications Associate and the Communications and Digital Advocacy Manager.
• Other duties and special projects, as assigned.

Benefits

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): 16 paid holidays, 3 weeks of paid vacation, 5 paid personal days, paid sick time, paid health leave, and paid volunteering time off;
• 80% employer-paid, offering some $0 deductible health insurance through Harvard Pilgrim along with several low-deductible plans;
• Low-cost Dental and Vision insurance;
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care;
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance;
• Employer contribution to pension plan through TIAA;

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior