Title: Senior Manager, Philanthropic Impact

Status: Exempt

Reports to: Chavaughn Brown, Co-CEO

Location: Remote, DC Area Preferred 

About AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation

AppleTree’s mission is to close the achievement gap before students get to kindergarten. To accomplish this mission, we focus exclusively on Preschool and Pre-K education. As a public charter school network with 13 locations across Washington, DC, AppleTree provides free, full-day school programming for over 1000 three- and four-year olds focused on kindergarten readiness. Our innovative and award winning instructional model, Every Child Ready, provides educators with tools and resources for “What to Teach,” “How to Teach,” and “How to Measure Success.” In addition to implementing Every Child Ready at AppleTree-operated schools, we partner with state and local school districts, as well as high-quality early childhood organizations and networks to disseminate the instructional model to early childhood educators across the nation. To learn more, visit: www.appletreeinstitute.org and www.everychildready.org. 

Position Overview

AppleTree is at an inflection point in our growth, and we seek a Senior Manager, Philanthropic Impact  for a newly defined role to implement and manage a comprehensive development strategy to support our mission and programs. This new team member will be a critical driver to AppleTree’s efforts to steward long-standing philanthropic partnerships and cultivate new sources of funding to support sustaining our school network and scaling the Every Child Ready’s instructional model across the country.

As the first member of a new development department, the Senior Manager, Philanthropic Impact will work closely with AppleTree’s Co-CEOs and Senior Advisor, while coordinating fundraising efforts across finance, school operations, and programs to provide an organizational-wide approach to achieving our revenue goals. This position reports to Co-CEO Chavaughn Brown, and has no direct reports.

The incoming Senior Manager, Philanthropic Impact will be a creative, entrepreneurial, and solutions-oriented team member. They will appreciate our fast-paced work environment while having a high degree of responsibility and ownership of their work. We are a small team dedicated to doing great things. 

Key Responsibilities

Development Strategy 

• Implement an annual fundraising plan, generating roughly $3M from institutional funders and major gifts, averaging about 2 grant proposals a month
• Report to leadership on goal progress, pipeline development, and other metrics. 
• Manage and draft leaderships’ updates about fundraising for the Board of Directors.
• Stay informed on programmatic activities to ensure accurate external communication in grant applications and donor communication.
• Represent AppleTree at various professional events and functions.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Collaborate with leadership to identify, cultivate, steward, and solicit major donors.
• Conduct prospect research on current and future major donors and foundations, with a focus on expanding the organization’s donor base.
• Develop and implement personalized stewardship plans and recognition initiatives that engage donors with the AppleTree mission and community.
• Create compelling fundraising messaging and materials in collaboration with the team.

Grants Management

• Manage government grants processes, including project coordination of application and reporting materials working with cross-functional teams. Serve as AppleTree’s key point of contact for government grants.
• Draft effective grant narratives, approximately 2-3 proposals per month.
• Submit timely and accurate grant LOIs, proposals, and reports.
• Work with the Finance team to develop and track grant budgets and financial reporting, submit timely invoices, report grant allocations, and coordinate audit documentation.

Development Operations and Data Management 

• In collaboration with Research Associate, manage gift processing, including entering gifts, tracking pledges, generating tax receipts, and gift reports.
• Ensure organizational compliance with charitable solicitation certifications.
• Maintain accurate donor records; ensure best practices in donor database management.
• Prepare regular dashboard reports on fundraising progress for leadership; use data to inform development strategies, track trends, and measure success.

Experience, Skills, and Qualifications

While the following are considered priority areas, we invite prospective candidates to highlight their transferable skills from past employment experiences in their application materials.

• Passion for AppleTree’s mission and programs.
• A Bachelor's degree and/or a combination of related educational and work experiences.
• 5+ years in external relations, such as fundraising, public relations, sales, or similar. 
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with a commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal, and presentation abilities.
• Technology-oriented; familiar with databases and data management, as well as advanced capability with email and word processing systems.
• Works well under pressure, multitasks, and adapts in a fast-paced environment with frequent ambiguity. 
• Thrives in a collaborative, team-oriented environment while possessing the self-motivation necessary to work independently.
• Leads with curiosity; entrepreneurial, takes initiative, is solutions-oriented. 
• Able to work occasional evenings, with notice, including attending events as an ambassador for AppleTree. 

Considered a plus

• Successful track record of fundraising, such as major gifts, corporate, foundation, or individual fundraising; experience in comprehensive campaign planning and execution.
• Familiarity with the education and early childhood philanthropic community at local and/or national levels.
• Advanced fundraising experience or CFRE certification is considered nice to have.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary for this role is budgeted at $90,000-$100,000 with a comprehensive benefits package including very generous health coverage, PTO, retirement contributions, and support for continuing education.

Work Environment

AppleTree administrative personnel work primarily remotely from their home office. Ideally, the Senior Manager, Philanthropic Impact resides within the greater DC area to accommodate occasional in-person meetings and donor events. 

Application Process

AppleTree has retained Good Insight, a national executive search firm serving nonprofits, to assist with this search. Submit a resume and detailed cover letter to good-insight.org/careers. Refer questions and confidential inquiries to AppleTree@good-insight.org. Resume reviews begin immediately. For best consideration, please apply by late July. Early applications are encouraged due to the pace of the search. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

AppleTree Institute is an equal opportunity employer.